A strike, no fuel, and Cyopeck’s big success

Just about every time I come to write this column, and it’s by a very long margin the toughest part of the job, I’m faced with deciding what to say about what. On occasion, but actually not all that often, there’s a single issue sitting square in front of me — and in front of you — that just begs to be dealt with. I love it when that happens.

But more often than not, partly because this is such a vast industry with such big differences in what matters to its various sectors, there are 316 possible subjects. Maybe 978. And you can double those figures to get the minimum possible number of opinions on those topics. I’m reducing this to the absurd, of course, but you get the point.

I get tired of being very general so as to reach the majority or, on the other hand, of being so specific that I know I’m speaking to only 10 percent of our readership. Usually I opt for the former path, but this time out I’m going to break from tradition and write about three things, rather than choose just one…

The Vancouver Port Strike: It took place a couple months ago, but don’t think for a minute that this one’s finished. I mean, holy smokes, it’s crystal clear that truckers pulling cans out of there don’t get paid nearly enough considering the difficulties they encounter. Shippers have to see that but apparently don’t want to. And the Port Authority’s decision to force carriers — even those running employee drivers — to accept an imposed licence and rate deal is fraught with difficulty and outright unfairness.

Let’s face it, this is one mighty dysfunctional place and nothing but a complete overhaul has even a hope of guaranteeing its long-term viability. Chances of that happening? Don’t hold your breath.

Ultra Low Sulphur Fuel: The incredibly expensive and complex preparations for the reduction in diesel emissions set for 2007 have hit a bit of a roadblock. The technology required to meet the EPA’s aggressive cuts in nitrous oxides and particulates is more or less on track for most engine-makers, and for a while it looked — from the outside, at least — like an almost straightforward transition. Until it became clear that ultra-low-sulphur diesel fuel, promised by fuel refiners for field-testing purposes this year, is not exactly in bountiful supply.

All ’07 engines need ULSD fuel to avoid quick fouling of their particulate filters, so it’s obvious that the testing process can’t go far if such fuel isn’t available. Even in the U.S., ULSD supplies are sketchy at best, but in Canada they’re as scarce as cabovers. It’s utterly essential that this situation changes right now, because Canadian conditions are unique. Somebody do something!

Generosity & John Cyopeck: I recently witnessed one of the most extraordinary events of my entire quarter-century-plus in trucking –the culmination of the John Cyopeck and Friends Delivering a Dream Campaign.

Cyopeck, who is Canpar Transport president and CEO and chairman of the Canadian Trucking Alliance, boldly promised last April to raise $1 million to help a Mississauga, Ont. hospital install a new MRI unit. It was at that hospital, the Trillium Health Centre, where he had surgery to remove a brain tumour in February (he’s still undergoing treatment). Confident that the trucking industry would not fail him, and with the organizing help of Vitran Corp. CEO Rick Gaetz, he planned a Pro-Am golf tournament at the end of the summer as the core of the fund-raising effort.

I joined him, and some 200 of the industry’s heaviest hitters, for the dinner following that day of golf. And during the live auction that followed our meal, I saw endless examples of almost feverish generosity — $50,000 bid for a signed picture of Arnold Palmer, $30,000 for two tickets to see the Rolling Stones. The excitement was tangible, and the result was not $1 million but $1.25 million, which was then matched by local businessman Harold Shipp. Total raised? A whopping $2.5 million.

At the end of the evening, Cyopeck looked very proud but very drained. Exactly like everyone else in the room. John, you’re special.
So are your friends.