OTA conference turns 80; promises to be biggest ever

TORONTO — The day after next, presidents, CEOs and senior managers of some of the country’s most notable trucking fleets will be in Toronto for the 80th annual convention of the Ontario Trucking Association.

The two-day convention (Nov. 16 – 17, at the Toronto Congress Centre) is the place where industry leaders meet to discuss all the pressing industry issues.

As always, the OTA conference is loaded with important seminars, workshops, industry announcements, respected guest speakers, and top-notch entertainment.

Business sessions are titled: Fuel Prices; The Qualified Driver Shortage; What’s New at the Border; Changing Cultures, Changing Thinking on Safety & Compliance; Wall Street Outlook on Trucking; Economic Forces Impacting Trucking’s Customers; MTO & Regulatory Matters; and the Leadership Imperative, to name a few.

Delegates will also hear from the U.S. Ambassador to Canada David Wilkins; Ontario Minister of Transportation Donna Cansfield; Schneider National Logistics chief Tom Escott; Fed Ex Freight CEO Doug Duncan; and Knight Transportation CEO Kevin Knight, among others.

Entertainers include comedians Shaun Majumder (This Hour has 22 Minutes, Just for Laughs) and Jeremy Hotz (The Newsroom, David Letterman, Jay Leno) perform. Canadian music legends Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman close the convention at the gala dinner on Friday.

A series of important awards will also be presented including: Bridgestone/Firestone Canadian Truck Hero; CTA/Volvo Trucks Canada National Truck Driver of the Year; OTA/Cancom Tracking Dispatcher of the Year and Trailmobile Service to Industry award.

Furthermore, this year the industry celebrates 80 years of history with a number of special happenings at the convention including: the unveiling of a history book Trucking & Triumphs – 80 Years of the Ontario Trucking Association and a display of antique trucks on the convention floor.