David Benjatschek added to Driving for Profit line-up

2014-01-12

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. -- David Benjatschek, author, leadership trainer and founder of Wowtrucks, will be speaking at the Jan. 21 Driving for Profit seminar.

Benjatschek has been added to a line-up that already includes: Tom Kretsinger Jr., TCA chair and president of American Central Transport; Chris Burruss, president of TCA; and Dave Heller, director of safety and policy with TCA.

Benjatschek will provide an update on the Wowtrucks Driver Survey and “leave a powerful key to recruiting and retaining the best talent for your organization,” organizers announced.

Truck News and Fleet Executive publisher Lou Smyrlis will moderate sessions and Ray Haight of Transrep will emcee.

The seminar series is hosted by NAL Insurance and sponsored by Truck News, Dalton Timmis Insurance and Daimler Truck Financial.

The cost to attend is $85 and the half-day seminar includes lunch. It is held at the Capital Banquet Centre in Mississauga. For more details or to register, visit www.drivingforprofit.com.

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Fall Driving for Profit session to feature top execs from Prime, TCA

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. -- The second installment of the 2012 Driving for Profit Series is coming to Mississauga Nov. 13.

The event, sponsored by Truck News, Dalton Timmis Insurance and Daimler Truck Financial, will feature Robert Low, president and founder of Prime Inc., taking part in the series’ ongoing “How We Did It” session.

The second session will see Chris Burruss and Dave Heller, president and director of safety and policy for the Truckload Carriers Association, respectively, speaking on US regulatory environment and its potential impact on Canadian motor carriers.

Truck News editorial director Lou Smyrlis will moderate both sessions, while TransRep CEO Ray Haight will act as Master of Ceremonies for the event.

The event will be held at the Capital Banquet Centre on Dixie Rd in Mississauga. Registration and continental breakfast start at 8 a.m., with the seminar getting underway at 9 a.m. A hot lunch will follow at noon. 

The cost to attend is $85. For more information or to register, visit www.drivingforprofit.com.

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KRTS wins Reader's Choice award for best driving institution

CALEDONIA, Ont. -- Kim Richardson Transportation Specialists (KRTS) has won a Reader’s Choice Award in the Best Driving Institution category for the third year in a row.

The awards are hosted by the Grand River Sachem and Glanbrook Gazette, a pair of publications that reach about 30,000 homes in Haldimand County, Six Nations, Glanbrook and Binbrook. The Reader’s Choice Awards “shine the light on the businesses that have delivered outstanding customer service,” according to a company release.

“This is our third year in a row winning and it is a great feeling,” said KRTS president Kim Richardson. “Our core value at KRTS is people; this includes clients, staff, friends and community.”

Since 1989 KRTS has educated and certified over 10,000 clients for AZ/DZ licencing, heavy equipment, dispatch, driver education, forklift and corporate training. Richardson credits his staff and associates at KRTS for the award winning services.

“Our recipe for success has always been built around our people. Hire properly, pay your staff well, give them the tools and education to do their job properly, treat them with respect and get out of their way so they can do their job” Richardson added.

Richardson and his wife of 25 years Lisa, founded KRTS in 1989 with one truck and trailer with an office in their house. Today, their business includes two training sites in Ontario for KRTS, an industry publication called The Rear View Mirror, and a partnership with Transrep alongside industry veteran Ray Haight.

“Life has a way of giving back to those who give. Our family and business are very involved with our community and the industries we serve. That is one of the corners of our foundation, community. Family, friends, business and community – it’s a great foundation to live your life by,” Richardson said.

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Alberta crowns top truckers at annual driving championships

CALGARY, Alta. -- Alberta’s top drivers from across the province descended on the Rosenau Transport yard Calgary to compete in the AMTA Truck Driving Champtionship June 16. The annual event, hosted by Alberta Motor Transport Association, challenges each driver to demonstrate his or her driving and inspection skills, knowledge and professionalism through a series of rigourous tests. The drivers under went a written examination, personal interview, pre-trip inspection test and driving skills test.

Finalists in each of five categories move on to compete at the National Truck Driving Championships which will be held in Moncton, N.B. later this year.

The event standings are as follows:

Straight Truck Division
First Place: Keith Franklin - Canadian Freightways
Second Place: Randy James Smith - Canadian Freightways
Third Place: Kevin Corscadden - Sokil Express

Single, Single Division
First Place: Calvin Briggs - Grimshaw Trucking
Second Place: Darren Tychkowsky - Fed-Ex Freight
Third Place: Kent Friesen - Canadian Freightways

Single Tandem Division
First Place: Rick Ross - Canadian Freightways
Second Place: Gordon Lowen - Grimshaw Trucking
Third Place: Rob Pirzek - YRC Reimer Express

Tandem, Tandem Division
First Place: Paul Mills - Canada Safeway
Second Place: Rod Harrison - Canadian Freightways
Third Place: Kevin Chapman - Orlicks Transport

B-Train Division
First Place: Lonni Wilton - Canadian Freightways
Second Place: Steve Calhoun - Canadian Freightways
Third Place: Jim Pennington - Sokil Express

Grand Champion:  Paul Mills - Canada Safeway

Rookie of the Year: Andre Roy - Bison Transport

Team Award: Canadian Freightways - Calgary

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Alliance Truck Parts driving growth 'momentum' with NASCAR partnership

MIAMI, Fla. -- It's been a banner year for Alliance Truck Parts, the all-makes, private label parts brand of Daimler Trucks North America, and one that has seen them literally off to the races.

Coming into 2011 with a full product line, but with customers unsure of who the company was or what they stood for, Alliance opted to kick off a campaign to create some attention, said John O'Leary, senior vice-president of parts and service at Daimler Trucks North America, at a press event in Miami on Nov. 19.

The goal of the Momentum campaign was threefold: to fill in product line gaps with an "assault" of new product launches, to offer dealer support like never before, and to create visibility with its target demographic.

In order to zero in on that demographic, Alliance conducted an owner/operator survey to find a common thread. The result? Alliance found a huge segment of its customer base - some 70% - counting themselves among the 75 million NASCAR fans across Canada and the US.

Armed with this information, and knowing NASCAR junkies to be among the most brand-loyal fans in all of sports (three times as likely to purchase sponsor products as casual sports fans, according to O'Leary), Alliance decided it was high-time they sponsored a stock car on the circuit with the help of Penske Racing. Given Daimler's existing relationship with Penske Truck Leasing, DTNA's largest customer, teaming up with Penske Racing was "hard to turn down," O'Leary said.

The new partnership got underway in April, with Sam Hornish, Jr. manning the #12 ATP Dodge at a race in Dallas. Since then, Hornish, Jr., a former Indy racing star and winner of the 2006 Indianapolis 500, has turned out solid performances for Alliance this year, including a seventh place finish during the press event in Miami and a first place finish in Phoenix the week before.

In addition to the sponsored car, Alliance also lent its name to the ATP 250 at the Michigan International Speedway this summer, attracting some 70,000 fans at the event and 2.2 million watching from home.

Other NASCAR-themed features of the Momentum campaign, with the apt slogan "A pit crew in every part," include its Victory Lane Sweepstakes, ATP gift cards, mobile marketing (via Alliance's Trucker Net app and YouTube video) and increased visibility via trade shows and trade advertising.

The end result of Alliance's endeavours has seen revenues surge 19% over the past year.

"2011 has been a success. Our Web sites have garnered a 500% increase in traffic and we have four times the number of press mention as in any previous year," O'Leary said. "We have generated millions of dollars in media exposure from our NASCAR publicity. We have seen great redemption activity on our ATP gift cards. We have entertained tens of thousands with our mobile marketing; entertained hundreds with our trackside activities; built our product line significantly; seen revenues of ATP grow almost 20%; and helped to lift Daimler Trucks North America's share of the HD parts aftermarket by 2%."

So where do they go from here? O'Leary says that "2012 promises to be the Year of Alliance," with further product launches, even more racing, new Web sites and tools, and further dealer engagement, in order to "keep our competition guessing and customers happier than they have ever been."

For more information, visit www.alliancebrandparts.com.

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Safe driving, heroism and leadership celebrated at OTA convention

TORONTO, Ont. -- Leading executives from the Ontario trucking industry gathered at the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) convention here today, but it was the actions of a couple of drivers that drew some of the biggest applauses.

Driver of the Year

Robert Hulme was honoured as both the Ontario and Canadian Driver of the Year, having racked up more than three million accident-free kilometres over his 37-year career.

The SLH driver was on-hand with wife Christine and children Kevin, Lori and Trevor, yet unaware that he was receiving the national award. Brent Weary, regional vice-president, sales and marketing with Volvo Trucks Canada, presented the award.

Hulme hauls Sears merchandise between Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie and Manitoulin Island and many of his three-million kilometres have been run on city streets.

In addition to his years of safe driving, Hulme was awarded for possibly saving several lives when his co-driver suffered a medical emergency near Elliot Lake last year. Hulme noticed the driver was in distress, pulled the spike and steered the truck away from oncoming traffic before driving his partner to the hospital.

Hulme, 60, also has earned a reputation for happily offloading his own freight, whether it be sofa pillows or refrigerators.

"Just like the mailman, Bob is an SLH-man who delivers his merchandise through rain, snow, sleet, and freezing rain," says Don Gray, SLH's safety coordinator and driver trainer. "As long as the roads aren't closed you'll find Bob making sure customers' orders are delivered."

Sylvain Moffatt, SLH regional manager, added: "Bob is certainly one of the most skilled and safest drivers to drive for SLH - no small feat considering the often harsh driving conditions in Northern Ontario. Bob takes great pride in the work he does and he's a true ambassador for SLH and the trucking industry."

Canadian Truck Hero

Another driver honoured at the OTA convention was Darryn Belanger of Kriska Transport, who was awarded for his heroics on three separate occasions.

Most notably, Belanger was recognized for coming to the rescue of another Kriska driver, who flipped his rig avoiding a collision with another motorist who had lost control of his car.

The accident last July on Hwy. 401 saw Kriska driver James Monaghan trapped in his cab with diesel fuel leaking onto the pavement and catching fire. Belanger helped free Monaghan from the wreckage, while extinguishing some of the flames. Belanger then stayed with Monaghan until help arrived while also keeping other motorists safe as they arrived on the scene.

"The adrenaline was pumping and I just focused on the task on hand - getting James out of the truck no matter what," Belanger recalled. 

On another occasion, Belanger helped a pair of women whose car had spun into a ditch during a snowstorm in Woodstock, Ont. He even pulled their vehicle out of the ditch with a set of chains he was carrying.

And another time, Belanger witnessed an accident and pulled over his truck to ensure everyone was alright.

"Darryn is a model professional as evidenced by his selfless act of bravery and kindness," said Mark Seymour, president of Kriska Transportation. "We're proud to have Darryn as part of our organization. He quietly goes about his business and is now a hero amongst his peers."

Belanger received the award from Leighton Watkins, regional manager for eastern Canada with Bridgestone.

Service to Industry Award

Of course, it wasn't only drivers being recognized at the OTA convention. Paul Leader, senior vice-president of Atlas Canada received the prestigious Service to Industry Award, sponsored by Shaw Tracking.

The aptly-named Leader has been in the industry for 40 years and has always been involved with the OTA. The association said he used to hitchhike on weekends from London to attend OTA courses in Toronto.

In 1994, Leader chaired the association and he would go on to head the OTA Image Enhancement Committee. Leader also formed the first ever OTA Road Knights team.

Leader was chair of the OTA when the trucking industry suffered its high-profile wheel-off crisis. The OTA said it was Leader who helped formulate a plan to improve the industry's safety performance and reduce wheel-off incidences.

Leader is still an OTA board member today.

Pioneer, Half-Century Club Members

The OTA also took the opportunity to honour some of its longest serving members.

Vernon Erb was inducted into the Half-Century Club, recognizing 50 years of involvement in the trucking industry. Erb launched his trucking career in 1956 and still drives today, while also serving as chair of Erb Group.

Pioneer Club members are honoured after 25 years of service. This year's inductees include: Wendell Erb, Erb Group; Scott Tilley, Tandet Group; Doug Coleman, Doug Coleman Trucking; Chris Banks, Tandet NationaLease; Brad Thiessen, Freightliner Canada; John Thompson, Huron Services Group; and Corey Cox, Tandet Logistics.

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Driving for Profit registration deadline one week away

LONDON, Ont. - The deadline to register for the next Driving for Profit seminar is just one week away. 

The event, be held at the Capitol Banquet Centre in Mississauga, Ont., Nov. 8., will feature former Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) chairman Ray Haight as Master of Ceremonies.

Guest speakers at the event will include David Bradley, president and CEO of the Ontario Trucking Association, and Chris Burruss, president of the TCA. Their session will focus on the future of the trucking industry in both Canada and the US. Truck News editorial director Lou Smyrlis will moderate the session.

Gary Salisbury, president and CEO of Arkansas-based Fikes Truck Line, will be speaking at the event's "How we did it" session. The session will highlight how Fikes has grown from an 11-truck company to a $70+ million transportation firm under Salisbury's leadership. Salisbury will also offer recruiting and retention tips using examples from some of Fikes' own cutting-edge programs.

"The Driving for Profit team is thrilled to have these gentlemen attend and speak at our next event. They are leaders in the industry and we are confident they will provide the audience with ideas they can take back to their own companies," said Aaron Lindsay, partner in the Driving for Profit seminar series.

To register for the event, visit www.drivingforprofit.com.

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Sights and highlights driving through Butte, MT

If you are driving Interstate 90 or I-15 through Montana you will want to stop in Butte to see the underground mining districts and the largest concentration of landmark historical sites of the American Wild West. Where tall mine frames dot the hillsides and light up red as beacons in the night sky, a memorial to times gone by.

In it’s heyday it had more wealth per citizen than any other comparable place on earth up to the middle of the 20th century. Gold, silver, and finally copper brought Butte’s population to nearly 100,000 in 1917, with more than 150 underground mines running 24 hours a day. Today there are many reminders of the opulence, decadence, and wild lifestyles of poor European immigrants, miners, businessmen, and of the wealthy “Copper Kings.”

If you can drop your trailer at The Town Pump Pilot station on the west side of Butte, drive your tractor to the parking area sitting atop the city’s richest hill at the Old Lexington Gardens. On site is the old stamp mill, owned by Montana’s first millionaire and a beautiful view of the city below. It is located on the corner of Granite and Arizona Street.

If you have time to stop for a tour, get an overview of the sites at Old Butte Historical Adventure Tours whose guides, dressed in period costumes, will take you on a fabulous walking tour of the historic buildings in the uptown area. They stop in seven museums along the way.

One of the highlights of touring Butte is The Copper King Mansion, a 34-room Victorian mansion built in the 1880s as local home of William Andrews Clark, one of the “Copper Kings” and a scandalous Senator of Montana. It was one of many homes he built around the world at a cost of $250,000, a huge sum of money in those days but which was only half of one day’s earnings for him.

It is easily found if you are approaching Butte on Interstate 90, look for exit #126, turn north and drive up the hill on Montana Street and come all the way to Uptown Butte. When you reach the traffic light at Granite Street (you’ll see the County Courthouse on the right) take a left turn and they are a half a block from that intersection on the north side of the street.

From May 1st through September 30th, the mansion is open daily for guided tours every hour from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm. The price of the guided tour is $7.50 for adults. The tour is free for you if you stay as an overnight guest. To arrange a tour, or to reserve a room for the night, call 406-782-7580 or send e-mail to thecopperkingmansion@gmail.com.

Drive out for a look into Berkley Pit, the open pit copper mine that ate up the hillside and was once the largest truck operated copper mine in the United States. It is approximately 1,780 feet deep and filled to a depth of about 900 feet with acidic water after it was closed in 1982. There is a tunnel from the gift shop to the pit overlook.

If you go, take the walking tour into a mine at the World Mining Museum too, on the west side of town through the College campus. Another recommendation is to enjoy a nostalgic lunch at Sparkey’s Garage Cafe.

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Driving Columbia Highway I-84: Waterfalls of the river gorge

One of my favorite runs is to Portland along I-84 through the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. It is a beautiful drive in every season. Truckers will be able to see some of the waterfalls in the region along the gorge as they drive through. The scenery of the Columbia River, the tumbling waterfalls, colorful wild flowers and bright autumn colors always entertain us as we drive through the gorge.

Interstate 84 travels east and west, following the Columbia River and roughly the path of the old Oregon Trail from Idaho to Portland. It is also known as the Columbia River Highway No. 2 and the Old Oregon Trail Highway No. 6. It follows along or near U.S. Route 30. The entire highway was called I-80N until 1980, when this was changed to Hwy I-84.

The mighty Columbia River is the fourth-largest river in the U.S. but the largest in the immense volume of water flow in North American that drains into the Pacific. The gorge was cut through the earth crust beginning with glacial waters centuries ago. Cascading over the basalt canyons created by the Columbia River are over 200 waterfalls including Multnomah Falls, the second largest in the United States and third largest falls in the World.

For Multmoma Falls exit at #31, Wahclelle Falls at exit #40, Bridal Veil Falls surrounded by a State Park at exit #28, and Gorton Creek Falls at exit #51 is near camping. Unfortunately, there is no parking for semi-trucks with trailers. We find a safe secure place to drop our trailer and then bob-tail to places to see the falls if we want to hike and take a closer look.

Multmoma Falls – Exit at #31
Multnomah Falls is dramatic even seen from the highway and is a great place to start any waterfalls sightseeing, but don’t forget the other falls easily accessible from Columbia Gorge Highway I-84 along Rt. 30 while traveling through Oregon. Many falls have easy and scenic trails, glorious at any time of year but especially photogenic in autumn while dressed in fall colors.

Wahclella Falls – Exit 40
The trail to the Wahclella Falls is an easy and scenic 1.8 mile loop along Tanner Creek through cedar and douglas fir woodlands. The highlight of this trail is the impressive Wahclella Falls, which tumbles into a basin-like pool below. From 1-84 take the Bonneville Dam Exit #40 where the Wahclella/Tanner Creek #431 trailhead and parking lot are situated on the south side of the highway.

Bridal Veil Falls State Park – Exit 28
Traveling the scenic Columbia River Highway, Bridal Veil Falls State Park is only ¾ miles away. This park offers a nice parking area, picnic tables and restrooms all within easy walking distance and no day-use fee is charged. The park features two different trails: an upper walking/interpretive trail and a lower hiking trail to the falls 120' tall.

Gorton Creek Falls – Exit 51
Gorton Creek Falls is one falls with campground access. Wyeth campground is small and rarely filled, just park at the end of the campground, and walk up the trail.

Viento State Park – Exit 54
Zooming down Interstate 84 eastbound, you will probably miss a tiny state park with eastbound vehicle access only at Exit 54. Westbound sightseers can park at the trailhead at Viento at Exit 56 and walk the two miles to the park. Starvation Creek is much more than it appears, with one of the few waterfalls in this part of the gorge.

For more information on the Oregon State Parks, or call 1-800-551-6949.

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Sights along I-70: Driving through Southern Utah

Driving on I-70 through Utah means cutting across one of the emptiest and least developed regions of Utah, it is a long drive but there is beautiful country to see. It may surprise you how very scenic this road trip can be in any season, with access roads branching off to Moab, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park and numerous State Parks; the most popular being Goblin Valley State Park.

You will see jutting rock formations the Native American Indians called the silent cities, slicing into the sky, colors that burn your memory with visions of the Southwest. When you see a wide plateau crossed by two entrenched river systems and surrounded by a ring of upturned strata; this is the San Rafael Swell. It is an arid, very scenic area, with mesas, cliffs, buttes, springs and canyons. The Swell itself is an oval shaped uplifted area of layered rocks, most of which has been eroded away forming the mostly flat central plateau, while the strata at the edges are left exposed and angled near vertically. In the San Rafael Reef are found most of the spectacular canyons especially in the southeast section.

Devils Canyon is a beautiful slot seen in a section of the San Rafael Swell to the north of the highway. Access is relatively easy. Devils Canyon roughly parallels I-70 on the west side of the Swell. Take Exit 114 (Moore Cutoff) and drive south from the freeway onto Justensen Flat. The road winds east and then south as it drops down the cliff face into Devils Canyon but it is only for four wheel drive vehicles, trucks should stick to the rest stop pull-out overlooks to enjoy the view.

The San Rafael Knob is the highest point in the San Rafael Swell. From the top you have amazing views out over some of the most ruggedly beautiful parts of the Swell. It is easy to include the Knob in a hike going east up Devils Canyon if you do have a chance to get out and get some exercise and are so inclined.

It is a little scary getting into the overlook points in the winter if the snow piles up. But during other months of the year there is truck parking up the hill into the overlook and I usually find another truckers stopped there too. Drivers can get out of the cab to stretch or even walk down the trails to the rim. At the pull out view points the Native Americans also sell their wares and tourists stop for pictures.

Goblin Valley State Park, the most visited site in this area is a photographer’s paradise. Near the park area, history buffs can discover rock art left by ancient Indians and ruins left by early prospectors, miners, and ranchers. I will need to explore this area in a four wheeler to scout out if semi trucks dare venture deeper into any of these places. Most of us are so busy and on such a fast track that there is no time to stop but only enjoy what we see from the highway as we go

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Drunk driving, car accidents(homework)

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Driving a straight truck is NOT trucking…

“ANN ARBOR, MI, Aug 15, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) — Con-way Freight, a less-than-truckload (LTL) carrier and subsidiary of Con-way Inc. CNW +3.37% , announced today that Paul Phillips, a driver sales representative from the company’s Fresno, Calif., service center, won the Grand Champion title at the 74th National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC).

A 35-year trucking industry veteran, Phillips won the title by outscoring 428 of the nation’s best truck drivers who participated in the 2011 competition, sponsored by the American Trucking Associations (ATA) over the weekend in Orlando.”

*** This year was the second time Phillips competed at Nationals, where he placed first in the Straight Truck division.

A straight truck? You come into work in the morning after a good night of rest at home. You drive your car to a local terminal. You punch a clock. You climb aboard your STRAIGHT truck and drive around town dropping off pallets here and there. You grab a bite to eat. Then you  drive the same route in reverse and pick-up pallets, usually from the same places you delivered, then drive back to the terminal – back it up to a dock and park it. You drive home, have a beer, watch a game, kiss the wife and kids, then go back to sleep to repeat the whole process again the next morning.

This is what the ATA’s National Truck Driving “champion” does. Con-Way is one of the ATA’s heavy hitters. When Con-Way talks, the ATA listens.

Driving a straight truck around the city doing local P & D {(pick-up and delivery) work, is trucking, but not “real” trucking. What is real trucking? It’s OTR – over the road – being away from home, driving a tractor-trailer with 18 or more wheels trucking.

Even if this Con-Way driver also competed in a semi – I don’t know if it was a “pup” trailer – not a 53 ft. box – to back up into spaces defined by cones and flags, it is still NOT trucking. I don’t care how many years or million of miles he has behind the wheel, it is not “real” trucking.

Do I need to point out that driving a tractor trailer rig over the road coast to coast or from Canada down to, let’s say, Laredo or El Paso is RADICALLY different than driving a straight truck anywhere. It’s apples and oranges, water and oil – you cannot even compare the two. Leave it to the ATA to “generalize” trucking.

I’ve drove a straight truck delivering hardware supplies in New York City. I’ve driven doubles for RPS, now FEDEX, locally. I’ve delivered and installed mattresses and furniture locally driving a straight truck with a lift gate. I’ve managed fleets with straight trucks. It just is NOT the same as driving a road truck.

A real competition would take into consideration many other elements way beyond a closed “simulated” road course with rules established by the ATA. To quote from the ATA website, “drivers tested their expertise in the driving skills they use daily. The drivers undergo a written examination, personal interview, pre-trip inspection test and finally, the most visible – the skills test.

The competition course inside the Orange County Convention Center challenged their knowledge of safety, equipment and the industry. The skills course tested drivers’ ability to judge distances, maneuver tight spaces, reverse, park, and position their vehicle exactly over scales, before barriers or around curves.”

None of this has anything to do with the realities of over the road trucking. Is has NOTHING to do with life on the road. It is unrealistic. It is artificial. It’s great PR for Con-Way and the ATA.

Why don’t we put the grand champion winner – Mr. Phillips – in a real world over the road trucking simulator for – how long does a typical OTR driver say out – 3-6 weeks? When the time is over, we’ll let him out and then he can do the ATA fake trucking course. I want to see how he does after he has to deal with traffic, rest areas, dispatchers, safety, weigh stations, road inspections, customs, shippers, receivers, sales, customer service, truck stops, parking and let’s throw in a few days dealing with having the truck serviced at a truck dealership.

I know the results would be quite different and the winner would probably be an owner-operator with real trucking experience.

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Wisconsin Nonprofit to Encourage Children to Consider Driving Careers

Driving is a privilege that comes with responsibilities.  Teaching children that driving a tractor-trailer, fire truck or motor coach as a career is difficult to do when that opportunity may be a decade away.

Jim Van Den Elzen, Crossroads Safety Management Group, owns a mobile classroom simulator he uses for training commercial drivers throughout the Midwest.  His desire to teach children led to the formation of the non-profit organization, Drivings Cool (drivingscoolinc.org). His goal is to allow middle and high school students to drive the simulator and start thinking about how their actions now might affect their ability to acquire a job in transportation later.

The students get the opportunity to drive their choice of vehicle, such as a dump truck, ambulance, fire truck or tractor-trailer.  Then, they are asked to sign a pledge to keep their driving record clean and to be drug and alcohol free when they graduate.  If they fulfill these goals, they will receive a scholarship upon graduation of high school to pursue training in a transportation related field.

“The goal of this organization is to introduce students to potential transportation related careers and to help them understand the importance of their driving actions now,” said Van Den Elzen.  He has received IRS nonprofit status and organized the board of directors and is now seeking funding for the project.  If the concept is successful in Wisconsin, other states will be added in the future.

Ellen Voie President/CEO of Women in Trucking Association (womenintrucking.org) based in Wisconsin, serves on the Board of Directors.  “I am excited to be a part of this initiative,” said Voie, “as it aligns with our mission to encourage the next generation to consider careers in the trucking industry and Drivings Cool will allow us to expose these careers to young women and men.”

In addition to Van Den Elzen and Voie, other directors include Craig Dickman; Breakthrough Fuel Technologies, Karen Matze; Business Consultatnt, Ed Janke; Howard (WI) Director of Public Safety, Mike Ruby; CPA at Kerber, Rose & Associates, Jim Lewis, Attorney, Lewis & Van Sickle, LLC, Jerry Mader, Owner, Business News Newspaper and James Clemens, M.D., Prevea Clinic.

Drivings Cool is seeking funds from corporate sponsors.  For more information contact Van Den Elzen at vandenelzen@new.rr.com

© 2011, Truck Drivers News Blog. All rights reserved.

I'm just a EX-truck driver, trying to pass along a little information. I been in the Trucking Industry as a driver for over 15 years. I have driven both as an owner operator and as a company driver. I have also been a driver instructor for an accredited truck driving school in KY. I am no longer a truck driver, but I consider myself to be a watchdog for the trucking industry. In fact this site is the #1 site for getting the real news about trucking. We don't hold back here, you will hear the full story. Twitter | Contact Me |Truck Drivers News Facebook

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Who will be the winner of the National Truck Driving Championships

Life on the road is an obstacal course -credit Lindsay Godfree

Right now the National Truck Driving Championships is already underway to see who the best truck driver in America is. The competition for professional truck drivers is hosted each year by American Trucking Associations. This year it is on August 9-13 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL.

This competition has a long history dating back to 1937, when it was known as the “National Truck Roadeo.” The contestants are state champions from all 50 states. I guess if we are not there, we did not make the cut and need more practice. It would be outstanding to be able to be there to see the competition if time and money were no obst possible to get there!

Our hats are off to the competitors who are made up of the winners in eight classes of competition from 50 State Trucking Associations’ Truck Driving Championships, and the winners of the auto transporters class at the regional championships. Over 400 top professional truck drivers from all across the U.S. are in Orlando, Fla. for the 2011 National Truck Driving Championships (NTDC) and National Step Van Driving Championships (NSVDC).

The “Super Bowl of Safety” is designed to inspire tens of thousands of drivers to operate accident-free for the right to compete. States send winners from each class of competition – from 18-wheeled five-axle sleepers to tank trucks to twin trailers to straight trucks – eight competing classes in all with an affiliated competition for step vans. The 19th annual North American Inspectors Championship will again take place alongside the Championships in Orlando.

Always check the tires

These super-drivers will compete for four days, challenging their driving skills, and knowledge of safety, equipment and the industry. each driver has a chance to demonstrate his or her driving and inspection skills, knowledge and professionalism through a series of tests. Then they head to the competition course, which recreates real world obstacles that drivers encounter daily, such as an alley dock, a rear and/or front line stop, a scales stop, a right or left turn, parallel parking, or straight line driving through a diminishing clearance. Five classes will drive Thursday and four classes will take to the obstacle course Friday.

The Championships are a great incentive for professional truck drivers to operate safely, because they must be accident-free for at least one year prior to the competition. Many of the competitors have millions of accident-free driving miles to their credit.

When it is all over on Saturday, August 13, the U.S. will have a new National Grand Champion professional truck driver, individual champions in each class, and a state champion team.
The championships usually attract over 2,000 cheering friends, family, colleagues and spectators. The rest of us professional drivers would be there if we could to cheer them on.

For myself, I need many more years of practice. I was always good at driving and always loved it, but driving an 18-wheeler has been harder than I thought it would be. I am a very careful and safe driver but have to acknowledge that I am in awe of you guys and gals who can do those blind-side backs between other trucks in small spaces.

For more information, visit the 2011 National Truck Driving Championships website: www.truckline.com/Federation/Councils/slpmc/NTDC/Pages/Default.aspx

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Ray LaHood: ‘No Texting’ while Driving – Big Brother says Otherwise

New Yorkers will be the first to use a new alert system. They will be rapidly alerted to potentially dangerous situations – ranging from terrorist threats to impending hazardous weather – under a new text notification program. Mayor Bloomberg unveiled the program, which will be the first of its kind in the nation, Tuesday morning near the World Trade Center site.

The program is called “PLAN,” which stands for the “Personal Localized Alerting Network.” And the goal is to give New Yorkers instant, potentially life-saving messages and updates on emergencies. New Yorkers can expect several kinds of alerts: warnings directly from President Obama, messages about immediate safety threats and Amber Alerts about missing kids. Cell phone companies may allow customers to block some of the messages, but certain alerts must go through. Cell phone users can opt out of some messages, but certain alerts will be mandatory.

So is New York going to lift the ban on text messaging they have in place now? Text messaging and related uses of handheld electronic devices are banned in New York (secondary enforcement).

What about the local truck drivers in NYC? The Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, has been “obsessed” with distracted driving – mainly texting and driving especially in the trucking industry. The federal government (Ray LaHood) has enacted a ban on text messaging for drivers of all large commercial trucks and buses. The ban goes into effect immediately, and drivers who violate the ban could find themselves hit with fines of up to $2,750 and the carrier could face up to $11,000.00 in fines. This law follows a similar prohibition against “texting” by all drivers of federal vehicles that went into effect in December.

Oh but this gets better, trust me. What proof did Ray LaHood have in order to just up and place a ban on texting and driving for commercial drivers?

The most recent study Ray LaHood has was conducted by Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI). They concluded that a truck driver was 23 times more likely to cause an accident while driving a tractor trailer and texting. But the study was ONLY done on 203 CMV drivers and 55 trucks from seven trucking fleets. Out of the 3.5 to 5 million truck drivers on the road today only 203 were studied. And they also included in their findings “near misses” as accidents in fact it was 46 percent near misses. How in the world can you include a “near miss” as an accident?

The dictionary defines a Near Miss is: an instance of two vehicles, aircraft, etc., narrowly avoiding a collision. The dictionary also defines an accident as: an undesirable or unfortunate happening that occurs unintentionally and usually results in harm, injury, damage, or loss; casualty; mishap: automobile accidents. Again, how can you use a “near miss” as an accident when in order to have an accident there must be a collision.

The “Personal Localized Alerting Network” is scheduled to be up and running by the end of the year in New York and in Washington, D.C. It will expand nationwide by mid-2012. Nationwide? Well, Ray now what are you going to do?

Sources:
LaHood: ‘Obsessed’ with Texting in Trucking – But What Proof
NYC Unveils First-in-Nation Emergency Text Alert System

© 2011, Truck Drivers News Blog. All rights reserved.

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