Kriska celebrates 35th anniversary

By: Carolyn Gruske
2014-01-10

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. -- It was party time in Mississauga today, as Kriska Group of Companies celebrated a double anniversary.

The over-the-road for-hire carrier celebrated both its 35th year in business and its 25th year operating out of the City of Mississauga. To mark the occasion, the Prescott, ON-based company invited another anniversary celebrant to its party: Mississauga, ON mayor Hazel McCallion. In December, 92-year-old  McCallion marked her 35th anniversary as mayor of the city.

Canadian Trucking Alliance president and CEO David Bradley also took part in the ceremony.

Kriska was founded by Ken Seymour, father of current company president Mark Seymour. Today, it employs approximately 450 people, with approximately 200 working out of the 20,000 sq.-ft. Mississauga office. The company operates 350 trucks and 1,100 trailers with the fleet being mainly split between Prescott and Mississauga, in addition to a small presence in London, Ontario.

While the company is still headquartered in Eastern Ontario, Seymour says the province’s economy has dictated where Kriska operates.

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SmartTruck celebrates milestone; introduces new model for pup trailers

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Just two years after launching the Trailer UnderTray System, SmartTruck says it has deployed 20,000 units.

It also has expanded its product line, with a new pup trailer version introduced at this year’s American Trucking Associations Management Conference.

“We introduced our company and product two years ago at this ATA show,” said Mike Henderson, CEO of SmartTruck. “To have grown to this point and hear the savings and durability reports from our customers is a testament to the success of our aerodynamic and mechanical design strategy. We are using the air to the vehicle’s advantage and placing the UnderTray components safely inside the footprint of the trailer. This gives us maximum performance and durability.”

SmartTruck says fuel savings range from 5.5-10+%, depending on application and the system that’s used. It also says durability has improved, with replacement rates of less than 1%. One happy customer is Con-Way Truckload.

“We have installed 1,800 of the UT-6 UnderTray Systems on our trailers with zero dollars spent on maintenance,” said Randy Cornell, vice-president of maintenance, Con-way Truckload. “These systems are contributing to increased fuel efficiency, and our drivers can still get under the trailer easily to conduct proper pre-trip safety inspections.” 

Meanwhile, SmartTruck expanded its offerings at this year’s ATA conference with the introduction of its newest model, designed for use with 28-ft. pup trailers.

“Pup trailers present a similar challenge to 53-ft. trailers,” said Henderson. “We are applying the same UnderTray design strategies that have worked so well on 53-ft. trailers, using our CFD analysis techniques to understand the different flow field that exists with the pups. We are applying that knowledge to the adaptation of our UnderTray system to provide similar performance for pup operators. The pup UnderTray systems will have the same ruggedness and durability with very quick installations that our customers have come to expect.”

Fuel savings will range from 2-3% on drop frame trailers using the aero rain guard and side fairings, up to 8-9% when deploying the aero rain guard, side fairings, nose system and forward undertray on straight frame trailers, the company reports.

The Canadian distributor of the system is Northern Aerodynamic Solutions, which can be found online at www.NorthernAerodynamic.com.

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National Truck League celebrates opening of new Mississauga office

LONDON, Ont. -- National Truck League has expanded its operations with the addition of a new office location in Mississauga, Ont. The insurance provider invited staff, customers and even Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion to its grand opening event Oct. 22.

Company president Rod Stiller says the new office will operate as an extension of its London head office with a full line of products and services, including WSIB alternative, health, commercial, home and automobile insurance.

"[Our clients] called us and they have been asking, 'Can you provide home and automobile insurance?'" Stiller told Truck News at the event. "Now we have the companies to do that and new expertise to do that."

Part of that expertise comes in the form of Jas Sahota and Charlie Singh, a husband and wife team that have been selling home and auto insurance in for about 12 years.

"Many of our clients have indicated they want to be protected by one brokerage," said Sahota, who serves as office manager at the new location. "We are providing our clients with that opportunity. We want to look after all their protection needs."

Stiller says the location was strategically selected to meet the needs of National Truck League's South Asian customer base.

"With this Mississauga office we are reaching out to our Toronto and GTA clients and to the South Asian community which is a big part of our customer base. Just to be accessible, to be able to help you, to list and to provide the information and the service that is required from this industry and this community," Stiller told the crowd during the ribbon-cutting. "We are very excited to be in this community and we hope that over time we will be able to bring jobs to this community."

The new office is located at 2980 Drew Road in the city's Malton area. For more information, visit www.nationaltruckleague.com.

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