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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National Truck League to open new Mississauga office

LONDON, Ont. -- National Truck League will be hosting the grand opening of its new Mississauga office this Saturday. Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion is scheduled to officially open the facility, located at 2980 Drew Road, at 10 a.m., with festivities concluding at 4 p.m.

Officials say 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.

"This office represents not only a new location, but also the evolution of our holistic approach to insurance solutions for our clients," said Rod Stiller, president of National Truck League. "Our insurance solutions now will include home and auto insurance for our clients to ensure they are properly protected."

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

National Truck League is partnering with the Malton Mississauga East Food Bank at the grand opening. Attendees are asked to bring a canned or non-perishable food item for a chance to win a prize.

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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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The best rest stop in the U.S.: Entrance to a National Park

For an over-the-road truck driver, it is not easy to find wonderful places with interstate highway access for semis. I was on the road several years before I made a wonderful discovery, a rest area that is also a welcome center entrance to the Theodore Roosevelt National Park with a hike. A trucker needs to always be on the lookout for a place to get in a little exercise. This rest area at Exit 32 off I-94 in North Dakota is the BEST with a 1 mile loop down into the Painted Canyon from the visitor center and back out again.

An extra bonus here is a chance to see live buffalo or bison, (buffalo “pies” or “chips” are everywhere) but as the signs say, “beware” and do not go too close to these wild animals they can be dangerous. We once had time on our load, and enough daylight to hike down into the canyon looking for bison. Halfway into the loop we did come upon one of those huge hairy beasts on the trail, it was a thrilling experience, one I will always remember. This National Park is listed as one of the “10 National Parks to See Before You Die” so don’t just drive by.

The Badlands are a beautiful work of art in progress as water and wind continue to erode the buttes, pinnacles, and spires that resemble medieval castles made of sand. At sunrise or sunset the beautiful natural artistry is on full display, when the duff-colored buttes glow in shades of red, pink, and purple.

The Theodore Roosevelt National Park is actually comprised of three areas: South Unit, North Unit and Elkhorn Ranch Unit. It is located 133 miles west of Bismarck, ND and 27 miles east of the Montana state line. We attempted to enter by the South Unit entrance in Medora that is accessible from Interstate 94 from Exits 24 and 27, but they do not allow any trucks into the park.

You can however, find a place to park your rig right on the main street if it is not the busy season, and walk over to take the tour at the visitor center. They have a walking tour through a replica of Roosevelt’s cabin explaining his life and times where you can sit in the shade of a cottonwood tree at just like Theodore Roosevelt did. It was so interesting to discover how the experiences in the Dakota badlands influenced Theodore Roosevelt’s life, shaping him to be the President and inspiring him to become one of the world’s leading land conservationists.

This area was designated the Roosevelt Recreation Demonstration Area in 1935 to preserve the grasslands and the buffalo when they had been hunted almost to extinction. It was established as the Theodore Roosevelt National Memorial Park on April 25, 1947 and finally became a national park in 1978.

Truckers can also walk around the town of Medora, founded by a 24-year old French nobleman, the Marquis De Mores, in April 1883. There is also a tour of his historic home Chateau de Mores that overlooks the town and includes a museum and Interpretive Center Exhibits.

On the west edge of Medora is an historic site that once contained the plant, a slaughterhouse, three icehouses, several outbuildings, a railroad spur track, and a corral. The buildings burned in 1907, leaving only the tall, native clay brick chimney standing there. A picnic area is located next to the plant next to the entrance to the park. Also in Medora is the Cowboy Hall of Fame Museum depicting the history of Native Americans, ranching, rodeo, and the western lifestyle of the plains and Badlands.

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National Fried Chicken Day!

According to CNN today is National Fried Chicken Day! Yee Haw! This is a day custom made for me! Growing up in the South, I have eaten plenty of fried chicken. Every year my grandmother would ask me what I wanted her to cook special for my birthday. Every year was the same answer, fried chicken, creamed potatoes, grandmaw’s peas, biscuits and white cake with chocolate icing. Just typing that has my mouth watering. 

After all those years of enjoying that meal, I still don’t know what kind of peas grandmaw’s peas actually is.  My grandfather’s family grew them on their farm and every summer my grandfather would head further south in Alabama to help his brothers, that remained farmers, and he brought home A LOT of these peas with his return. My dad called them field peas and I have searched for them and I have yet to find any. 

For my grandfather, going to the even more intense sweltering heat to help his brothers do some harvesting, was a vacation to him. Even into his 70s the heat never bothered him.  He grew up near Dothan Alabama and they never had an air conditioner. When I was a kid and I would go with my grandparents to the farm, the first couple of days I thought I was dying, but eventually my body adjusted and I’d really stop noticing the heat. 

Along with the heat, you had to get along with lots of bugs. You couldn’t run from them, so you had to make your peace with that fact and carry on. During this time my great grandmother would cook amounts of food that were astonishing to me. My family also employed field hands and she fed them as well. One thing you learned quickly is that when you sit down to eat that is the only business at hand. You don’t talk, and you don’t laugh, you eat.

 Hard to believe it, but I was a talker back then. I would sit down and start asking 100 questions as the food is being served up. Now these people loved me, but when it was time to eat, they didn’t think I was that cute anymore with all my jaw jacking.

 There would be huge stacks of biscuits, a giant ham smoked and cured in their own smoke house, fried chicken, a humongous bowl of creamed potatoes, the infamous grandmaw’s peas, tall glasses of sweet tea and for some coffee. Coffee was available at every meal. They grew their own watermelons and they would take about 5 of them to a creek that ran along the back of the farm and sink the melons under the water. By the end of the day those watermelons were so cold they hurt your teeth when you bit into them.

 After the meal grandmaw would place a thin cloth over the table and leave the food sitting there! I would grab biscuits through out the day along with everyone else. Food was eaten until it was gone. They worked too hard to be wasteful.  The bowl she used to make her biscuits was big enough to use as a tub for kids. Grandmaw had 8 boys and 1 girl. The girl, my great aunt Alice, got the hell outta there when she was old enough. She had been farming enough to last her a lifetime. I think raising those 8 boys made my great-grandmother old before she even got through her 20s. After WWII, some stayed and farmed and other went out to do other things. 

One thing about going on these visits, I was out of my mother’s watchful eyes and after some major playing all day I looked like a huge clump of dirt. I loved it. Nobody on that farm thought a thing about kids playing in dirt all day and if you wore shoes you were a sissy city girl. My cousins took me horseback riding. I helped grandmaw gather eggs and feed the chickens. This was a whole different world from the one I lived in northern Alabama. 

Their main crops were peanuts and soybeans. I was always told to stay out of the peanuts because snakes loved curling up under the leaves. They grew blackberries and used them to make some kind of homemade wine. However, late in the day after supper they passed some time outside under a huge tree passing a jar of clear liquid. My dad said it was like drinking gasoline. I asked to taste it one time and my grandfather quickly intervened when one of his brothers started to hand me the jar. He told me that was one thing he would have to say to no to. 

Much to my grandmother’s dismay I learned some well used cuss words while hanging out with them under that tree. I would try the words out under certain circumstances and she made it clear that if I went home and talked that way, my parents wouldn’t let me come back. I kept them to myself. She also explained that girls do not go around spitting like her grandfather and great uncles. She really could take some fun out of the party. 

Of all 8 boys, only 1 remains. He was the baby and one of my favorites. I remember when he bought a tractor with air conditioning and a radio. They gave him hell for that, calling him a delicate flower and so forth. That is some great childhood memories for me! 

I am thinking that today would be a good day to celebrate all those great memories by enjoying some friend chicken. I know they would! 

Take care and treat yourself to some fried chicken,

KJ

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National Heavy Vehicle Regulator in Australia

Goodaye all. For years in Australia we have looked at your roads and the respect you mostly get from the public along with the ability to have a decent size sleeper, with some admiration. But it would seem we may be able to take a leap ahead of you with one National Regulator for trucking in Australia. Up till now we have had one for each state and then of course had to deal with the Police Force in each state, then the Dangerous Goods Codes (which are now national but were state controlled) and then Workcover, our health and safety government departments which are currently state based, but due to go national soon. It has been less than perfect.

To be fair we have far fewer states than you and I would imagine many of you would dream of one set of rules instead of 52, but we have been asking for one set of rules for years and this is the biggest and most likely chance we may ever get. A line on a map does not make any difference to the truck or the load, but it makes a big difference to the driver in being able to comply with all the rules laid down by those who do not have to live by them.

It has been estimated that one set of rules for trucking (and this is to be done for shipping and railways as well) will save billions in costs to transport and therefore to our customers. This will reduce costs for those who live outside our capital cities and improve productivity. It is due to start in 2013, a big ask and there were over 300 differences in the current regs, some minor, some major, but the most important issue is, will we get just another level of government intervention that will increase costs, red tape and penalties, or will we actually get some common sense and have one set of rules for all?

We all ready have the west with more flexible vehicle size and hours regimes that they believe work well and due to the large distances, are safe and suitable for the task and they do not want to come backwards to the eastern states laws. Nothing is guaranteed and there is a long way to go, but just maybe, you could follow us for once. I will try and keep you updated. Safe Travelling, Rod Hannifey.

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You Are Invited! June 23rd National Call-In Day for “Jason’s Law”

If you are involved in any aspect of the trucking industry you would have to have been living in a cave with no WIFI to not know about “Jason’s Law” also known as the safe truck parking bill which seeks to provide secure areas for truck drivers to rest or wait until they can unload their trucks.

The bill was introduced by Congressman Paul Tonko (D-NY) in 2009 after the tragic murder of fellow truck driver Jason Rivenburg who was shot for a measly $7 while he waited to deliver milk parked in an unsafe area.

Most of us have now become familiar with the tragic story and are aware that his courageous young Wife Hope has been the champion for this bill on behalf of all truck drivers despite her loss. Hope Rivenburg endured the death of her Husband, gave birth to twins just days later which made her the sole parent for 3 babies in March of 2009. She inspired many of us in the trucking community by pursuing this bill for safe truck parking in addition to enduring a painful murder trial in South Carolina where she had to face her Husband’s killer , explain to her toddler Son Joshua why his Father had not come home and tirelessly collected petition signatures to raise awareness for the issue of adequate and safe parking for truck drivers.

The bill called “Jason’s Law” had to be re-introduced to the 112th Congress and its corresponding bill number is now H.R. 1803 (LINK: Open Congress: Jason’s Law H.R. 1803 )

On June 23, 2011 Hope Rivenburg asks you to participate in a national call in day to support “Jason’s Law” H.R. 1803 beginning at 9:00 am EST to raise awareness and support for this issue.

She has a Facebook Page called “Jason’s Law for Truck Driver Safety” where she posts updates and a Twitter tag @JasonsLaw . Please mark your calendars and make note of phone numbers to call your representatives on June 23, 2011 to participate in the designated national call in day to Washington D.C. to support H.R. 1803, “Jason’s Law”.

 I am including links to help you educate yourself on how the the bill has been rewritten so you can create your personal choice of talking points when you call to speak to your elected officials.

You may also choose to email your representatives in addition to calling them and this often helps to gauge whether you are being heard by receiving a response letter or if you are being ignored or blown off. In my experience I have found it helps to both write and call. When calling, I specifically ask to speak to the “Transportation Staffer” regarding my Support for H.R. 1803 also known as “Jason’s Law”.

Here are some guidelines to keep it simple:

To write or call your Congressman you can use the link I have provided below to enter your zip code at the top right side where it says “Get Involved”. This will give you a list of your elected officials where you can select the “representatives” for your voting area to view their contact information such as phone numbers and email address.   (LINK: “Contact Congress” )

You can also use this link directly to the “House of Representatives” to locate your representatives and you should bookmark them for future projects. The main switchboard number is (202) 224-3121 and you should be prepared to provide your zip code and the bill number H.R. 1803. 

Whether you will be calling or writing, please prepare yourself with relevant information. I am including the archived radio broadcast with Congressman Paul Tonko and Hope Rivenburg from last week which you can listen to in order to review what has changed with the re-introduction of the bill H.R. 1803. (Link: Jason’s Law Update with Congressman Paul Tonko & Hope Rivenburg on “Ask the Trucker” Radio Program )

You can track the bill and write your representatives with the easy link included on the Open Congress website. (Link: Open Congress Jason’s Law H.R. 1803 )

Here are some additional tips to participate in the national call in day for Jason’s Law on June 23, 2011.

Remain courteous and respectful but refrain from over doing it. Do not use vulgarity, profanity, or threats. Being rude will only discredit any valid points you make later in your letter or verbal presentation.

It should go without saying but unfortunately I will add a reminder that making implied threats ARE NOT protected speech and this can get you a visit from the Secret Service. Simply stated, don’t let your passion get in the way of making your point.

Say who you are and list your credentials as a driver or concerned citizen. Be prepared to be asked for your zip code and address. Generally, a congressional member has staff in place to document all calls and they track voters from their districts so do not become paranoid by this question.

If you will be writing a letter or email you should understand that anonymous letters go nowhere so it is important to include your correct name, address, phone number and email address. If you don’t include at least your name and address, you will not get a response.

State why you are calling and/or writing which is to support H.R. 1803 and that you would like to know if they have heard of the bill. Ask them how they plan to support it and tell them that you are ready to help them raise awareness and support for the bill. Let them know that you would like them to co-sponsor the bi-partisan H.R. 1803 “Jason’s Law” safe truck parking bill.  Use specific examples or evidence that support why safe truck parking is important from your perspective as a professional driver or an advocate for highway safety. Let them know that you will follow their actions with regards to this important piece of legislation for highway safety and make sure you thank the member for taking the time to read your letter/email or taking your call.

Understand when calling you may not be able to reach the Congress member directly and have to speak with a staff member, preferably a transportation staffer. In any case, make sure your call and purpose was documented. Be polite and ask questions of them to be certain they are communicating to you everything that is being done to support this bill. You can gather good information about the integrity of the staff from these calls so listen well and thank them for their time.

Do not demand a response but if you get one make sure you read why or why not the representative has chosen to not support the bill and make a new strategy to contact them again to persuade them to support it. These are your elected public servants and there are times they seem to forget they are supposed to be working for those who elected them.  Also, if you do not get a response at all you should take that as an example of a public servant who has definitely lost their way and you should evaluate that the next time they are up for re-election.

Following your participation in the designated national call-in day for “Jason’s Law”, please go to the Facebook Page and post what responses you were given so that Hope can track progress and create a follow up strategy to gather more support. (Link: Jason’s Law Facebook Page )

Tips for Writing to Congress:

Properly address your letter with the following heading and address the topic of  “Jason’s Law” H.R. 1803 in a typed one-page letter formatted in a three-paragraph letter structured like the one below:

The Honorable (full name)                                          

(Room #) (Name) House Office Building                             

United States House of Representatives                             

Washington, DC 20515                                                     

Dear Representative:

Say why you are writing and who you are. List your “credentials.” Ask them to help us raise awareness for “Jason’s Law” H.R 1803.

Provide more detail with facts but not overly emotional. Provide specifics rather than general information about how the topic affects you and others. Use the correct bill number and cite it in your letter. (H.R. 1803) “Jason’s Law.

Close by requesting the action you want taken such as for them to co-sponsor “Jason’s Law”, pledge their support for the bill so it will be passed and let them know this issue is urgent.

 Again, be polite and Thank them for taking the time to read your letter and sign it in a respectfully manner.

Sincerely,

Professional Driver who Votes

If you are active on Twitter and Facebook you can go one step further during the national call in day by posting requests for support on the pages of you elected officials and “Tweeting” requests for support.

Remember, that Twitter chatter goes into Google and it’s hard to ignore. Facebook unity has also been very helpful and censorship in social media is frowned on so it helps to raise awareness and gather more support but do it in an intelligent manner.

You can find Facebook and Twitter accounts by going to Google and entering the representative’s name on twitter. For instance: Google “Paul Tonko on Twitter” and you will find this Congressman’s Twitter tag and be able to see if the tag is active by looking at the date of the last tweet. You can also use this method to locate a Facebook “LIKE” page for an elected official.

This is your official invitation to join Hope Rivenburg for this industry unifying event on June 23, 2001 from 9:00am to 5:00pm EST  to ask for Bi-Partisan support in Washington D.C. for “Jason’s Law” H.R. 1803 . Truck Drivers shouldn’t have to lose their lives waiting to deliver milk because there are not enough suitable safe places to park and rest for the night.

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