CARRIER INTEGRITY

Integrity…now there's a word that seems to have lost it's value over the past several years, especially in politics, as we have all witnessed. Integrity is described as the firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values : incorruptibility. How does it apply to the trucking industry?

The recent US Supreme Court ruling on broker liability creates a challenge for carriers: how do we distinguish between the scofflaw carriers and the good ones? Rather than wait for various governments to tighten up their carrier rating methodology, George Kresulia developed the Carrier Integrity Pact. George is our guest on this episode of Truck News Talk.

The title this weeks sound like the title of a Quentin Tarantino movie. Nope. It's real life...and death in Northern Ontario.

Let this sink in. The Highway Traffic fatality rate across the province of Ontario in 2021 was 3.94 per 100,000 people, yet the fatality rate in northern Ontario that same year was more than 99.25 per 100,000 people. That's a 135% increase! So far, the Ontario government seems to be okay with that. Jim Park talks to Ontario MPP John Vanthof who represents that Ontario region. Listen as Mr. Vanthof explains to problems…and the proposed solutions. Are you listening, Premier Ford?

Dumbing Down Driver Training

Have you ever heard the metaphor about the "crabs in a bucket"? It's based on the observation that if a single crab tries to climb out of a bucket, the group will pull him down, preventing him from escaping. It embodies the mindset: "If I can't have it, neither can you."

We have a crabby example in this TNT podcast where we learn about one province being compelled to dumb-down truck driver training seemingly to satisfy the other nine provinces. Jim Park and Stan Campbell talked to Kelly Henderson, the Executive Director at Trucking Human Resources Sector Council. She tells us about the positive driver training in Nova Scotia, but what Kelly told us about MELT shocked us. You have to hear this.

Thanks to our friends at Howes Products, makers of Diesel Defender, a diesel Fuel Lubricator & Injector cleaner with advanced IDX4 Detergent.

A NATIONAL TRUCK DRIVER TRAINING STANDARD WITH JOHN DEGROOT

Just when you thought that everything that needed to be said about the Red Seal Certification plan for trucker driver training was already said, we discovered that there is more to learn. Jim Park and Stan Campbell talk to one of the most passionate people behind the Red Seal Certification process, John DeGroot. We thought we had heard it all, but this week we learn some new details. Is the answer is a standard driver training course from coast to coast, through Red Seal? It's already beginning in one province.

Thanks to Howes Products makers of Diesel Defender, a diesel Fuel Lubricator & Injector cleaner with advanced IDX4 Detergent

Rollover Avoidance

Remember when CB radios were the main communication system between truckers? There was an entire lingo between drivers…but maybe the most popular one was "Keep the shiny side up and the greasy side down." CB radios aren't as popular as they once were, but it seems that these days, keeping the shiny side up is also not as popular as it once was. Hardly a day goes by when we don't hear about another rollover or see one on social media. In some cases, lives are lost. What are we going to do about that? Well Jim Park will have a conversation with Brian Bullock, Principal of RoadAware Safety Systems. Mr. Bullock has a Bachelor of Engineering, Master of Engineering, Civil Engineering.

Thanks to Howes Products… makers of Diesel Defender, a diesel Fuel Lubricator & Injector cleaner with advanced IDX4 Detergent

We also have an upcoming conversation about carrier integrity…and we are also scheduled to talk to another player in the Red Seal certification plan…in fact, a brainchild of the plan who has his own questions.

Fuel Tools You Can Use

We have come down with the crude oil blues. Thanks to Donald Trump's adventure in Iran and the subsequent closing of the Strait of Hormuz, we are feeling the pain at the pumps. Diesel is at an all-time high in Canada and the USA, and it may get worse before it gets better.

We aren't left with many options, except to moderate our driving habits, in an attempt to cut down on diesel fuel expenses. Our TNT co-host, Jim Park, a driver for twenty years, understands the challenges. As a journalist he has also been involved in several fuel saving studies, where he learned a great deal about how to cut back on your fuel expenses. He shares his suggestions with us on this Truck News Talk podcast with Stan Campbell

Later in the podcast, we make it official. Jim Park is the new co-host of the TNT -TruckNewsTalk podcast. Listen as we talk about our mutual experiences that got us here. We both have colorful backgrounds.

Thanks to Howes Products, makers of Diesel Defender, a diesel Fuel Lubricator & Injector cleaner with advanced IDX4 Detergent

Andy's Red Seal Questions

With all the buzz around Red Seal designation for truck drivers, even turning truck driving into a designated trade, some skepticism remains. Most industry stakeholders, including us here at Truck News Talk, believe the objectives are solid, and worth pursuing. But ...

Driving school owner Andy Roberts wonders, if schools are interested in training to a Red Seal standard, why aren't they already delivering that level of training to their current clients?

He wonders why many are leaning toward Red Seal when MELT and the old Earning Your Wheels course had limited success? Will Red Seal be the silver bullet?

Andy doesn't have the answers, but he has some questions that will bring the Red Seal debate into clearer focus. Andy Roberts, owner and president of Mountain Transport Institute of Castlegar British Columbia joins Jim & Stan on the Truck News Talk Podcast.

Thanks to Howes Products, makers of Diesel Defender - a diesel fuel lubricator and injector cleaner with advanced IDX four detergent.

DRIVER ABUSE

According to the authors of a recent report on labour abuses in the Canadian trucking industry, one of the worst problems drivers face is wage theft -- which they frame as uncompensated work. Think, waiting time, inspections, layovers, etc. While the report deals primarily with the Driver Inc. environment, many of the problems they highlight exist in traditional employee/employer relationships too.

The Driver Inc. discussion is often framed in the context of its impact on the marketplace. It distorts fair competition, and creates safety risks that affect carriers, shippers, and the motoring public. But there's a human side to it as well. Drivers can be abused and taken advantage of by unscrupulous operators, and there are few mechanisms in place to protect them.

In February, a group called Labour Community Services of Peel released a report called "Running on Empty: Truck Drivers in Canada are Underpaid and Overworked." It outlines those abuses and calls for reforms to the way truck drivers are treated and paid in Canada. Data in the report was derived from survey of over 400 drivers and owner-operators. It was produced in conjunction with driver-driven groups Justice for Truck Drivers, and the West Coast Trucking Association, and Parkdale Community Legal Services.

I have two guests on this episode, Navi Aujla is the director of the Labour Community Services of Peel, a non-profit truck driver advocacy group. And, Karan Singh, a driver currently seeking restitution for $40,000 in unpaged wages.

The discussion begins right after a message from Howes Products, makers of Diesel Defender - a diesel fuel lubricator and injector cleaner with advanced IDX four detergent.