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MAVERICK TRANSPORTATION INCREASES PAY FOR TEMPERATURE CONTROL DIVISION

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September 30, 2016 (Little Rock, AR) – Maverick Transportation LLC, an Arkansas-based carrier, announced a pay increase coming Oct. 2 for over-the-road drivers in its Temperature Control Division (TCD). Named one of The National Transportation Institute’s Top Pay Carriers last year, this increase adds to Maverick’s already impressive compensation package and unmatched driver support.

“The intent of this increase is to reward and retain our experienced drivers, provide a significant increase for student drivers after six months, and to attract new experienced drivers to join our TCD division,” said Kim Williams, Maverick Transportation’s Executive Vice President. “At average mileage levels this pay change will increase pay $4,000 a year. That’s a significant increase for TCD drivers – and we’re glad to do it because we appreciate all they do.”

Student drivers will continue to earn $0.40 per mile, experienced drivers will have a new rate of $0.46 – $.50 per mile.  In addition drivers can earn up to $.06 per mile pay for performance bonus.

In addition to exceptional pay, Maverick drivers earn pay increases up to five years, pay for performance bonus and participate in a driver referral bonus program. Other driver benefits include: excellent home time, weekend guarantee pay, paid orientation and training, paid PrePass, 401k plan, company-paid life insurance, health and dental insurance options and paid vacation.

You are now covered everywhere across North America with TruckPro!

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truckprologoTruckPro is proud to announce
the extension of its warranty program, now available throughout North America! A Canadian first for a network of heavy vehicle service centres!  

TruckPro customers can now take advantage of an extensive network of over 1,100 service centres located across Canada and the United States.

Enjoy peace of mind on the road!

Any customer who requires repair work under warranty and who cannot return to his original TruckPro service centre (i.e. the service centre that completed the original repair) will be able to visit another TruckPro service centre, or any participating NAPA heavy vehicle service centre in the US, to have warranted repairs performed.

Where can I locate the closest service centre?

All TruckPro service centres and all participating NAPA heavy vehicle service centres (in the US) can be found:

Logo Warranty EN

The TruckPro warranty program was first launched in 2004, upon the network’s foundation. This program covers parts & labour for medium and heavy roadway trucks class 8 or less, with a minimum loading capacity of 1.5 tonnes, for 12 months with unlimited mileage!

For more information about the TruckPro warranty program and to locate the closest participating service centre, please visit: www.truckpro.ca

About TruckPro: With more than 110 service centres nationwide, TruckPro is the largest network of independent heavy vehicle repair centres in Canada.  Contact: [email protected]

Nissan prices Titan pickup truck for Canada

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The 2016 Nissan TITAN XD, which made its world debut at the 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, is set to shake up the highly competitive full-size pickup segment when it goes on sale in the United States and Canada beginning in late 2015 - with a bold all-new design that stakes out a unique position in the segment between traditional heavy-duty and light-duty entries. (Nissan)

Nissan Canada’s price on the new, top-of-the-line Titan pickup truck represents a substantial discount from the cost to the United States buyers when the dollar is converted.

In Canada, the 2016 Titan XD Platinum Reserve Crew Cab is listed at $73,900. The model comes with all-wheel drive and an engine block heater.

In the United States, MSRP for the same vehicle is $58,665 (U.S.), with rear-wheel drive and without the block heater. That amount converts to about $81,400 on Dec. 23.

Equipped with a Cummins 5.0-litre V-8 turbo diesel engine and six-speed automatic, the Titan XD is being made available in five grade levels. Sales began Dec. 23.

All models are crew cab 4x4s. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the base-model XD S Crew Cab is $52,400. The SV lists for $56,300, the SV Premium for $63,050, the SC Pro-4X for $63,950, and SL for $70,250.

The Platinum Reserve model is set apart by leather-appointed, heated seating, a chrome exterior trim, two-tone paint, leather-wrapped steering wheel with wood insert, and 20-inch dark chrome aluminum-alloy wheels.

In Canada, two Pro-4X models are being sold, compared with four in the U.S., and two SV models compared with three in the U.S. There are two packages offered in Canada, versus 10 options in the U.S.

The Pro-4X is geared to off-roaders with 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, all-terrain tires, Bilstein shock absorbers, electronic locking rear differential and skid plates.

In 2016 and beyond, the Titan lineup will expand to three cab configurations, two frame sizes, three powertrains and five grade levels.

It’s been named one of three finalists for North American Truck/Utility vehicle of the year, and also awarded as the “Truck of Texas” by the Texas Auto Writers Association.

The full-size pickup was designed at Nissan’s studio in La Jolla, Calif., by senior manager Diane Allen and a pair of Canadians, project lead Randy Rodriguez of Surrey, B.C., and designer Stephen Moneypenny of Brampton, Ont.

Truck driver stabbed multiple times in Vancouver

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A police car blocks a crime scene in East Vancouver where a truck driver was stabbed multiple times. Image Source:(CBC)

A truck driver was stabbed multiple times by two strangers Wednesday afternoon in East Vancouver, police say.

Vancouver police say the incident happened just before 1:30 p.m. PT near the intersection of Fraser Street and East 35th Avenue.

Const. Brian Montague said a Good Samaritan jumped in to help the truck driver and kept one of the male suspects at the scene.

The other suspect fled on foot, Montague said, and was later found by a helicopter and canine unit. He was hiding under some bushes near East 37th Avenue and St. George Street.

The victim was taken to hospital in serious but stable condition, with multiple stab wounds.

Police say they don’t know what motivated the attack, but the suspects didn’t know the victim.

Pickup trucks dominate most-stolen list in Canada

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The 2015 Ford F-150 pickup truck at the Dearborn Truck Plant in Dearborn, Mich. (AP / Carlos Osorio)

TORONTO – An insurance industry association says pickup trucks represent are the hottest vehicle for thieves.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada says the Ford F-350 and F-250 models take up nine spots on its top 10 list of most frequently stolen vehicles.

They other vehicle on the list is a Cadillac Escalade SUV.

The insurance association says Canadian border guards are seeing shipping containers stocked with car and truck parts in an effort to fool inspectors.

They say they have recovered more than $10 million in in stolen vehicles at the ports this year.

Rick Dubin, vice-president of the Insurance Bureau of Canada, says stolen vehicles are up one per cent in 2014 across Canada, with the biggest jump coming from a 29-per cent increase in thefts in British Columbia.

Trans-Canada Highway reopened in Kamloops after truck fire injures 2

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Witnesses reported Highway 1 was closed in Kamloops by a tanker truck fire early Friday morning. (Bob Gnarley/Twitter)

The Trans-Canada Highway has been reopened in Kamloops, after two people were injured in a truck fire on Friday morning.

The fire broke out after a pickup truck rear-ended a tanker truck around 5:30 a.m. PT.

Highway 1 was closed from the Summit Drive exit to the interchange with the Yellowhead, Highway 5.

Two people were taken to hospital with serious injuries, according to B.C. Ambulance.

The fire is now out and both lanes have reopened

Welcome to My Cab: Husband-Wife Team Turns Heads in Their Custom VNL

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“Welcome to My Cab” is an online video series we started to highlight the most spectacular and customized trucks on the planet. We’ve done three installments so far, and each one has been uniquely fun and rewarding. Words can’t describe how cool it is to meet and hear stories from professionals who have been driving our trucks for decades. It’s an honor to play a role in both their personal and professional lives. For the latest installment, our production team flew into Green Bay, Wisconsin to hang out with Kenn and Beth Zelten, power couple and trucking industry veterans. As soon as we saw their custom VNL model, we knew we were in for a good time.

The pair met back in 1988 at a racetrack in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. They got married, got a Volvo truck and have been driving one since 1989. Their new VNL 730, dubbed “Kermit” after the famous Sesame Street character, represents their love for nature with unique graphics, a 2014 GHG-certified engine and aftertreatment system that puts out air as clean as it takes in and all the bells and whistles needed to make life on the road comfortable. It’s more than a truck. It’s a lifestyle. The Zeltens and their long-haul home are living, driving proof.

If you have any such story to share  Click here and We will feature it on our website & Facebook Page.

#ShareMyStory #KeepOnTrucking

Truck crashes through store in north Edmonton: four hospitalized

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Four people were injured and a man is facing charges after a truck crashed Wednesday into a convenience store in north Edmonton.

The incident happened at 118th Avenue and 96th Street shortly before noon, when the truck drove into a Petro-Canada store and hit four people inside.

Edmonton police spokeswoman Anna Batchelor said the driver of the truck, a man in his late 30s, was taken into custody after a short altercation. Charges are pending. She said two people have injuries that are considered serious, but non-life-threatening. She said the condition of the other two injured people is not yet confirmed.

1 Dead in turnpike truck accident

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One person died after their tractor trailer caught fire on the turnpike at mile marker 302 in Morgantown on Tuesday.

An unidentified driver of a tractor-trailer was killed Tuesday night on the Pennsylvania Turnpike near mile marker 302 in Morgantown. The vehicle caught fire and was reported to be fully involved when emergency crews arrived. Twin Valley Fire and Glen Moore Fire Company responded to the incident. The fire caused a road closure on the westbound lanes of the turnpike between Morgantown and Downingtown. The Immaculata University women’s basketball game against Lancaster Bible College and Downingtown East’s state semifinal field hockey game were each postponed due to the traffic delays. No further information was immediately available Tuesday night.

Why fleets shouldn’t go AWOL when it comes to hiring vets

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A handful of Canadian fleets are interviewing and hiring military veterans to help solve the driver shortage because vets are proven to be safe, efficient employees who are used to being away from home for long periods of time.

TORONTO, Ont. – It seems like the trucking industry has tapped every possible underrepresented demographic of late to deal with the driver shortage. The industry is desperately trying to recruit the younger generation because it knows it could benefit from replacing the old hands that are turning in their keys. And it’s also trying to recruit women because it knows it needs to change stigma of being an old boys’ club.

But there’s another pool of employment seekers who are qualified and trained to be safe and loyal employees and are used to being away from home for a long time: Canada’s military veterans.

Canada’s military veterans haven’t really been looked at as a resource before, mainly because most of them have been serving actively, but with a new Liberal government, and changes in Canada’s military direction, thousands of military people will be looking for new careers and be transitioning back into civilian life.

canadamilitarydrivers1Fortunately, Canada Company has been ahead of the curve and has created a program where veterans and those looking to get out of their military positions can connect with military-friendly employers. Canada Company is a charitable, non-partisan organization and its goal is to ensure that the men and women in the Canadian Armed Forces receive the support and recognition they deserve. To further prove its mandate, in the fall of 2013, it introduced the Military Employment Transition (MET) program, now known as the Canada Company MET Employer Coalition, which was designed to assist Canadian Armed Forces members, reservists and veterans who are looking to find jobs in the civilian workforce.

According to Canada Company its goal is to help the workforce hire 10,000 veterans by 2023 with help from its more the 100 military-friendly employer partners. Employer partners work with Canada Company to hire skilled, disciplined veterans and help them transition into civilian life and work as easily as possible.

Among more than 100 employer partners is a handful of transportation companies who see the opportunity with Canada Company to not only solve the driver shortage, but to give back to the men and women who serve our country. Canada Company recently hosted a National Transition Symposium at the Fairmont Royal York in downtown Toronto, where approximately 70 of its employer partners were on hand to provide military attendees with information about the positions available within their organizations.

Recruiters from Kriska were there and said the event provided the opportunity to add even more veterans to their company. To date, Jonathan Wahba, chief operating officer at Kriska, said the company has hired approximately 50 veterans. It has been an employer partner with Canada Company for two years.

“The vast majority of vets that work for Kriska today are behind the wheel,” he said. “Part of the reason we’re here today (at the symposium) is to connect more with folks who want to join us in the office environment because that’s an area where we see a lot of potential but we haven’t really gotten into. We’re looking for people who want to join us in operations, in IT, and in planning and strategy.”

Wahba said Kriska is eager to hire more veterans because, in its experience, veterans make excellent drivers and employees because of the similarities between the transportation and military ways of life.

“We are anxious and eager to grow that population because we find veterans to be some of our hardest working and most dedicated associates,” said Wahba. “They’re used to working under difficult operating conditions, they’re used to being away from home, many have been around heavy equipment in adverse conditions…so they turn out to be outstanding associates in transportation. And I think they do well because in many ways (the transportation environment) is similar to the environment they’re coming out of. An over-the-road driver is away from home often, they don’t sleep in the same bed every night, they operate large pieces of equipment, they have to deal with situational problems in the field, so if they have a breakdown, or a problem with Customs while crossing the border, these are all issues they have to figure out in real time, largely on the road. And with their background, many of these (veterans) have done this for many years. So the transition for many seems fairly easy.”

One of Kriska’s biggest military success stories has been JJ Mercer – a former major with the Canadian Air Force who began driving for Kriska in June of 2014.

Mercer had a full career with the military that lasted 35 years, but when he got out, he decided he wanted to continue working to save up some extra cash for retirement. He did some research and found that the transportation industry would be one he could get into without a number of years back in the classroom.

So far, Mercer said the driving gig is great and he especially likes the Kriska environment.

“I love driving,” he said. “I’m on the road seven days and I’m home for three. This is one of the great things about Kriska. Essentially if you’re willing to work, and you can work unsupervised – without them having to babysit you – as long as you can do that, they pretty much leave you alone and allow you to do your own thing. Which is really great. It allows you to set your life up the way that is most convenient for you.”

He agreed with Wahba that his skills from the military were transferrable to his current job as a driver.

“I was a combat operations officer. I led thousands of troops in the field so I bring a lot of organizational skills to the job,” he said. “And I certainly like working independently and I work in isolation very well. I’m also a very skilled planner and I’m very articulate. I like being alone in my truck. I wasn’t really prepared, as a new civilian, to go into a large office setting. I couldn’t take that.”
“Kriska tries to make trucking a very structured environment when there isn’t really structure,” he said. “And that’s something that military people like, we want you to make a rule so we can stick to it.”

On why he thinks Kriska considers him to be one of their military to civilian transition success stories, he said: “I think I’m very focused. And I’m here with a focus. I know what the industry is about and what Kriska is trying to achieve and I’m not here trying to fight the system.“

Bison Transport and Challenger Motor Freight are also partnered up with Canada Company.

Stephanie Fensom, manager of safety and compliance with Bison said the company is excited and eager to hire more veterans through the program because it knows what kind of employees the military produces.

“It really it comes down to the fact that we recognize the skill set that those in the military have learned and it can be transferable to what we have to offer in driving and non-driving applications,” she said. “We also recognize the fact that the military really develops leaders and strategic thinkers. We can look further and say they also really care about safety, which is something Bison is very proud of and invests a lot of time in. We look at veterans as a talent pool that can bring a lot to our organization, whether its non-driving or driving, because they have that strategic thinking ability. We know they can also be useful outside of the driver’s seat as a mentor or driver-trainer.”

canadamilitarydrivers2To date Bison has hired only a handful of veterans but is actively working with Canada Company to expand that number.

Fensom added that hiring veterans, and putting those respected people in the seats of trucks will not only benefit Bison from a profit perspective, but it will help to improve the image of the truck driver among the public.

Challenger Motor Freight is a recent partner with Canada Company, only joining earlier this year. So far, it hasn’t hired any veterans through the MET program, but is anxious to grow its veteran population said Geoff Topping, its director of recruiting and retention.

“We have hired some veterans that came in through the normal channels,” he said, adding that most of them have been drivers.

He echoed Fensom and Wahba’s observations that veterans make great employees because of their training and safety focused skills, but said the main drive to hire veterans is to give back and thank them for their service.

“I think it’s very important to support those people who are looking for their second career,” he said. “One of our recruiters is an ex-military person and he has a lot of background in training and safety. And so we really are trying to work to expand the number of military hires in our company and we want to do that out of all of our offices in Ontario, Quebec and B.C.”

Editors Pick

Sleep Apnea and Driving Semi Trucks!

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One thing for sure is that it is better to be diagnosed and treated than do nothing at all! With the newest studies, one out...