Archive for the ‘Articles’ Category

I recently had the opportunity to speak in person before a number of professional truck drivers and Owner Operators. It is always a privilege to address the people who keep our roads safe, day in and day out. It made me consider the importance of the “live” Saturday safety meetings where drivers gather to hear…

There has been a seemingly endless array of discussion over the past decade about a driver shortage. Whether you agree there has been a shortage or not, the many doom and gloom statements coming from every direction roar on. As many know I can argue both sides of this issue, but I lean towards there…

Although I have spent my entire career in the trucking industry, I have a passion for aviation as well. In 2008 I earned my private pilot’s certificate only a few weeks before graduating from a driver-training academy with my commercial driver’s license. There are so many similarities between aviation and trucking. Both industries have a…

In the writing of my second book I analyzed most of the “reasons” people leave one carrier for another. Though there are many stories told, they seem to all have one thing in common: disrespect. Operators and Drivers tended to use various versions of one phrase: “I (or nobody) should be treated like that”. Respect,…

It was the spring of 2000 and there was a lot of uncertainty in the future of Tom Payne Sr. with his employer, Tri-Line Freight Systems, based in Calgary, Alberta. The company was just purchased by TCT and after nearly 30 years of employment and close to 10 as President & CEO, Tom found himself…

If a Carrier has operators on their fleet they automatically have an insurance policy with specific deductibles and terms. Not all terms, however, are the same. Some carriers “self-insure” to a certain dollar figure (say $25,000) and then are covered for anything above that by insurance companies. Other carriers have the insurance companies cover everything…

One of the most difficult concepts I have tried to grasp over the past number of years and the one I have cherished the most is this one, “I am in this position because I chose to be here. I take 100% responsibility for me”. I am not trying to get too heavy on you…

It is interesting to see what some of my fellow trucking safety professionals are discussing. There is currently an online discussion group talking about whether obstructed sleep apnea (OSA) testing should be made mandatory. As you might guess, the opinions are wide and varied. I have seen some statistics stating that a range from 15%…