Unmarked DOT’s Patrol Trucks in Quebec

The first time I saw that dark grey F250 or 350 with LED lights in the front and rear windows, it was between Cacouna and Riviere du Loup, on A-20. Last week coming back from Port-Cartier, I saw it again getting off the Tadoussac ferry boat.

I don’t know about you, but, I have my concerns stopping my truck, if I was asked by an unmarked pick-up truck with only red flashing lights and tinted windows. With all that is going on in the industry, how many drivers ended up in the bunk, tied-up and some with injuries because thieves had eyes on their loads.

The S.A.A.Q. is part of Quebec Ministry of Transport. Maybe we should let know Minister Boulet about this as a safety issue for drivers. Why does the S.A.A.Q. feels the need to intercept trucks for inspections with unmarked vehicles? That the Society has unmarked vehicles are not an issue for inspectors traveling to companies. Even, it would leave more interceptors available for road side inspections.

I don’t want to give any ideas to nobody but, it would be easy to have a truck stopped by whoever molest the driver and leave with the load. Most professional drivers knows here in Quebec that unmarked police interceptors have red and blue lights, and are Ford Crown Vic’s, Chargers or Impalas.

Why not let know to the Minister what you think about this by using this link

http://www.mtq.gouv.qc.ca/portal/page/portal/accueil_en/courrier/formulaire_ministre

By regular mail

700, boul. René-Lévesque Est,
29^e étage
Québec (Québec) G1R 5H1

By phone : 418 643-6980

Or by fax 418 643-2033

All together, we can make changes

Miscellaneous Safety Issues

Recently, pressure has been put on the administration of the State of Ohio by the Ohio Trucking Association to increase at 65mph the speed limit of heavy trucks on the interstate roads of the state. Already the Ohio Turnpike did so to bring back the trucks that had deserted the toll road, mostly because of the increases of the cost to use it. This had showed no significant increase in accidents involving heavy trucks. The OTA, not the one of Ontario but of Ohio, is pushing this issue with safety concerns of reducing rear end collision of trucks by lighter vehicles. This is an argument I have heard of before but not by a trucking association but by two truckers associations.

On the topic of speed limits, this brings me to speed limiters. Accordingly to our politicians north of the border, this is a safety and an environment measure. At a presentation to the Subcommittee on Transport and Transit, Chairman Peter DeFazio, D-Oregon, was not in harmony with ATA’s Vice-Chairman Tommy Hodges on the issue. The proposal to return to a federally mandated maximum speed of 65mph across the country and to mandate the use of the speed limiter on all trucks at the same speed was not welcomed. Chairman DeFazio event commented on the ATA’s testimony that it was the weakest leg of the measure they proposed to reduce GHG’s in the U.S. of A. by the ATA.

I’m starting to like democrats more…

Let’s come back closer to home. For the last year or so, I travelled a lot more in the “Belle Province” and I noticed the poor state of the lines on the roadways. I remember in the past a former government of the USSQ* had modified the width and the length of the solid and dotted lines on the roads. This was to save millions of our hard worked tax dollars. In the same piece of legislation, the level of reflective particles was reduced also. This brought to me the thought, and I hope someone at the “Table de la Sécurité Routière” will read this and at least give me the credit for it…

If accident and lost of control happens more in the evening, at night or in poor weather, may the lack of reflection or poor visibility of the line be a factor in these accidents?

I do understand that a coat of grime by calcium can cause a lost of reflection by the lights on the lines, as on the sides or rears of commercial trucks with the reflective tapes, but when it rains, it is almost impossible to see the edge or the center lines. This has no sense. I noticed that more one late evening coming back thru Vermont on I-91. The same vehicle, the same weather, the same headlights and when I told the Customs agent I had nothing to declare, I could barely see where I was going. Either the cycles of repainting or the quality of the paint has to be revised as soon as possible and we could see clearly if our roads would become safer.

*Union of the Socialist State of Quebec

Welcome Mister President Obama!

I try to keep to a minimum my political comments on this blog. For the last year I am more at home not being an OTR driver no more. At least, I’m not out for weeks at the time. I had my fair share of financial issues with customers that didn’t honour the terms of their billing. This had as a side effect to leave me more time to watch the main stream newscasts on TV and a little less radio because I had to let go my satellite radio momentarily.

In title, I was almost tempted to make a little bit of satire with the writing of the 44^th Presidents name by separating the O and adding an “h”. This is how I feel when I see and hear the comments of news readers and hosts on the main stream. I am very happy for my neighbours and for the entire world after the past eight years of the preceding administration that was more defence oriented then diplomacy inclined. Many analysts have compared G.W. to a warrior. A fact to consider, since September 11^th 2001, there has being no terror attacks on the American soil while in the Clinton years, at least 3 attacks, including the first attack to the WTC. That is not counting two majors plots that have been dismantled before happening.

Yes, I do have a political right incline rather then a left one. However, I also see many ideas for the new administration that are not from the hard core of lefties. What I also like about President Obama, he is issued from the people, not a hare of a long line of politicians that wears out the benches of parliaments or capitols around the world. Yes, this President represents the true American dream, a dream the makes anything possible for everyone willing to make effort in order to achieve this dream.

Well enough of politics, I am deeply happy to see this change but, I still wonder how the main stream will react when President Obama will have to take unpopular decisions. Will they shake the pedestal to a point of tumbling it? The people of America will tell us in 2012.

Happy(?) New Year 2009

I have not taken the time to write in the past few months. For the ones that have the habit of visiting once in a while, I am happy to see there is still some traffic and I owe you an apologie. I can not rely on the Medias to help to promote this blog, but only on the words that are passed by you and the search engines on the web.

Since this morning, here in Quebec and in Ontario, laws are in effect to mandate the activation of the speed limiter chip of the ECM on heavy trucks built since January 1995. The limitation of the speed has to be set at a speed no greater then 105Km/h (64.5mph). A soft enforcement of six months is planned for all to comply.

Since July 2005 I have been talking about the subject on many tribunes. I have talked about it on XM satellite radio when I was co-hosting with Jacques Plante “Entre les 2 lignes”, on TSQ when this program started up on the web, on this blog since almost 2 years. I have put online a petition, I have asked for your support, your conscience to join the associations that represents the right of truckers, not only owner-operators. What have you done?

When OBAC did call you to meet for discussions and get your ideas, it’s only a handful of persons that showed up. During the eleven months that I had the online petition, it didn’t even go over the 1000 signatures. Many of them where not even from people in the industry but persons that travel with us on the roads of America and that know the industry.

When Ontario revised the highway safety code, there was a proposal to raise the age to get a drivers licence. Within a few weeks, over 150,000 persons joined in to turn around the issue. You can say that we are not that many in the industry across Canada but, these are the ones who benefits of our hard work.

I must also bring up this point, very important in the debate. Never have I encouraged speeding of trucks or did the associations that I represented. We are pushing the “Run Compliant” message to all. Not only speed limits but all regulations we have to live with and obey by.

The laws on speed limiters have passed by many ways and reasons to be sold to the governments and to the motoring public. Safety and environment have been the two most popular. The true reason was to level the playing field as stated in the OTA’a press release http://ontruck.org/news/releases/2005/prel_2005_07_07_143206_r.php3

Ok it’s done, I spilled my marbles out this morning. Can we still do something about it? Yes I do think so but, it’s all together with a strong voice that we can, just like the large carriers do. Why don’t you make yourself a gift to start the year? A gift that is under $60 if you do it this way.

Join with over 160,000 other members of OOIDA to represent you on the US side of the border. It will cost you only $25.00USD if you give my member as a referral 557033. https://www.ooida.com/Secure/membership_form.htm

Then, you can join OBAC to have a representation on the Canadian side of the border http://www.obac.ca/Web/JoinOBAC/fullMembershipPg1.asp and by saying you are an OOIDA member, the membership is waived to $25.00CDN. The power is in the numbers. If the Canadian Trucking Alliance can say they represent the trucking industry, they only represent the interest of companies that have 6 trucks or more. We are more then them and we probably operate more trucks then they do but, our representation is not representative of that. Make your share to have a strong voice too!

Even if the current situation is tough, I wish that 2009 is a year of prosperity for all of you even if that means to restructure the company, streamline the expenses. But most importantly, make it a healthy one. Take care of it no one can do it for you.

At Last, Autoroute 30, and it won’t only profit to trucking

I was quite joyful when I got the press release from the governments, because the federal is also involved in this project, which announces the selection of the partner chosen for the construction of this mystic road we are awaiting for the past 2 generations if not 3.

Here is how it translates, because most releases from the Quebec government is in French:
“The governments of Canada and Quebec are announcing the choice of Nouvelle Autoroute 30 S.E.N.C., to conclude the partnerships that will last 35 years for the conception, construction, financing, management, maintenance and rehabilitation of the prolongation of Autoroute 30.”

For your information, who is behind this company that is the private partner?

Acciona Concessions Canada Inc.
Iridium Concessions Canada Inc.
Acciona Infrastructures Canada Inc.
Dragados Canada Inc.
S.I.C.E.
Arup Canada Inc.
Construction DJL Inc.
Verreault Inc.

However, don’t be fooled by the names. Here are the real names.

Acciona Concessions S.L. a division of Acciona S.A. from Spain
Iridium Concesiones de Infraestructuras S.A. also from Spain
Acciona Infrastructures S.L. is another division of the first company
Dragados is a branch of Grupo ACS from Spain
S.I.C.E. is headquartered in Madrid
Arup is based in London UK
Construction DJL Inc. is from Boucherville PQ
Verreault Inc just got bought by Dessau also in Québec.

The top four companies are the ones that are going to manage, and finance the project. Arup is a specialist of electronic tolling, systems similar to the ETR407 and requires no manual tolls. The last two, from Quebec, are specialised in engineering and construction.

Who will get the bigger part of the financial pie?

I am not totally opposed to projects with private public partnership for a new infrastructure, even if we have been waiting for that roadway over 30 years now. Either the road passes on the north way along route 132 or in the middle of corn fields, what bothers me is that no company based in North America was chosen. Don’t we have any companies that can finance and manage such a project here, this side of the pond?

Was the proposal made by SNC-Lavalin not interesting enough for our governments?

We are on the edge of a meltdown of our economy and our government’s gives away to overseas interests contracts that the greater financial fallbacks are going to line pocket of strangers.

To take words of a former Prime Minister of Quebec, Master of our destiny (Maître chez nous), well I am not that sure of it.

3 Years, 3 Ministers, One Election Later…

It took 3 years, 3 Ministers and one election to arrive at a vote on Bill 41 in Queen’s Park, the Ontario legislative assembly yesterday June 16th. What is Bill 41? This is the measures that are going to limit your traveling speed at 105Kh/h across North America if you have to pass in Ontario.

Here in Quebec, last December, Minister Boulet confirmed that the dispositions included in the Quebec Bill 42 on speed limiters, won’t be in effect until all Canadian provinces adopt measures of the same kind for heavy trucks. We should remind her of this and that currently, only Ontario has passed a Bill that the applications are still in the hands of the Lieutenant Governor of the province.

Like if the rising costs of operations alone were not enough to slow down any professional driver that owns a truck. There are still some steps to be taken by the Owner Operators associations even if the assembly has voted.

I would like to apologise on the comments I had last week looking at the results of the online petition. It was the deception of the numbers considering how many professional drivers are going to be impacted across the continent.

Canadian, Ontario and Quebec Truckers are gutless

Only loud mouths on talk radio, on the CB and in truck-stops.

For the last three years, many papers, myself, on this blog and on XM Radio have tried to rally most of you and inform you about serious topics.

How many times have I warned you about the plans of the CTA and its board?

I had put online a petition on July 8^th 2007 so you could have a place to register your concerns about the proposal of large carriers and the Ministers of Transport in Ontario and Quebec to limit your income way before the oil companies took care of it with overpriced fuel.

For almost 11 months, only 956 persons, many of then Americans and people not even driving trucks, have put their names to this petition. If I consider that only in Quebec there are over 160,000 CDL or Class 1 holders and the majority of them are going to be affected by these measures. I can allow myself to simply say that many have no guts to fight for their rights and still accept submission without doing a thing about it.

I have thrown the towel, I sold my truck. I have resigned myself not to let a third party tell me how to conduct myself just like a preschooler. Yes I am still a Professional Driver, a modern day Cow-boy. The past motto on the Quebec plates was “The Beautiful Province” (La Belle Province) that was way before it became a poutine restaurant chain, now it is “I Remember” (Je me souviens) and I will keep in memory the days I could still operate my small trucking business the way I wanted.

If you wanted to sign the petition, it’s too late, I closed it.