May 2018 Volume 38, Issue 4
TRUCK NEWS Eastern Canada’s Trucking Newspaper Since 1981
Delivering daily news at trucknews.com
Page 19
Page 32
Page 39
Page 70
Sharing success
The 40K question
Volvo’s heavy hitter
Keeping it cool
A Truckload Carriers Association panel shares secrets from some of North America’s most successful fleets.
Why more medium-duty customers are taking a fresh look at gasoline power.
Volvo recently took the wraps off its VNX heavy-haul tractor.
The Food Safety Modernization Act is driving trends in refrigerated transport.
Business is booming
RET ADVERTAIL ISING P AGES 71 -78
Carriers thriving as shippers struggle WASHINGTON, D.C. Shippers in the U.S. continue to face a tough capacity and rate environment, with no relief in sight. That’s according to the latest Shippers Conditions Index by FTR, which came in a -11.1 rating. FTR projects rate growth will accelerate in Q2 before easing slightly in the second half of the year. Full enforcement of the electronic logging device (ELD) mandate April 1, and a continuing driver shortage provide “no real optimism” for shippers, FTR reports. “The relationship between carriers and shippers tends to swing on a pendulum – with freight demand high and capacity tight, carriers are benefiting,” said Jonathan Starks, chief operating officer, FTR. “Numerous companies are announcing that domestic freight costs are at record levels. Since carriers currently hold such a strong position, shippers need to be hyper-focused on their relationships with carriers.” Avery Vise, vice-president of trucking research, added, “We are Continued on page 7
PM40063170
Careers: 12, 34-68 Ad Index: 81
Shelley Uvanile-Hesch, a professional truck driver and CEO of the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada, unveiled her new rig on March 29. It was designed to motivate more women to work in the trucking industry.
Star gazing Shelley Uvanile-Hesch hopes her new truck inspires women across the continent By Sonia Straface CAMBRIDGE, ONTARIO Shelley Uvanile-Hesch has a sweet new ride. A brand new Western Star 5700 XE, specially-wrapped to embody the message she wants the world to know, is hers to keep come April 16. Uvanile-Hesch, who has been driving trucks professionally for 17 years, is the CEO of the Women’s Trucking Federation for Canada (WTFC). And close to 18 months ago, she had a concept for a truck she thought would never be realized. “This truck was a design concept I’ve had for quite some time,” she said. “Wraps are quite expensive and we’re a non-profit, so it wasn’t really possible to do it on my own.” One day, she explained, she mentioned the idea to a friend at Highway Western Star, her local truck dealership, and he advised her to email Kelley Platt, who was president and chief diversity and inclusion officer at Daimler Trucks North America at the time, for funding. “So I did,” she said. “I sent her an email around December telling her what I’d like to do…and she went for it. Right off the hop. There was absolutely no hesitation on her part.”
Fast forward a few months and today Uvanile-Hesch is proudly driving around a truck that showcases the diverse members of WTFC. Uvanile-Hesch herself is featured on the truck along with other women from the industry and Federation members, including an operations manager, a public-relations specialist, and a truck technician. “We spent a lot of time planning, back and forth in December,” she recalled. “We wanted to focus on our members. Every lady on the truck is a member of WTFC. My hope is, I can’t change the wrap on the truck every year, but these ladies will be on our promotional materials for a year, and then every year I’d like to change the ladies on the promotional materials to showcase different ladies across Canada that are part of WTFC.” Her hopes for the new rig is that it can inspire women both inside and outside of the industry. “What I’m trying to get across is there’s so many ladies out here in the industry,” she said. “And I want them to open up about what they do. It’s not that they’re not proud, it’s that they’re afraid of ridicule. But there is no ridicule out here in trucking. And it’s time to start sharing that with the public. Our hope is to draw more Continued on page 31