May 2011 Volume 31, Issue 5 Delivering daily news to Canada’s trucking industry at www.trucknews.com
10-Acre Sniffing out the kitchen 18-Wheel Drug Mules destroyed by fire Volunteers raising funds for out-of-work kitchen staff BELLEVILLE, Ont. – The drizzling, cold weather on the morning of April 16 was not enough to deter a group of industry supporters who banded together to help the employees affected by a recent kitchen fire at the 10-Acre Truck Stop in Belleville. The April 4 fire, which caused more than $250,000 in damage, has left the truck stop currently unable to serve food, and has limited business hours for the store, showers and washrooms. As a result, nearly 40 employees will be out of work while renovations are completed over a twomonth period. To help support the affected staff, Wendy Morgan-McBride, founder of the Memorial Highway in Heaven – Tribute for Truckers program, and Emily Walker, a staffer at the diesel bar at the truck stop, went to work organizing a fundraiser. Continued on page 18
sniffing out drug mules: Stopping the trafficking of drugs via commercial vehicle is a multi-pronged effort, including CBSA and its drug-sniffing dogs (pictured), provincial enforcement agencies such as the MTO and occasionally even an attentive witness, as was the case when Avtar Singh Sandhu was caught with 205 kilos of cocaine nestled among a load of baby carrots. Photo by Canada Border Services Agency
Ongoing Sandhu case highlights glitches in judicial system, suggests large volumes of drugs moving by truck By Harry Rudolfs MILTON, Ont. – On Sunday Feb. 4, 2007, Ned Kelly (not his real name) was working as chief of security for Truck Town Terminals on the industrial fringes of Milton, Ont. He’d just pulled into the yard when his curiosity was piqued by a strange car and a tractor-trailer
Cat’s new vocational truck
parked in a restricted area. He confronted two men and asked them what they were doing. They told him they had stopped for lunch. “I smelled a rat,” said Kelly in a recent telephone interview. “For one thing it was 9 o’clock in the morning and too early for lunch. Something about these guys just didn’t feel right.”
Kelly noticed footprints in the snow leading to the back of the trailer and could see the trailer had probably been entered. The truck and car sped off after Kelly told the truck driver he wanted his dispatcher’s number. Kelly gave chase and stopped the tractor Continued on page 10
Inside This Issue...
• Put your truck on a diet: Spec’ing lightweight components can
save a substantial amount of fuel. Just how much? We’ve got the answer in our report from the Work Truck Show. Page 36
• MATS report:
A comprehensive rundown of all the major new product introductions from this year’s Mid-America Trucking Show. Pages 37-56
Our mufflers are stronger, last longer and save you $$$!
• Slick stuff: Are synthetic heavy-duty engine oils worth the price? It all depends on who you ask.
• Eye for an eye: justice is served.
Page 70
In the conclusion, some vigilante trucker Page 76
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