December 2015 Volume 35, Issue 12
TRUCK NEWS Pot policies needed
With more Canadians using medical marijuana, trucking companies need to have a policy in place.
Delivering daily news at trucknews.com
A growing family
Eassons Transport has become more than just a family business – and it’s not done growing.
Page 30
Leading economists are projecting continued strength for the US economy and freight volumes.
Page 28
A bright future
Page 26
Page 8
Canada’s Trucking Newspaper Since 1981
Summit report
Comprehensive coverage from our annual Surface Transportation Summit.
Open for business
Canada’s largest CNG fuelling station has opened in Ontario
By Sonia Straface MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO Emterra Group, along with partners U.S. GAIN Clean Fuel and C.A.T., hosted the grand opening of its newest CNG fuelling station on Oct. 26. The new CNG station is located at 1611 Britannia Road in Mississauga, Ont., just off Hwy. 401 and Dixie Rd., and is the largest public CNG fuelling station in the country. The day saw more than 100 people gather at the new station to hear from key executives of the venture, along with local dignitaries who weighed in on the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Hosts of the event also gave demonstrations to attendees on how the fuelling station worked and how CNG will be ‘pumped’ by drivers. The new, state-of-the-art facility is the fourth and largest CNG station Emterra has invested in. The company opened a CNG station in Winnipeg in 2012, one in Chilliwack, B.C. in May of this year and one in Victoria, B.C. recently. The company, which invested more than $50 million in the project, purchased more than 100 CNG refuse vehicles to serve the Peel region. “(This) station will be open to other fleets and operators of CNG vehicles, exContinued on page 17
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A convoy some 72 trucks long snaked its way across southern Ontario to support Special Olympics athletes.
A convoy in Paris
A trucking tradition of supporting Special Olympians was maintained this year, thanks to a last-ditch effort to host Ontario’s leg of the World’s Largest Truck Convoy. By Sonia Straface PARIS, ONTARIO Fall has finally hit southern Ontario – and while the crisp air and flurries were in full force in mid-October, it didn’t stop the World’s Largest Convoy from rolling down Highway 401 for a good cause. In total, 72 trucks made their way to Paris, Ont. to join in on the 11th annual World’s Largest Truck Convoy in support of the Special Olympics Ontario. Truck drivers paired off with Special Olympics athletes and headed west on the 401 all to raise money for these athletes who need the funds for renting rinks, fields and other venues for activities, as well as to raise awareness for the Special Olympics in general and get more people involved in the program. To date, the convoy has raised almost $530,000 over the last decade the convoy has been running and it means a lot to the organization. “The athletes and those that benefit from the proceeds look so forward to this event every year,” said Glenn MacConnell, president and CEO of Special Olympics Ontario. “There’s a lot of good, big-hearted people in the trucking community who take a lot of pride in what they do. It’s just such a great unique way for Special Olympics Ontario to raise funds and awareness about our organization. These funds are really helping us in three major ways. The first is
awareness and letting other people in the community know that these programs exist. The second is equipment and facilities and renting gymnasiums for wherever the activity is. And the third, which is very important, is uniforms and clothing...for our athletes, having a uniform just makes it that much more official for them.” This year the event raised approximately $52,000 and just the top three drivers alone brought in more than $10,000 for the cause. Leading the convoy in the front truck was driver Melissa Mayer-Hall, who drives for Robsan Transportation. Though the lead truck is reserved for the driver who raises the most funds for the event, this year organizers took a note from the Special Olympics spirit. Since the top two fundraisers for 2015, Donald Poll of Drumbo Transport and Scott Verbruggen of J Verbruggen, respectively, had already been lead truck in past convoys, the spot was given to MayerHall, since she had never driven the lead truck and raised the third largest amount. “Leading the convoy was really quite something,” said Mayer-Hall, who has been driving professionally for 22 years and said she was very grateful for earning the lead truck position. Continued on page 14
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