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Movement on MELT
Picking the port
Safety focused
Manitoba closer to adopting a MELT program.
CentrePort continues to attract carriers.
Left lane ban, stricter chain up enforcement in B.C.
Reach us at our Western Canada news bureau Contact Derek Clouthier Derek@Newcom.ca or call 403-969-1506
Western Canada’s Trucking Newspaper Since 1989
January 2019
Delivering daily news at trucknews.com
Volume 29, Issue 12
MELT to be mandated in Saskatchewan starting March 15
19 PAGES
-25
Though cracking ice, jackknifed trailers, and stranded drivers make for entertaining TV, the reality of driving RTL’s ice road is much more predictable, and safe.
Icy roads ahead Driving RTL’s ice road is nothing like what you see on TV By Derek Clouthier YELLOWKNIFE, N.W.T. Driving the ice roads in Canada’s north is on several drivers’ bucket list – it’s even a popular (and dramatic) TV show. Despite the drama we see on television, building an ice road is a serious matter, one where safety is a top priority. RTL Robinson Enterprises, a division of RTL-Westcan Group of Companies, has been making ice roads to service northern mining operations for decades. Starting with gold mines, Larry Wheaton, vice-president of operations for RTL at its Yellowknife location, said the road now provides access to the diamond mines, which were discovered in the mid-‘80s. “It was very fortunate for the north, when the gold died off and the diamonds, which nobody even knew were here, took off and went gangbusters, and it morphed into the big thing we have today,” said Wheaton. “We do anywhere from 10-12,000 loads in a season.” Those loads travel on what is known as the Joint Venture, or JV Road – a 450 km stretch of highway that is open from around Jan. 29 to the end of March. Wheaton and his team took a helicopter out Dec. 6 to check the thickness of the ice. “Based on that, it will tell us when we think we can get out onto the ice,” said Wheaton. “If we get out there
and find we have 11, 12, or 13 inches, we’re pretty comfortable to start off with light equipment. If you’ve only got five or six inches, then we’re waiting for Mother Nature to catch up to us.” During the past decade, Wheaton said his team has removed the snow from where the road runs on the freezing lakes sooner to help advance the process of ice growth. “Some can say that’s global warming, some can say we haven’t broke any highs or lows,” he said, “but because it’s a necessity to get the ice growth to get the volume of loads up the roads, we need to expose the ice sooner.” The plan this season, depending on ice thickness, was to set up camps on Dec. 15 and get the crew removing more snow from the ice road with light equipment. They then flood the ice to sustain ice growth. Once the thickness reaches 18 to 20 inches, heavy equipment is permitted on the road and construction of the portages begins. With the use of GPS technology, the road is placed in the same location every year. In the past, the crew relied more on maps, memory, and traditional knowledge. Portages, which make up about 15% of the ice road, are in designated spots where RTL has been issued land use permits to facilitate travel between the lakes. They are required to put a minimum of four inches of ice over the land for the portages to ensure the road is Continued on page 17
REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN The Saskatchewan government announced it will implement mandatory entry-level driver training (MELT) staring March 15 for anyone looking to acquire a Class 1 commercial licence. “Saskatchewan has been working to improve standards for training curriculum and driver testing for semi drivers since mid-2017,” said Joe Hargrave, minister responsible for Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI). “Our ongoing consultations with other provinces have helped address gaps and inconsistencies when commercial drivers cross provincial borders. Stronger training requirements in Saskatchewan and across Canada will help make our province’s and our nation’s roads safer.” Susan Ewart, executive director of the Saskatchewan Trucking Association (STA), told Truck News West the association has advocated for regulatory changes that create Continued on page 9
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