FOR
TRUCKERS
FR
JOBS
EE
November 2020
Keep this magazine in your truck...you never know when you’ll need it! /OverTheRoadMagazine
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2 • OVER THE ROAD
November 2020
COME JOIN OUR TEAM Hiring AZ Drivers, Company and Owner Operators
Cross Border and Domestic Opportunities
QUEBEC CITY DORVAL CORNWALL KINGSTON BRAMPTON
WINDSOR
HIRING AREA
YOUR QUALIFICATIONS
WE OFFER
• Clean Abstract and CVOR
• Modern Fleet
• A good attitude and willingness to become a part of a successful company culture
• Local Ontario and Quebec, Cross-border
• 2 Years AZ Experience
• Industry leading Pay Packages
• Daily Runs and Domestic Short haul
PLEASE CONTACT US AT P 1-905-453-0545 E recruiting@ifstrans.com IFS Group of Companies – 150 Hedgedale Road, Brampton Ontario L6T 5L2
WINDSOR BRAMPTON KINGSTON CORNWALL November 2020
DORVAL QUEBEC CITY JOBS FOR TRUCKERS • 3
18 Parkglen Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K2G 3G9 1.800.416.8712 • 613.224.9947 Email: otr@otrgroup.ca 1189694 Ontario Ltd. C.O.B. as Over The Road
www.overtheroad.ca Publisher Peter Charboneau
Account Executive Earle Madden
General Manager Ed Novoa ed@otrgroup.ca
Graphic Design & Advertising LKDesign
Director of Operations & Editor-in-Chief Cathryn Charboneau
Controller Estela Navarrete
peter@otrgroup.ca
earle@otrgroup.ca
lennykuiper@gmail.com
cathryn@otrgroup.ca
estela@otrgroup.ca
Account Executive Luke Zentil
Office Manager
Mary Charboneau mary@otrgroup.ca
luke@otrgroup.ca
All advertisements, and/or editorials are accepted and published by Over the Road on the representation that the advertiser, its advertising company, and/ or the supplier of the editorials are authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof. The advertiser, its advertising company, and/or the supplier of the editorials will defend, indemnify and hold Over the Road harmless from and against any loss, expense or other liability resulting from any claims or suits for libel, violation of privacy, plagiarism, copyright or trademark infringement and any other claims or suits that may rise out of publication of such advertisement and/ or editorials. Press releases are expressly covered within the definition of editorials.
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A PROUD CANADIAN COMPANY
LOOKING FOR 1 Tridem Step Deck O/O Canada only runs Home weekly Percentage Pay
1-877-464-3429 Office Hours: 7:30 am to 3:30 pm Mountain Time
e. lonny@anvilring.ca 4 • OVER THE ROAD
@anvil_ring www.anvilring.ca November 2020
DRIVERS & OWNER OPERATORS REQUIRED
New runs available for Teams Winnipeg/Brandon to Texas to Toronto/Montreal to Winnipeg Texas to B.C. to Winnipeg 4 8 0 0 – 5 3 0 0 m i l e s /we e k For more information contact Dennis O (604) 503-0220 X103 C (204) 599-2260 E dennis@agamholdings.com
agamholdings.com
November 2020
JOBS FOR TRUCKERS • 5
MAKING YOUR MILES COUNT Robert D. Scheper
Independent Operators Need to Know (Part Two) Last month I went into the history of the TL2 simplified method and how it applies to Company Drivers, but I then explained why Independent Operators should be using Non-Taxable Benefits. The “raise” provided to the TL2 filers ($51 to $69 daily meal allowance) should NOT be a topic of interest to Independent Operators. If your accountant talks about your “raise”, you are obviously still using the TL2… and, (according to my book), you are paying way too much in taxes. Hopefully, I can assist you in setting yourself up properly. Just look at the after-tax research comparisons (makingyourmilescount.com/research/). I have written well over a hundred articles for Over the Road Magazine since I began in 2008. The first few years I focused almost exclusively on this topic. However, after several years I found that writing about the same subject repeatedly got a little redundant. At some point in 2015 I wrote a lot about my second book: “Choosing a Trucking Company”. It now appears that the topic of my first book is back in style. I can guarantee you; it has more benefit than the return of bell bottoms. I clearly remember the day I calculated the net difference between the TL2 and Non-Taxable Benefits. It was about 5:30 in the morning, I was writing my first book and needed the total dollar difference between the two systems. I then multiplied it with the estimated number of Independent Operators in Canada, and it came to over $100 million a year. I was stunned. I felt prickles flowing from the top of my head to my toes. I could not believe that nobody was doing the Non-taxable benefits. I also assumed that once the book came out everyone would use it and the industry would change forever. It was so overwhelming to me that I took a few days off to let it sink in. At the time, I could not understand why accountants were not using it. That was over 16 years ago - 13 since my book came out and I am still amazed that so many 6 • OVER THE ROAD
Operators (and even accountants) still know nothing about it. I find that I have to explain it to about half of our new clients (the others are referrals who learned about it from one of our existing clients). I believe there are several reasons why it has not taken off as it should have. First, most Operators blindly trust their accountants to know everything they should about the trucking industry and what system works best for Operators. Unfortunately, those who prepare tax returns do not research the Independent Operator industry because it represents a labor-intensive, low margin tax return with lots of work and only limited fees that can be billed. Operators are not a priority customer. Most accountants usually delegate the Independent Operator to an assistant who only knows one way of preparing the return... the way everyone else does it; the TL2 simplified method (or counting receipts). When my book came out it introduced incorporation as the first step to using NTB (big tax savings). When Operators began asking about incorporation, accountants used a standard answer applicable to most other industries. They said “... you don’t get any benefit from incorporating until you earn more than $60,000 per year...”. These types of answers only exposed the accountant’s total ignorance of NTB. However, more and more Operators kept asking for the incorporated method, so accountants (not wanting to lose clients) started preparing incorporated returns (justifying it by being able to use the TL2). The net tax savings of the TL2 over actual meal receipts is moderate… maybe enough to pay for the higher accounting fees charged for a corporate return, but not much more. I have talked with many accountants from coast to coast in the last 10+ years. I have explained the system many times and always ask if they will use it. The answer was usually a qualified no. Most would not or could not defend it to CRA. The revenue to their firm was just too low for the November 2020
years of my business, I had to drive truck on the weekends, even after we had over 150 clients. Our firm was also forced to invest heavily in automation to survive. Today our system is one of the most technologically advanced in the accounting industry (I am told top 5%). It is not an easy industry to specialize in and that is coming from a firm with well over 500 Operators using NTB. We still have regular audits and keeping the 100% success rate is not cheap or easy. An accounting firm like mine must be committed to serving the industry; it must be their priority, their PASSION… not just their “filler” in between more lucrative clients.
liability they needed to defend. This answer was reasonable. They could not see themselves charging more than $2,500 without losing the client so the liability of defending a $12,000+ reassessment was just too expensive and complicated. However, some firms were not as reasonable. They used the TL2 simplified method and then stated it was the best that could be done (ignoring that the NTB system even existed). However, the worst firms would go ahead and use Non-taxable Benefits but would not guarantee the returns. So, in effect, an Operator may get the tax savings but only until they were audited. The minute CRA would reassess, they were on their own (or paying a huge legal/defense fee, that may be more than the tax bill itself).
The future of tax preparation will not be attaching sentiment to a person (such as an accountant, firm, family or friend) but to a digital SYSTEM (program/App) that knows what is going on with you and your business, and through minimal human intervention, adjusts your tax returns as your situation warrants. It is not a person you will be thankful to, but a software program or software company operating the appropriate system designed specifically for you or your industry.
There is one other reason that accountants did not change to NTB; it was just too complicated. The compliance to NTB is just as dependent on the Operator as it is on the accountant. There are specific forms to file and verification with an employer/ employee agreement to be administered. The Operator must also manage his cash flow to reflect the agreement. If the Operator does not follow the rules it can be viewed as non-compliance and CRA can reassess the return. So, the accountant MUST train the Operator to comply.
As an Independent Operator you need to know your business, even the basics on taxes and get to know what your TRUE options are. Find the right SYSTEM, not the right firm or person and get the highest value for your hard-earned dollars.
Its complication is, on average, 2-2.5 times the work for an accountant as is the self-employed return. That additional time does not count the time needed to train the Independent Operators. Most accountants have neither the time, inclination nor resources to train Operators on how to manage cash flow month by month according to an employee agreement.
About the Author: Robert D. Scheper is a leading Accountant and Consultant to the Lease/Owner operator industry in Canada. His first book in the Making Your Miles Count series “taxes, taxes, taxes” was released in 2007. His firm exclusively serves Lease/Owner Operators across Canada. His second book “Choosing a Trucking company” is the most in-depth analysis of the operator industry available today. He has a Master’s degree (MBA) in financial management and has been serving the industry since he and his wife came off the road in 1993. His dedication, commitment and strong opinions can be read and heard in many articles and seminars.
So, in conclusion, accountants must learn the system, train their employees, and then train their clients to follow it. All that for a labor intensive, low margin industry. There is simply more money to be made in other industries. The NTB is basically designed for the serious business person, quality operator who are in it for the return on investment, not for the thrill of the chrome or ease of the process.
You can find him at www.making yourmilescount.com or 1-877-987-9787.
I must admit, that problem is very difficult to overcome. To survive the first five or seven November 2020
JOBS FOR TRUCKERS • 7
DRIVER TURNOVER IS A PROBLEM THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT YOU CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT Learn how to determine WHY your drivers are leaving. Learn how to FIX these reasons.
ENGAGE your staff to follow the tried and tested DRIVER RETENTION PLAN.
Regular CONSULTATIONS to keep you on track.
FOR A FREE CONSULTATION out ROAD to rhaight10@gmail.com 8 •Reach OVER THE
and let’s discuss your options. November 2020
November 2020
JOBS FOR TRUCKERS • 9
SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE Ray J. Haight
The Party is on! Seldom do I write about products, and even less do I write about specific companies. This month is different. This time I am writing about a company that I have dealt with for a couple of years, and this company has achieved what is just the start of a very successful future. I first visited Steve’s Livestock Transport in 2018 when I was invited to perform a workshop related to the Driver Retention Masterclass, which is now a TCA offering to the industry. I remember it well. Here was a group of people led by Bill Rempel, the COO (Chief Operating Officer) who I had met the previous evening for dinner. During dinner Bill explained to me that the company had more than a 90% turnover rate and that this type of turnover was unsustainable by the company for any ongoing duration of time. I learned that one of the main reasons was that the company typically invest in excess of $20K per driver for training, much of it pertaining to how to deal with livestock and all the complexities of ensuring that North America’s food security is not compromised. No simple task! At the time we were talking about a fleet of approximately 150 Drivers and Owner Operators, so this is easy math at that turnover rate. The training cost alone of this mid-sized fleet was more than 2.7 million dollars, which was leaking from the company annually. To add to this, my experience suggests to me that this number is typically doubled when inefficiencies are added in from each department. It looks 10 • OVER THE ROAD
like this; maintenance and the wear and tear on vehicles, sales and the service failures that come with high turnover, operations and continuous acclimation of new drivers, safety and accident/cargo claims that come from an unstable workforce and lastly, administration with the continual training of new people on company paperwork procedures. A little harder to measure, yet just as impactful on the bottom line, not to mention the cultural impact on people. Steve’s is located in beautiful Blumenort, Manitoba. This could possibly be the flattest place I have ever been to. This is where, when your dog runs away, you can still see him the next day; in fact, the whole town can see him and maybe the rest of the province too. Fine dining in Blumenort consist of a Boston Pizza and a Smitty’s, two of my favorites. My friends, this is small town Manitoba at it’s finest. Their licence plates proudly read Friendly Manitoba and believe me, it is and they are, almost to a fault I would come to find out. The fine people at Steve’s have been stuck on how to deal with driver turnover for some time and they are simply and totally frustrated on how to get unstuck. This is not a new situation for me to come across since I have been in the Driver Retention Coach position for the past couple of years. Steve’s retained me and my first workshop included about ten people from various departments. I was impressed with their dedication and openness to my ramblings. November 2020
So, you can imagine my frame of mind when I received an email from Mr. Bill Rempel who is now the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) just a few days back. Here is I what I received: “Ray, the party is on! I am so thrilled about this award and I am even more thrilled to see how excited our management team is”.
I told these folks that the people they were hiring didn’t want to fail and that they didn’t come to the company to eventually have to go home to their families and tell them they were let go or quit. Telling them that this situation needs to be taken personally was not lost on them. They totally got the concept of telling a driver that you cannot hire them because they are not a good fit for the company. They understood that this showed much more compassion than having to deal with their departure a few months down the road.
You see this company that was crowding 100% turnover had morphed itself into an awardwinning business and dropped their turnover by 65% over a two-year period. This takes determination; this takes persistence; this takes commitment from the entire leadership team and all the fine people inside the walls at this company. So, congratulations to Steve’s Livestock Transport, named a Top Fleet Employer by Trucking HR Canada!
So, they started working through the Driver Retention Masterclass material and implementing the strategies, forming the committees, and making incremental gains. They started by building a firm foundation. They then began to showcase their exceptional safety record; they formed a group of people that were charged with communicating with all persons involved with Steve’s, and those that weren’t involved with Steve’s would be shown the good things that happen in the business and in the industry. They started to measure the expectations of all drivers that came on board which included home time and pay. They started to recognize superior performance and the amazing things their people do for other people on the road, in their communities and in the workplace. They also helped those that needed it and helped those who had ambition to be the very best at whatever their passion was.
I am proud of you folks. Well done and now the grinding starts. We need to not only maintain the momentum but drop that turnover even farther – but now is the time for celebration. Take a short break to reflect and when done, I know that by your nature, you will get right back at it. Congratulations on this award and the many that are still to come your way. Regards and Safe Trucking Ray J. Haight Ray Haight TCA Retention Coach ray@tcaingauge.com www.tcaingauge.com
This effort was well thought out, but the execution stalled, and I was asked to come back to Blumenort for another workshop, which I gladly did. No one in their right mind would ever pass up a trip to Blumenort and to spend time with these friendly folks. After a second short time spent on site, we were back on track and again we saw incremental gains.
November 2020
JOBS FOR TRUCKERS • 11
QUALITY PEOPLE THAT CARE. THAT’S A CARMEN DRIVER.
Immediate Need for Local GTA Drivers
Since 2017
A Special Thank You for the Hard Work of All our Drivers during this Uncertain Time. In-House Repair Facility Employee Parking Secured Yard Pre-Pass Transponders In-House Truck/Trailer Wash
Steady Miles, Top Rates & Paid Dwell Time Health, Dental & Life Insurance Plans Pension Plan Friendly Atmosphere Ongoing Training & Support
CONTACT RECRUITING AT
1-866-857-5166 EXT. 256
• • • • • • •
12 • OVER THE ROAD
Great Pay Package All Miles Paid Weekly Permits/Tolls/Heavy Tax Paid General Insurance Paid Fuel Cards & Border Cards Pick Up & Delivery $50 Flexible Fuel Surcharge
November 2020
Keep Your Company Moving With Online Training During this time of crisis, we need to ensure two things continue to happen: ● Continued transportation of vital goods and necessary food items. ● Open communication with drivers, dispatchers, and other employees.
COMPLIMENTARY TRIAL ACCESS WITH ONLINE TRAINING We are offering 30-day complimentary access to our system to assist companies in maintaining driver safety training, including tracking and reporting. The Coronavirus pandemic has proven the critical need to Limit face-to-face interaction between employees. But how can your company encourage remote work and still bring on new drivers safely and effectively? How can you keep your drivers up to speed on safety content that would traditionally be covered in safety meetings?
“Amazing support staff.”
Remote online training allows you to do both: ● Ensures participation and comprehension ● Consistently delivers important elements of your orientation ● Quickly gets your trucks moving safely ● Saves time, resources and money ● Simple to implement quickly and with very little effort on your part There are no shortcuts when it comes to consistency and quality. Infinit-I Workforce Solutions offers a communication and learning management system that allows you to simplify orientation through remote, online training. Spread Coronavirus awareness by distributing messages and policies from your company to your entire fleet. Take advantage of our 30-day Complimentary Trial to increase the efficiency of your orientation. Keep your company moving!
For additional Coronavirus resources for Trucking & Logistics, visit https://www.infinitiworkforce.com/ppc/comp-access-cn-2/
www.infinitiworkforce.com November 2020
JOBS FOR TRUCKERS • 13
Index Agam Holdings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Keystone Western . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Anvil Ring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Ray Haight Consulting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
AYR Motor Express . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Robert Scheper Article . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,7
Carmen Transportation Group . . . . . . . . . 12
Speaking from Experience . . . . . . . . . . 10,11
CNTL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
TRANSAM Carriers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Genesis Express . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Travelers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
IFS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Truckdriver.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Infinit-i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Women in Trucking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16,17
NOW HIRING AZ DRIVERS & OWNER OPERATORS 1-800-265-8789
www.travelers.ca
Great work/home life balance Small family environment Pet/Passenger Program Health Dental Benefits Day 1 EZ Pass/Bridge cards/ Scanners in Truck
Over 7 Locations: Brampton* Midland* Wallaceburg* Prescott* Fergus* Hamilton* Carignan PQ A CANADIAN CARRIER SINCE 1985 14 • OVER THE ROAD
November 2020
THE BEST IS THE LEAST WE CAN DO
IT’S TIME TO MAKE YOUR MOVE! Driver planned home time | Full load dry van – No touch Freight Steady year-round miles | Group benefits and pension plan | Paid weekly Mostly warehouse and industrial area deliveries in US CTpat and FAST approved Carrier and Loads F E AT U R E D M I L L I O N M I L E D R I V E R
AYR Motor is where I started my career, almost 20 years ago. They have been very supportive in my career. I really enjoy the miles, I have been to every state and province. The staff is second to none, no waiting on loads and plenty of home time. Great place. Stephen Brown, Truck #867
HIRING RECRUITING DEPARTMENT
November 2020
DARTMOUTH Yard MONCTON Yard
WOODSTOCK Head Office DORVAL Yard
BRAMPTON Terminal WINNIPEG Terminal
1-800-668-0099 | ayr.recruiting@ayrmotor.com
ayrmotor.ca
JOBS FOR TRUCKERS • 15
WOMEN IN TRUCKING Ellen Voie
For Sale by Owner Have you ever thought about how some terms or phrases are either outdated or do not make any sense? For example, when was the last time you actually “dialed” a phone? Except for your great Aunt Edna, rotary dial phones are no longer in existence. We don’t dial anything; we just tap it or touch it. What about taping a video? We don’t use tape anymore. We’re not using VCRs to record anything, we record it with bytes, not footage. Footage implies the film is measured in feet, but there aren’t any length measurements when it comes to recording a video. A friend of mine goes crazy when he sees a sign on a motorcycle or a car that states, “FOR SALE BY OWNER.” Seriously? Who else would be selling it? A neighbor? A house, sure, but anything else should be assumed that the owner is selling it, right? I am going to list several terms that 16 • OVER THE ROAD
you should know if you are in the trucking industry. Do you know what an ICC bumper is? ICC stands for Interstate Commerce Commission which was created in 1887 to regulate railroads. Wait, what does that have to do with the piece of metal on the back of your trailer? It is because of the four wheelers who wanted to drive under your trailer. In 1953, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration required trailer manufacturers to retrofit a bumper to stop cars from driving under the trailer in an underride accident. Yes, the trucking industry had to add a bumper because cars kept driving under their trailers. Go figure. What about all the animals we hear professional drivers mention. How about a doghouse? What about an alligator or a Bulldog? A doghouse is the space between the seats in a cabover truck which covers the engine. Seriously, if you’ve ever driven a cabover, you will know that this great November 2020
expanse is a wonderful spot to drop your head and take a quick nap.
maybe they aren’t relevant anymore. Ask any older driver.
An alligator is the strip of tire on the side of the road resulting from a blown tire. A Bulldog is just the name of a Mack Truck. While I am on the subject, don’t you get wild when you hear someone talk about getting sick or having a sleepless night and they claim that they were “hit by a Mack truck?” Sheesh, can we just say it was a train?
What are some names that you shouldn’t use any more? How about fireman, mailman, stewardess or policeman? In these days of gender neutrality, it’s fire fighter, mail carrier, flight attendant and police officer. For those of us old enough to remember some words that weren’t offensive in the past, how do you feel about the words gay, dope, girl or even whoopee? It only makes me wonder what terms we use today that may become offensive in the future? Think about the words we use daily that are no longer relevant. And, by the way, please don’t use a sign stating: “For Sale by Owner”, unless you’re selling a house.
Have you seen a chicken coop or a bear? A chicken coop is just a weigh station, or scale, or as we call them in Wisconsin, a SWES (Size and Weight Enforcement Station.) And speaking of bears, there are a lot of variations of this such as feeding the bears, bear bait, mama bear or bear in the air. A bear is a police officer - perhaps a variation of Smokey the Bear. Feeding the bears is paying a ticket, bear bait is just a four-wheeler speeding and soon to get a ticket. A mama bear is a female police officer and a bear in the air is a cop in a helicopter or airplane which is monitoring your speed.
Ellen Voie President/CEO/Founder of Women In Trucking, Inc. ellen@womenintrucking.org www.womenintrucking.org
Mission: Women In Trucking was established to encourage the employment of women in the trucking industry, promote their accomplishments and minimize obstacles faced by women working in the trucking industry.
If you’ve been a driver for more than a decade, you know these terms. If not, November 2020
JOBS FOR TRUCKERS • 17
CNTL HAS OPENINGS FOR TRUCK OWNER OPERATORS IN
Calgary, Moncton, Montreal and Quebec City
If you are an Experienced, Safe, Owner Operator, now is the time to look at CNTL! CNTL is CN’s Trucking Subsidiary, the continuing growth of Intermodal freight means we always have the moves available that meet or exceed your revenue objectives. Keep more of your earnings with your fuel price capped at 35 cents per litre. Take advantage of our Tire, Bunk and Engine Heater programs, and Group Truck Insurance.
Ask about our Safety Bonus, and Safety Awards!
If you would like to talk about joining our team please contact us Email cntljobs@cn.ca Fax 1-866-803-2702 65 Devon Rd., Brampton Ontario L6T 5B6 18 • OVER THE ROAD
CNTL.ca
November 2020