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Great
Minimum
Elbows UP?
MAKING
Over the last month I know two operators who hung up their keys due to the direct effect of Trump tariffs. I am certain that this situation is being reflected across Canada with varying degrees of intensity in different locations and markets. The net effect is only surpassed in scale by the mandate controversy in 2022 (which lasted only about a year). The next event before that was the BSE debacle or MAD COW disease which took anywhere from 2-4 years to reopen the border (depending on how you define “reopen”). Drivers leave, return, move around to different markets and switch their routines. It very much seems like dramatic issues come and go, only to be smoothed out and adjusted to overtime.
For those who remember the BSE crisis (Mad Cow), the controversy originated with only one or two cows in Alberta but shut down a multibillion-dollar industry for many months. In the end it became clear that it was not a “safety” issue but an issue of competition. US cattle farmers wanted more exclusive access to the US market, and they lobbied for this for many months. US cattle lobby groups also pressured Governors who pressured Federal administrations to keep Canada out of the US markets. In the end, the US producers fought for higher margins (for themselves). This is natural, we would all do it… if we could (at least to some degree).
Robert D. Scheper
Two minutes ago, as I was writing, my wife told me a story. We are renovating an apartment and have a nearly brand-new toilet to sell for $50. She put a picture of it online and had numerous calls. She marked the price as firm. An email offered $30 but my wife said no, $50 firm! A lady then arrived and again offered $30… my wife declined saying $50 was our final price. Then, as if the lady hadn’t heard anything that was said, offered $40. This ticked my wife off, and she started walking away… well… she got $50 but was still annoyed. Everyone is trying to get a better deal. Sometimes people don’t even need a reasonable excuse to demand one.
Trump is no different. He wants a better deal for HIS country. It very much appears that many US Citizens are following the President’s position. If they can, they will. Give him/them a reason... they will push for it.
Before our election (in April 2025), I wrote in my OTR article “How to Survive the Trump Administration”. Please let me humbly quote myself, “...Of course, we have National Pride but now is NOT the time to mouth off to the man in charge. Know our true options because if we go toe to toe… we will probably lose the Canadian Auto Industry…”.
I think the Liberal government’s “Elbow’s UP” campaign may have gotten Liberals enough votes to win the election… but it also came
across as toe to toe… “mouthing off to the man in charge”. We as a country are now reaping what our political elbows sowed. Not only has our auto industry been shown to have serious cracks in its hull, but Canada’s “supply management” may now be a target. Who knows… our milk and poultry may go the way of the Digital Services Tax.
Commenting on the Trump administration is a real roller coaster. Who knows if anything that I’ve commented on now will even exist by the time of OTR publication. However, the trail of this behavior by our government cannot be ignored. Being outclassed, outgunned and overpowered is the soup of the day here in Canada. It’s hard to fathom that China got further on a trade deal than we did. The sooner we humble ourselves, the sooner we stop being the target. I’m not implying we ARE wrong, I’m implying we are DOING it wrong.
If we try to rely on EU and Britain, in effect we choose to be “going it alone”. It will take a decade to replace US exports with EU exports (if ever). They simply DON’T have the volume of demand for our products. Without the volume of demand we can’t upgrade our production, our future is marginalized, and our vast resources will be underutilized. Subsidizing industries such as steel (corporate welfare) is no different than citizen welfare other than being more expensive.
– Robert D. Scheper
About the Author:
Elbows are rarely the answer in cooperation, so maybe one elbow is enough.
Robert D. Scheper is a leading Accountant and Consultant exclusively serving 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 second book “Choosing a Trucking company” is the most in-depth analysis of the independent operator industry today. He has a Master 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. You can find him at www.makingyourmilescount. com or 1-877-987-9787.
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SAFETY DAWG
Chris Harris
Companies Have a Legal Obligation to Train & Keep You Safe
Why do most companies give you a policy and procedure manual to review and then train the heck out of you when you first join their organization?
is much more likely to happen than a court case. The outcome of the two can be similar. By that I mean, both can put the company out of business.
And why do some companies get you to sign that you have received the policy and procedure manual, even though they may know that you have not read it, nor do you understand it?
Trucking companies are required to have written policies and procedures. If a crash happens, the prosecuting attorneys will want to see the policy and procedure manual. That attorney is trying to see if the driver was adhering to the company policies. Company policies play a huge role in any court action. But it is more than that. The company has a legal obligation to train and keep you safe. The company policy manual plays a different role during an audit. An audit
Regulations stipulate that a company must train their drivers in fundamental areas such as hours of service, load securement, safe driving, and distractions. (This is by no means a complete list of required training, just some examples). The activity must be backed up by documentation and policy. So, the Policy Manual and the training go hand-in-hand.
You can judge how seriously a company takes their legal obligations, at least in part, by their new hire orientation program. If they throw a stack of papers at you and tell you to sign them without any associated training, then the company is likely not very serious about their orientation. On the other hand, if much to your dislike, you must spend
hours reviewing the documentation videos and perhaps, an in-person or on-line training program, then the company is serious about meeting its legal obligations.
What should I tell you as a newly hired driver? I would much rather work for a company that takes their legal obligations and training seriously because I would assume that they would also take their other obligations to keep me safe just as seriously. It also signifies that they are likely to obey other laws and encourage me to do the same. These laws might be the Hours-of-Service regulations. Instead of Dispatch pushing me to complete the load, Dispatch may have also been trained in their legal obligations. Dispatch must understand that it is part of their role to keep me safe and legal. Notice that I put “safe” first? We all know of situations that may be legal but are not safe. (an example might be driving while tired but legally having hours available according to the law).
So, the company puts you into a new hire orientation and gets you to sign the policy manual. If this process takes some time, then you might be working for a great company. If
this process takes only minutes, you should find a new employer, not one that tries to meet the bare minimum legal obligations. The companies that do the training and onboarding take trucking seriously and are in it for the long haul. Don’t work for the bottom feeders. You are a professional truck driver and deserve to work for an appreciative and safe employer.
Stay safe.
Chris Harris CEO & Top Dawg Safety Dawg Inc.
Chris@safetydawg.com
www.safetydawg.com
905 973 7056
556 Upper Wentworth St. Hamilton, ON L9A 4V2
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