by wtfcanada2015@gmail.com | Jul 5, 2018 | BLOG
As a child, on those numerous occasions when I thought that a task was too large or too complex for me, my father had one response that he used without fail, always phrased in the form of a question: How do you eat an elephant- answer: one bite at a time.
Much has been published in the last seven months in both industry publications and mainstream media outlets about the ongoing capacity shortage an elephant sized issue if there ever was one- particularly as it relates to the limited supply of trucks. In many ways, the solution to this industry challenge is no different than that of perceived challenges of my childhood. We need to simply start to fix the parts of the supply chain that we have allowed to break – one bite at a time.
I was thinking of this universal truth in light of an experience I have repeatedly experienced over my two decades in this industry- yet another typical example of the myriad ways that this industry attempts to diminish the value of drivers limited on duty hours.
We had a driver scheduled to load for a 3PL this morning- 6 am Pickup appointment with strict instructions for the driver to be on time. As often happens, the driver arrived at 6 am only to find out that the brokerage dispatcher on the order had neglected to provide us with the correct pickup number and trip number needed for loading, even though they were in her custody. After 90 minutes, the confusion was finally clarified at the cost of 90 minutes of the drivers on duty time.
Assuming that we have this issue happen once per day with half of our trucks, for a duration of 30 minutes per event – it means that in a small fleet like ours- 12.5 hours per day are being wasted with delays that are entirely avoidable. Most of us are aware that preventable delays are one of the main sources of driver frustration and exodus.
However, the other thing I would like us to think about is this when we think about our elephant eating challenge: that’s more than one 11 hour driving shift- so by extension for every day of operation, we have one truck running free of charge because simple things like pickup numbers are not provided – simply because people do not care enough to think about the downstream effects of their inaction.
In essence, this means that we have one truck that could be moving freight but is not- taking one trucks capacity completely out of the market, even though all of its associated expenses are there. If that’s true for a small 50 truck fleet like ours- imagine the number of trucks wasted if that math holds true industry wide?
Perhaps, instead of complaining about shortage of capacity and rising rates, forward thinking shippers and receivers can look internally at simple cost and efficiency improvements. I hope to explore a number of these themes over my next few posts.
However, with this challenge – there is also a call to action for those people responsible for operational decisions at asset based carriers. As an industry we need to stop saying “this is part of Transportation”- there’s no need for inefficiencies like this- and no need for the same folks who cause the inefficiencies to be complaining about rising costs. It takes true collaboration and partnership to drive inefficiencies out of a supply chain- the picture is much bigger than pure Transportation cost. It takes everyone’s proactivity and effort to improve conditions for everyone.
How do you eat an elephant: To solve our capacity crisis, we all need to be serious about one bite at a time!
Bio: Tony Gerber has been one of the Managing Directors at Flash Freight Systems of Guelph, ON since 2004 – an asset based provider of crossborder and domestic transportation and warehousing solutions. He’s passionate about operational excellence, the application of the lost art of common sense, coffee, and reimagining the status quo in the supply chain to improve everyone’s quality of life and service levels.
by wtfcanada2015@gmail.com | Jul 3, 2018 | Career Board
Virtual Hiring Event for Truck Drivers on Thursday, July 12th, 5:00pm – 8:00pm EST.
Drivers should have their Class 3 or DZ license. Linde offers lucrative pay, generous sign-on-bonuses, and premium pay for nights and weekends.
The event will allow interested parties to use their mobile device or computer to live chat with Linde recruiters to determine their qualifications and fit for job opportunities. We have dozens of positions across Canada, so please share this information widely.
To register for the event, interested candidates can go here:
https://voh.6connex.com/event/linde/login or call (855) 4MY-Driver with any questions.
by wtfcanada2015@gmail.com | Jun 29, 2018 | BLOG
Trucking was part of my entire life. I never thought much about it. My dad, grandpa, and most of my uncles were truck drivers. They wore cowboy boots and nice plaid, snap-button shirts. When I was young I wanted to be a policewoman or a teacher. Since then, I have had people tell me I should go into one of those professions.
I loved summer vacation because each of my siblings and I got to take a turn in the truck with my Dad. I remember one trip, going over the 1000 Island Bridge, (thinking how neat it was, but that you couldn’t live on most of the islands; but that it would be cool to go on a boat through them). We picked up scrap cars in the Bronx, New York and delivered them to Oshawa Ontario. We had to be out of the truck during the loading (which makes sense now; as it was dangerous). There was a huge fence around the place, (obviously to keep people from stealing parts or breaking in and getting hurt) and Dad said it was because the city was such a scary place that “even the junk yard dogs are scared’! We must’ve been listening to ‘Bad, Bad Leroy Brown’ at the time! We had to make sure that the doors were locked when we were driving down the city streets.
Someone once said to me a number of years ago, that I “must have had a terrible childhood”. And I thought how mean, condescending and ignorant it was to assume that my life had sucked as a kid. They had no idea what ‘Driving a Truck’ was all about. To me, having a parent who drove long haul and wasn’t home a lot is no different than someone who has a parent working shift work. Sure they are home every day, but they are asleep when the kids get up, and when they get home, the parent is at work. Do those kids see their parent any more than I saw my dad?
My dad was mostly an Owner/Operator, and stopped by the house a lot on his way to/from the yard. He usually made it just in time for supper! He could also make his own schedule. So he was able to go with me on class trips. Who else had a dad go on class trips with them?
I went to college for Horticulture because it sounded fun. I didn’t know what I wanted to do for a living; let alone a career. After 2 years of college and 2 years of minimum wage, living at home with a school debt, I started to look at going back to school. After talking to and researching some schools, my dad suggested looking into trucking. He set up an appointment with Kim R. at KRTS (being a long-time friend). The next day we sat in his office, and then I went out on a road test where I was taken down the road and thrown into the driver’s seat! KRTS helped me with funding and soon I was sitting in the classroom and learning how to back a tractor trailer out in the yard.
The first job I applied for would’ve offered me a job, but the company’s insurance carriers didn’t want a younger, newly licenced driver. So I went over to Zavcor, who were willing to take a chance on me, and started driving for them the following week. They didn’t have any female trainers, let alone female drivers, (They had one O/O husband/wife team), and so the dispatcher went out with me daily for a while to Toronto. For my first year I was in Toronto and surrounding area daily. I would load/unload; drop/hook either at the main yard or at the Mississauga drop yard. I don’t think I need to say that I learned how to back up quite well! My dad was always there for me whenever I had a question (or problem). He is the best driver, boss, salesman and father I know! I knew I could count on him to help me out with any trucking situations/problems or even just to discuss trucking issues.
Then I started going across the border. My first trip out was only to Rotterdam NY (which is near Albany), but as with many drivers, it is too far to go in a single run! (I remember having new drivers tag along with me a few years later and how I would have to stop for them to take a break.) It’s amazing how exhausting it can be paying attention to the signs, traffic, and weather! At the end of the day you are as tired as if you moved a load of bricks from one pile to another by hand! So I drove highway for about 3 ½ years. I thought about leaving to try something else but I had just bought myself a house and was asked to move into the Safety Office. I had a great trainer in the Safety/Compliance office and learned things like what questions to ask applicants, how to judge people, and all about Drug and Alcohol testing, dealing with Insurance Companies and keeping up to date on employee and truck and trailer files. I took a course at the OTA (Ontario Trucking Association) called “Take the risk out of Hiring and Firing”. (FYI I would never fire anyone without someone else being in the building.) I took ‘The Exceptional Assistant” through Fred Pryor and a course on Occupational Health and Safety (OHSA) through the Transportation Health and Safety Association of Ontario (THSAO (now IHSA)).
I would fill in for dispatch occasionally and was in charge of compliance issues, drug and alcohol testing, safety training, file maintenance, log books, annual reviews and accidents.
I left Zavcor in 2006 to work for a small 5-truck operation and would complete local deliveries and pickups with a flatbed when I wasn’t working in the office. I ended up running the entire office by myself, which included billing, accounts payable, accounts receivable, dispatch, payroll, safety, compliance, etc.
With the 2008 economy drop, we all had to walk away from the company. So I tried a completely different job – filling in for a 1 year maternity leave position as potted salesperson at a large greenhouse. I got married that year to a guy I went to high school with and asked out at our 10 year reunion. The next summer I worked in my husband’s family owned greenhouse (so my Horticulture diploma sort of paid off!).
I then went to work at a sod company delivering bags of soil and mulch along with skids of sod on a tri-axle flatbed with a piggyback tow motor. In the winter I took a job delivering scrap metal around Burlington and up to 5 hours across the border. I spent a lot of time at the recycling plants off of Burlington Street in Hamilton (so again, lots of backing up). I drove scow and dump trailers, but it was a little too dangerous for me. Standing on top of a load of scrap metal in the snow is not my idea of fun.
In the spring I went back to driving the flatbed with the piggy back tow motor; and in the summer I drove the live-bottom trailer for pick-up and delivery of various soils, peat moss, gravel and sand. I got to see a few quarries and drive into the middle of fields! At the end of the summer, I decided to stay home for a while. We were trying to start a family without much luck. I went back to the sod company the next 2 springs as a sales rep on weekends.
I was then called by a small company who had been referred to me, to handle compliance. So I also did that part-time for a couple years. I was approached by a local farmer to work 1 day/week delivering grain to his barns. It turned into hauling pigs from Norwich to Dunnville on a triaxle every Friday, and going down the escarpment to deliver to the grain mills or to haul back pig feed.
During all this time, my husband and I were still trying to get pregnant. With lots of help, in the spring of 2013 I was pregnant with twins; and was unable to work at all. My son and daughter were born early January 2014. (But that’s a whole other story!)
In 2015 I was approached by my first trucking boss to drive 1 day a week hauling dry vans to/from Wainfleet, Brantford, London and a little bit of Toronto, for another of his companies. It was mostly drop/hook, except that you usually had to place the new trailer in the same door – which means extra drop/hooks! (Eye roll)! Actually, I loved it. It was a reprieve of days with just me and 2 babies. (I struggled greatly with PPD (post-partum depression) and thought this would help; but it only helped me to avoid it.) I had a sitter show up in the morning, and she stayed until my husband came home, so I was free to get home at whatever time I was finished. If there was no run that day, I would help with filing and vehicle maintenance records.
In 2017 I started working full-time back at Zavcor in the new role of Director of Zavcor Training Academy. With my experience in so many previous roles, this was a great fit for me. I’m back in the industry I love, working with great people and assisting those wishing to learn more about our industry and become a Licenced Driver. I wouldn’t say that I’m a role-model, but I think that I am doing my part to make this industry better and safer; and to show/prove that it can be, and is, a viable career; regardless of age, sex or race! I love trucking ☺
Sarrah Dekker – Director Zavcor Training Academy
Email: sarahd@zavcor.com
Zavcor Training Academy
by wtfcanada2015@gmail.com | Jun 16, 2018 | BLOG
Ester Rony
I joined the trucking industry in 2010, by that time I was pregnant, here when you get pregnant after high school you become a disgrace in society, I was 19 and naughty as any young teenage girl would be, I was told to get out of the house by my Dad who was so angry about me getting pregnant, I wasn’t annoyed at all because that’s how any parent would have reacted, I was strong yet I had nothing, but I don’t know where I got the courage to move out, the father to my pre born baby was a high school sweetheart so he couldn’t do much.
So I went in an abandoned house and started a life, let me get to trucking now.
Esther Rony
Female truck drivers face a lot of challenges in my society, its a job of single mothers, orphans, drug addicts and any bad behavior you may think of, so the public talks poorly about anybody in the trucking industry, I joined the trucking industry, at first I approached a female driver and asked to be her helper, I told her my story of being a single mom and she took me in, we started traveling together from Kampala heading to the east to the border in Malaba then crossing over to Kenya which is another country.
She didn’t know my intention was learning to drive, but I helped her whenever she needed my help, as time went on, I learnt routes, how l am supposed to behave on the road, she became my friend and she taught me slowly how to drive, how to identify problems and fault, how to handle simple mechanical problems , we got along well.
Esther Rony
I finally got in to business, started getting money and applied to a university where I pursued a degree in information systems, I got my father’s attention and other family members back, it was through a lot of hard work, toil and sleepless nights that I achieved my degree, I started talking to different female drivers whenever i met them on stop overs, they thought they are doomed, I started empowering them and I told them we also are needed in this society, if we cut off supplies of food the society will lack. I used my opportunity of being exposed and we formed a women’s committee in a big Association called Uganda National Lorry drivers and Transporters Association.
Written and submitted by :
Esther Rony
Uganda East Africa
Spokes person of Uganda National Lorry and Transporters Association
by wtfcanada2015@gmail.com | May 31, 2018 | Career Board
CAREER OPPORTUNITY
AZ/DZ Driver Equal Opportunity Employer
POSTING DETAILS
Posting Opened on: May 31, 2018 # of Positions: 4
Posting Closes on: June 28, 2018 Location: Elmwood, ON (Bruce County)
Contact: Andrea Zanetti, Manager HR Email: awzanetti@energysolutions.com
Summary:
Responsible for the transporting of general freight, dangerous/hazardous goods, radiological material and
other loads as contracted with customers and as scheduled by the dispatcher.
• $0.51 to $0.59 per mile
• 37.5 to 60 hours per week
• Company match Group RRSP
• Company paid benefits, incl. Health, Dental, Life, AD&D, Dependent Life, Short Term Disability
• Company provided steel-toed shoes and cell phone
• Quarterly Bonus Program
• Driver Mile Program
• Paid biweekly by direct deposit, paperless paystubs
Must be able to report to work at Elmwood, Ontario within 1 hour.
Key Accountabilities:
• Secures loads to trailers with chains, binders and straps to hold load securely while in transport.
Maintains permit compliance.
• Tarps loads when necessary to ensure nothing is blown away or damaged to protect the load, the
transportation vehicle and the surroundings.
• Completes logs, reports and other required forms and paperwork in accordance with laws and
regulations.
• Meets schedules established by dispatcher to ensure loads are delivered safely and as quickly and
efficiently as possible.
• Maintains the inside and outside cleanliness of assigned vehicles including power units and trailers.
• Other duties as assigned.
Other Requirements:
• AZ/DZ Driver’s License.
• Must be willing and able to be on the road for up to 10 days at a time.
• Must be available to work days, nights and weekends.
• Must be available on standby on weekends on a rotation basis.
• Satisfactory driver’s abstract with no more than 3 minor violations/accidents in past 3 years and no
major traffic violations in the past 5 years.
EnergySolutions is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard
to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability or any other characteristic protected by law. Accommodations are available
on request for all aspects of the selection process.
PHTS Logistics
CAREER OPPORTUNITY
AZ/DZ Driver Equal Opportunity Employer
• Must maintain a professional appearance. When on call, must be willing and able to report to
designated location within 1 hour.
• Complies with legislation, policies and practices, including those regarding respect in the workplace,
harassment, bullying.
• Complies with applicable health and safety legislation and policies.
• Able to interpret and apply transportation laws and regulations. Able to identify and resolve loading and
load security problems.
• Must be able to communicate effectively orally and in writing to receive instructions and communicate
with customers. Maintains a high level of professionalism and customer service
• Must be able to enter log, mileage and other data into electronic systems when required.
• Able to read, write and comprehend written and oral instructions in English. Able to work in a team
environment
Interested candidates please email Andrea Zanetti at
awzanetti@energysolutions.com as soon as possible! Thanks very much!
EnergySolutions is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard
to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability or any other characteristic protected by law. Accommodations are available
on request for all aspects of the selection process.
