FROM TH E ROAD “If you bought it, a truck brought it” April 2013 Table of Content: APTA Updates……...1 Industry News…........3 Upcoming Events..…7 Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association Newsletter APTA Updates Get the word out. Advertise in our weekly email, website and Newsletter! LeBlanc Hero LEBLANC also stated he had to argue with the elderly couple in the vehicle that they were proceeding down the highway into oncoming traffic finally getting them safely turned around. By the time I had sorted out what had taken place the elderly couple had left the area prior to me speaking to LEBLANC. In my opinion, LEBLANC potentially saved a life or two this day. He could have kept on driving. He could have called the police. He could even have got on the CB radio and communicated to other truckers in the area but instead he took decisive action and took charge of the situation. He was able to safely get the couple stopped and turned around with no one getting hurt and no damage to any vehicles or property. Please pass on my thanks to Gerald as I didn't get much of a chance to do so that day as people were hurriedly passing by us as we stood on the highway. Cst. Bryce HAIGHT School Safety Resource Officer (SSRO) Pictou County District RCMP - Stellarton Detachment On February 26th, 2013 at approximately 12:20 I was traveling west on Highway #104 between exits 24 and 23 when I noticed a tractor trailer with a McDonald's trailer attached to it stopped on the highway almost adjacent to exit 23. This is a busy, double lane highway with a high volume of traffic daily. The license plate on the trailer was TMC 947 (New Brunswick). The driver had his vehicle parked in the passing lane and the left shoulder of the road blocking traffic completely. There was a vehicle in the right lane that was just pulling away. A man, later identified as LEBLANC was walking from this car back to the tractor. LEBLANC then starting to climb back inside behind the wheel of the tractor as I pulled up. I spoke to LEBLANC on the highway believing a collision had just occurred. LEBLANC stated to me that he had just meet a car coming head onto him going the wrong way on the double lane highway. LEBLANC was able to get his truck and trailer stopped, parking it across half the highway getting the vehicle driven by an elderly gentleman stopped.
Transcript
FROM TH E ROAD
“If you bought it, a truck brought it”
April 2013
Table of Content: APTA Updates……...1
Industry News…........3
Upcoming Events..…7
Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association Newsletter
APTA Updates
Get the word out.
Advertise in our weekly email, website and Newsletter!
LeBlanc Hero LEBLANC also stated he had to argue
with the elderly couple in the vehicle that they were proceeding down the highway into oncoming traffic finally getting them safely turned around. By the time I had sorted out what had taken place the elderly couple had left the area prior to me speaking to LEBLANC. In my opinion, LEBLANC potentially saved a life or two this day. He could have kept on driving. He could have called the police. He could even have got on the CB radio and communicated to other truckers in the area but instead he took decisive action and took charge of the situation. He was able to safely get the couple stopped and turned around with no one getting hurt and no damage to any vehicles or property. Please pass on my thanks to Gerald as I didn't get much of a chance to do so that day as people were hurriedly passing by us as we stood on the highway. Cst. Bryce HAIGHT School Safety Resource Officer (SSRO) Pictou County District RCMP - Stellarton Detachment
On February 26th, 2013 at approximately 12:20 I was traveling west on Highway #104 between exits 24 and 23 when I noticed a tractor trailer with a McDonald's trailer attached to it stopped on the highway almost adjacent to exit 23. This is a busy, double lane highway with a high volume of traffic daily. The license plate on the trailer was TMC 947 (New Brunswick). The driver had his vehicle parked in the passing lane and the left shoulder of the road blocking traffic completely. There was a vehicle in the right lane that was just pulling away. A man, later identified as LEBLANC was walking from this car back to the tractor. LEBLANC then starting to climb back inside behind the wheel of the tractor as I pulled up. I spoke to LEBLANC on the highway believing a collision had just occurred. LEBLANC stated to me that he had just meet a car coming head onto him going the wrong way on the double lane highway. LEBLANC was able to get his truck and trailer stopped, parking it across half the highway getting the vehicle driven by an elderly gentleman stopped.
FROM THE ROAD Page 2
2013-14 Budget Highlights
Nova Scotia: (http://www.novascotia.ca/finance/en/home/budget/default.aspx) Highlights of the Nova Scotia budget introduced April 4th.
Surplus of $16.4 million, up from a $356.4 million deficit from 2012-13. Departmental spending going down by $86 million and federal equalization payments up by $124.9 million. Net debt to grow to $14 billion, up from $13.9 billion. $5.3 million will go to funding insulin pumps and related supplies for youths up to the age of 19. $2.1 million will be spent to expand dental coverage for children 13 and under. Tobacco tax hike will result in an increase of two cents per cigarette, a measure expected to generate $18.2
million. Click here for more info
Newfoundland and Labrador: (http://www.budget.gov.nl.ca/budget2013/speech/default.htm)
Highlights of the Newfoundland and Labrador budget presented March 27: A deficit of $1.6 billion over three years means public-sector job losses and spending cutbacks. The province cuts about 1,200 government jobs and has approved another 200 early retirements. Core services are protected with spending of $2.9 billion in health services and $1.3 billion for education. No increase to personal or corporate income taxes but a new tobacco tax adds 1.5 cents per cigarette as of
Wednesday. Click here for more info
New Brunswick: (http://www.gnb.ca/0024/index-e.asp) Highlights of the 2013-14 New Brunswick budget: • Corporate tax rates will rise to 12 per cent from 10 per cent on July 1. Increase will generate additional $17 million; • Personal income tax increase, effective July 1, will generate additional $136 million in 2013-14; • Budget anticipates revenues of $8 billion, expenditures of $8.5 billion, deficit of $479 million; • Net debt will rise to $11.6 billion. Annual debt servicing costs will be about $664 million;
Read More…
Prince Edward Island: (http://www.gov.pe.ca/budget/) P.E.I. government releases deficit budget The P.E.I. government will run a deficit of $58.9 million this year and is restarting its three-year plan to return to balance, pushing it back to 2016. Finance Minister Wes Sheridan delivered his 2013 provincial operating budget in the legislature Wednesday – a budget that mainly holds the line on existing programs and services and only increases expenditures by just under two per cent.
Read More…
Transportation Highlights of the 2013 Federal Budget (March 21, 2013) – Finance Minister Jim Flaherty revealed late this afternoon the details of the 2013 federal budget titled: Jobs, Growth and Long-Term Prosperity Economic Action Plan. There were a number of positive developments related to border and road infrastructure in the document. Below are early highlights of the budget from a Canadian Trucking Alliance perspective:
Over $47 billion in new infrastructure spending over 10 years starting in 2014-15, for provincial, territorial and local infrastructure including $14 billion for a new Building Canada Fund to support major economic projects that have a national, regional and local significance.
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Carriers Will be Impacted by US Food Safety Regulations
(March 21, 2013) – Sweeping reforms to US food safety regulations are on the horizon, including requirements for trucking companies transporting food in the United States. A panel discussion last week at the Technology and Maintenance Council in Nashville served to remind carriers that in late 2011, the US passed the Food Safety Modernization Act to strengthen its capacity to prevent the spread of foodborne illness. The approach follows a “farm to fork” continuum, where every partner in the food production and supply chain – from farmers, to processors to retail, and everyone in between, including trucking companies – assume obligations and responsibility for their actions. Most notably, the Act called for the publication of regulations on the safe transportation of food, which will impact US domestic carriers as well as Canadian carriers moving food products into or out of the United States.
With financial support from the federal government, the Trucking Food Safety Program (TFSP) was developed several years ago to help carriers meet their clients more demanding food safety requirements. Over the past year CTA, assisted by a carrier advisory committee, introduced several modifications to the program to bring it up to date and, most notably, automate the entire process for carriers. The automated system will be tested by several advisory committee members over the next several months. In addition, the entire program will be submitted to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s rigorous Technical Review process. Canadian carriers who have introduced a HACCP-based program should be well-placed to comply with the upcoming US regulations. Carriers wanting further information on the Trucking Food Safety Program can contact CTA’s Ron Lennox at [email protected]
Source: CTA Communications
Draft regulations on food transportation have not yet been issued, but it seems quite clear from reading the Act and from material issued by the US government that a preventative approach will be adopted based on HACCP principles. Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point methodology, developed for the US space program, is designed to identify critical control points where food could become contaminated, introduce rigorous monitoring of processes and procedures, and outline corrective actions to be implemented when it appears that safety has been compromised. The methodology is widely used throughout the world, and forms the basis of many industry-developed food safety programs developed with the support of the Government of Canada. The Canadian Trucking Alliance is one organization that has developed a food safety program for its members using Canadian HACCP principles.
The Clean Across Nova Scotia province-wide cleanup is happening April 19-20, 2013 and they are looking for haulers, truckers, and those involved in construction, demolition, or disposal to help out. Please read the attached request for support letter to find out more on how to assist Nova Scotia communities in the largest two day cleanup effort in history! Click HERE. For more information you can contact: Derek Gillis - Clean Transportation Program Coordinator Clean Nova Scotia 1-888-380-5008 or via email at [email protected]
“Like any new program there have been some hiccups during implementation -- some early adopters have experienced delays and complications sometimes arising out of a lack of familiarity on the part of CBSA border agents with the new policies and procedures – but on balance most have experienced faster clearance or believe clearance will be expedited once the bugs are worked out,” Bradley said. “We remain committed to working with CBSA to get the eManifest program in place. An automated border is the key to a more efficient border.” For those carriers that are not yet compliant with the program, Bradley encourages them to “get with the program” now. “If you wait until the 45 day notice period before starting to get ready, you won’t have enough time to be in compliance when the program does become mandatory.”
(Ottawa, March 7, 2013) –The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has officially announced the informed compliance period for the ACI eManifest program will be extended beyond May 1, 2013 -- the date it had set for the program to become mandatory for all highway carriers. The reason for the delay is that the regulations required to enforce the eManifest requirements aren’t expected to be passed until this Fall. According to a statement from CBSA, the agency anticipates being able to provide carriers as much as 45 days advance notice of the new mandatory compliance date. The May 1 compliance date was established by CBSA in October 2012. A month later, the period of informed compliance during which time carriers are not assessed penalties for non-compliance with the eManifest requirements and cannot be denied entry into Canada, was launched.
Not surprisingly, carriers that have made the investment and put forward the effort to be early-adopters of the program, or at least be ready for May 1, are not pleased by the announcement. David Bradley, President and CEO of the Canadian Trucking Alliance, says “the one thing we asked CBSA from the outset was to avoid the kind of stop-start approach to implementation that characterized the roll-out U.S. eManifest program so this announcement will not sit well with a lot of our members.”
“But” he added, “there’s not much we can do about it – if the regulations haven’t passed, they haven’t passed.”
Weight restrictions for trucks are imposed each year during the spring thaw period to protect the highway system. These restrictions are scheduled to begin effective:
(Starting and ending dates of the load restrictions period may be adjusted depending on weather conditions.)
New Brunswick Click HERE for English and HERE for French Nova Scotia For the detailed list of affected highways: Click HERE
Prince Edward Island March 8, 12:01am. Click HERE for more information Newfoundland and Labrador: TBA
Quebec For more details: Click HERE for English and HERE for French
Ontario Click HERE for information
Visit our website for updates www.apta.ca
Maintenance on Harbor Bridge – Notice to permit Holders: Please be advised that the eastbound lanes of the Harbor Bridge will be closed to all traffic from April 15th 2013 to October 2013. During this closure, westbound lanes will be changed to an opposing traffic pattern with a maximum allowable vehicle width of 2.6 m. Vehicles which exceed 2.6 m and do not exceed 4.0 m width may bypass this construction using the specified detours.
Click HERE for more information on this notice.
2013 Spring Weight Restrictions
Notices
ATA The State Laws Newsletter – Quarterly compilation of state and provincial motor fuel tax rates.
CTA Stats - Montly Survey of Manufacturing - Average Weekly Earnings Transportation & Warehousing - Canadian International Merchandise Trade
MARCH 2013 IFTA to Coordinate Enforcement Effort Sequestration - Border Budget cuts no expected to take immediate effect Port of Champlain Manifest for empties Interest in natural gas powered trucks continues to grow eManifest highway carrier informed compliance period CBP workers hit with Furlough notice CBSA extends eManifest compliance period US Trucking Titans unleash their wrath over pending HoS regulations Electronic Inspections coming to New York Trucking Adds 5,600 Jobs as Payrolls Rise; Unemployment Rate Drops to 7.7% Gasoline drops 5.6 cents to $3.74, Lundberg Reports FMCSA Warns Truckers to use truck-specific GPS Heritage Gas Awards CNG Carrier Contract to Nova Scotia's Fisher Transport US Trucking Execs: New HoS Exacerbating Driver Shortage Memo to Truck Lobbyist: Harper Likes Fewer Rules Turnover Rate Drop 'Just a Respite' says Costello Minister Fletcher Tells Truckers Regs Under Review Canada-US Announce Truck Cargo Pre-Inpsection Pilot EnviroCan Undertaking Study Regarding Environmental Tampering of Heavy Duty Vehicles CBP Unveils New C-TPAT System of Records Today's Trucking released their Annual survey of Canada's largest for hire-fleets Under-ride guards better in Canada? Trucking conditions improve, year looks positive G6 Alliance Tonnage Up for Fourth Straight Month Bill to Increase Truck Weight Passes in Idaho SPECIAL REPORT: Investigation finds widespread tampering of emissions systems Canadian Freight Index Settles Down Survey Finds Carriers Expected Capacity to Increase Bradley to Urge Hudak not to Move on Biodiesel Proposal Carriers will be impacted by US Food Safety Regulations Federal Budget makes Infrastructure funding a priority Transportation Highlights of the 2013 Federal Budget Road money and Border Improvements in 2013 Budget North American surface trade up 6.2% year-over-year in 2012 Highway Funding in Nova Scotia in 2013-14 NB Governement Budget Highlights
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