Page 7 - Newcom

Trucking HR recognizes
Top Fleet Employers
PG. 8
Ontario to pilot
self-driving trucks
PG. 9
Akita Equipment’s Chris Howlett shows the
number of ferry sailings cancelled in January
this year. (Photo: Leo Barros)
“As such, there are no plans to change
the speed limits in these areas at this
time. Lowering speed limits in areas that
are designed for higher speeds can create
additional highway safety concerns.”
Snow clearing
When winter sets in, trucking compa-
nies and drivers complain that snow
clearing operations shut down along
major routes between supper time and
breakfast. Akita’s Howlett said he parks
his trucks when the snow gets bad and
is not cleared. “I’ll just park it because
it’s $20,000 to get towed out, not includ-
ing your damage. Snow clearing on this
island is terrible,” he said.
The Department of Transportation
and Infrastructure counters that over-
night snow clearing occurs on 14 of the
most traveled routes in the province, as
conditions warrant.
“For most snow clearing throughout
the province outside of the 14 routes,
there are two shifts of snowplow opera-
tors – one shift that starts about 5 a.m. to
1 p.m., and a second shift that runs from
about 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., or potentially later
if there’s a snowstorm happening in the
evening.”
Ferry service
Then there are the realities unique to an
island province. Trucking companies rely
on Marine Atlantic’s two vessels that sail
every day between North Sydney, N.S.,
and Port-aux Basques, Nfld. Depending
on the day, about 80 to 100 commercial
vehicles sail on the vessels, which are
part of the Trans-Canada Highway sys-
tem.
Recently, the premium booking ser-
vice spots were increased to nine spaces
from five. Each carrier can reserve two
spots per sailing for up to three months
at a time, on a rolling monthly basis.
Akita’s Howlett said this is costing him
business. Carriers with deep pockets are
reserving spots to his detriment because
he doesn’t have planned loads. The
premium bookings cost around $1,500 –
about twice as much as a regular spot.
Sometimes when sailings are can-
celled due to weather conditions, trucks
with premium bookings are allowed
to get in front of the line. “If the ferries
are not running for three days, that’s 27
trucks with premium bookings on the
first boat out. My drivers have to sit on
the dock. Sometimes they run out of
hours,” he said.
Darrel Mercer, Marine Atlantic’s
corporate communications officer said,
“Our customers have asked for more
access and flexibility to better align
with the transportation realities they
face every day, such as impacts to time-
lines that are beyond their control. The
increase in premium booking availability
was made based upon this feedback. The
vast majority of spaces are maintained
for those customers preferring the first-
come, first-served process.” TT
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