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Eastern Canada’s Trucking Newspaper Since 1981 January 2019
Delivering daily news at trucknews.com Volume 38, Issue 12
Page 20
2019 outlook
Has the trucking industry peaked, and will 2019 mark a correction? A panel discussion shares insights.
End of an era
GM closure brings end to half-century long relationship with local carrier
By Harry Rudolfs
OSHAWA, ONTARIO
When General Motors announced on Nov. 26 that it was shutting down the last Oshawa, Ont., assembly plant at the end of 2019, most of us were gob- smacked. GM has been an integral part of that community for more than 100 years. About 2,500 jobs will be lost, and they won’t be coming back. But Dean Mackie, president of Mackie Transportation in Oshawa, admits he wasn’t completely taken aback.
“We were not totally surprised to hear of the closure and it still is con- cerning,” he said. “GM accounts for approximately 20% of our current rev- enue. But we had already been look- ing at new work to replace the GM automotive work when it expires. General Motors has been a large part of our company’s business for over 50 years, but we have diversified.”
He even suggests the plant closure may be a boon of sorts, freeing up some capacity and creating some new opportunities.
“We are confident that this GM business will be replaced as soon
Continued on page 8
Pages 31-33
Small truck, big power
International rounds out its lineup with its re-entry into the Class 4/5 segment with the new CV Series.
Page 41
Final word on Driver Inc.
Changes to how government views Driver Inc. mean it no longer makes sense for carriers, either.
Page 42
Trailer talk
The trailer market has never been hotter, and trailers have never been better made.
Truck platoons featuring highway tractors and forestry trucks took to public Canadian roads for the first time in late October and early November.
A Canadian first
Platooning tested on Canadian highways, forestry roads for the first time
MONTREAL, QUEBEC
Truck platooning has been successfully demonstrated on Canadian public highways for the first time.
The tests took place between Oct. 29 and Nov. 2, and were conducted by PIT Group, Transport Canada, Auburn University, and Minimax Express Transportation. High- ways around Montreal, La Tuque, Trois-Rivieres, and Bla- inville, Que., were used for the demonstration.
The trucks were driven in a convoy, linked by a com- puter system that maintained the desired following dis- tance between the trucks. The computer also controlled braking and acceleration, allowing the trucks to travel closely together to reduce fuel consumption.
‘’PIT Group is a leader in the testing and integra- tion of new technologies and this test is another example of that. We’re very pleased with the pre- liminary results and we’re convinced they will lead to other breakthroughs in this field in the near future,” said Edouard Proust, a PIT Group engineer. The platooning technology used was developed by Auburn University’s mechanical engineering depart- ment. A minimum following distance of 20 meters was maintained. The platoon disassembled at highway inter- changes and covered a total of about 1,000 kms with regular traffic.
“We’ve driven the trucks under different weather con- ditions before but this was a first for us driving in a com- bination of rain, ice and snow,” said James Johnson, a research engineer at Auburn University. “The automated braking and acceleration worked well in the weather
conditions and we’re pleased with how the trucks per- formed throughout the testing.”
Escort vehicles were used to ensure safety with the motoring public. The platooning system was engaged for most of the trip, Proust said.
“This is a great achievement. It’s a little soon to make a conclusion on the data that was gathered but the sys- tem reacted properly to vehicle cut-ins and to road con- ditions,” he noted.
PIT Group indicated eventually the following trucks may be entirely autonomous, but that eventuality is still some time away. The hope is that platooning can some- day not only save fuel, but also assist with the driver shortage, or even attract younger tech-savvy individu- als to the profession.
“We’ve been in business for the past 28 years and the issue of recruiting drivers has never been so real,” added Yves Poirier, president of Minimax Express Transpor- tation. “We’ve had to refuse business opportunities due to a lack of drivers. Our industry needs to find a way to attract new workers.’’
Meanwhile on Nov. 1, the same group demonstrated the technology on forest resource roads in Southern Que- bec. The day-long test used logging trailers and was con- ducted in Riviere-aux-Rats, Que., along resource roads between a Resolute Forest Products logging site and its sawmill 75 kms away.
“These forestry platooning tests are an accomplish- ment for FPInnovations, regardless of their outcomes,” says FPInnovations lead forestry engineering scientist,
Careers: 2-3, 22-41 Ad Index: 49
Continued on page 8
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