John G. Smith

Traffic Unjammed: Off-peak deliveries can make a difference

Suppose they had a rush hour and nobody came.

As strange as the concept sounds, this essentially describes the ultimate goal of off-peak deliveries – the route planning strategy that schedules shipments at times when there is less traffic on the road.

There are significant savings to be realized by those who embrace the idea.

Printed to Go: 3D printing will transform your access to truck parts

Distribution centers and jobbers couldn’t possibly afford to stock every single part that a truck owner might need at a given point in time. The massive inventory would tie up far too much space and capital. The best they can do is play a numbers game, focusing on parts used in the widest volume of vehicles, and trying to limit investments in the components that are likely to gather dust on a storage rack.

Uber Struggle: Uber disrupted taxis, but trucking will be harder

The role of a road warrior on the Today’s Trucking editorial team takes me across North America, and at times these stops don’t include a personal car. If I want to keep moving, the options have been limited to the kindness of companies I visit, shoe leather, or taxis.

Until I uploaded the Uber app on my phone.

All Together Now: Manufacturers have growing say in vehicle spec’s

It is impossible to talk about engine oils without tapping into the benefits that have emerged with new CK4 and fuel-efficient FA4 formulas. The story was no different when Total invited members of our editorial team to visit a blending facility in Montreal, where the world’s fourth-largest oil company prepares and bottles lubricants for a wide variety of industries and applications.

Fight the Good Fight: It turns out you can fight city hall, and should

If the signs are any indication, municipalities would rather find a way to live without trucks. No parking. No idling. No Jake brakes. No trucks on this street or that. It’s like we’re living in the midst of a song by the Five Man Electrical Band. Remember the lyrics? “Do this. Don’t do that. Can’t you read the sign?”

Clear the Way: Bypass programs perfect carrot to offset enforcement stick

I was introduced to the concept of a hospital triage by watching episodes of MASH in the 1970s and early ’80s. Centered around the happenings of a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital during the Korean War, the show’s TV doctors were regularly seen moving through the latest batch of wounded soldiers, deciding who could wait and who needed immediate attention. (They also looked for new ways to torment Frank Burns, but I digress.)

It’s Howie Time: Football hero makes it into a trucking magazine

If there’s one rule that I have for the pages of Today’s Trucking, it’s that every word needs to focus on trucking. It’s the reason we exist, and why the word “trucking” is splashed in bold letters across the front of every cover.

Dear @realDonaldTrump: No #FakeNews here, but we have worries

Dear Mr. U.S. President-Elect,

Would it be better to refer to you as @realDonaldTrump? It seems Twitter is your favored way to communicate.

So let’s do this 140 characters at a time. Re-tweet and comment as you see fit.

Trucks and Terror: Recent attacks reinforce the value of sound security measures

Security protocols are nothing new to well-managed fleets. It’s why trucks come with keys, fences enclose yards, and procedures track drivers and loads alike. The threat of cargo and equipment theft is all too real, and there is a price […]

The year in review … and preview

The year in review … and preview It has been a newsworthy year in Canada’s trucking industry – and many of the stories of 2016 will also play out in the year to come. Look no further than oil-related topics […]

Diesel Dilemma: Are the days of our favorite fuel numbered?

Rudolf Diesel must be rolling in his grave. The 19th-century inventor gave birth to the engine that bears his name. Now the country where he did the work is looking to bring the technology to an end. German legislators recently passed a resolution that calls for a ban of all internal combustion engines as early as 2030.

Trucks for Change will do you good

TORONTO, ON — My short-lived career as a competitive picker and packer could be in jeopardy.

Newcom Business Media, the publisher of Today’s Trucking, was the defending champion in the second-annual Trucks for Change food sorting challenge at Toronto’s Daily Bread Food Bank on November 16. Eight 10-member teams committed an hour to tear into pallets of donated food, check expiry dates, and load boxes for shipping. (What charitable work could be closer to the trucking industry than that?) And while new to the team, I’ve helped out at food banks before. In the lexicon of athletes everywhere, I was a ringer. The trash talk flowed with ease because, well, charity and all that.

Bill Morneau is Wrong: Despite the promise of automation, drivers will be needed for years to come

Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau appears to believe drivers are an endangered species. The observation came during a broad-ranging talk about the changing nature of employment. He referred to the “job churn” that Canadians increasingly face because of precarious, short-term […]

Stronger Together: Sometimes it doesn’t make sense to go it alone

Those who work in the trucking industry tend to be an independent lot. Maybe it’s a function of a driver’s job. Those who crave crowds would likely struggle in a long-haul life, where human contact can sometimes be limited to […]

Picture This: Grab your cameras Oct. 12 and show us your day

Many years ago I remember asking owner-operator Dale Holman what kept him behind the wheel. Trucking is no easy job, after all. The hours are long. The tasks are complex and often physically demanding. Even the most comfortable sleeper will never be quite as inviting as a family home, especially when trips drag on for days or weeks at a time.