The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) said 218 human trafficking awareness and prevention events, and 219 presentations were delivered during this year’s five-day Human Trafficking Awareness Initiative (HTAI). CVSA member countries – Canada, Mexico and the U.S. – participated in the awareness and outreach campaign to educate commercial motor vehicle drivers, motor carriers, law enforcement officers and the general public about human trafficking. (Illustration: istock) Forty-five jurisdictions took part, with participation from 3,020 individual law enforcement officers/troopers/inspectors, according to a news release. In addition, there were 8,352 media contacts throughout North America. CVSA collaborated with Truckers Against Trafficking to offer human trafficking identification and prevention training and reference materials to…

Jason Bakalech has been named the new president of the Alberta Motor Transport Association, adding to a resume that has included executive roles at transportation safety supply organizations. “At its core, AMTA represents a commitment to constantly improving the commercial transportation industry in Alberta and setting a global standard in safety, innovation, and training,” he said in a press release. “Our goal is to work with all stakeholders to create safer roads and a more sustainable province for all Albertans.” Jason Bakalech (Photo: Supplied) Bakalech most recently served as vice-president of Barricades and Signs, executive vice-president of Powell West Group of Companies, and vice-president of ATS Traffic. He has an…

Shuttered during the pandemic, then for months afterwards for extensive renovations, the Mack Trucks Customer Center in Allentown, Penn., has a new look – and a new name. The Mack Experience Center has been revamped to bring customers a more comprehensive experience. Visitors, upon entering the lobby, will be able to see Mack trucks dressed in their own fleet livery on wall-mounted televisions. Visitors enter a meeting area where they can watch live streams of trucks on the track outside. (Photo: Mack Trucks) In the showroom, they’ll be able to inspect all aspects of their truck, even the undercarriage if raised on a hoist that allows visitors to stand underneath…

TIP Group is launching a new academy for trailer mechanics in six countries, including Canada. The Canadian academy will be based in the Toronto area, the company said, with similar initiatives in Denmark, France, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Germany. The company says it will be the first program of its kind, with trainees becoming TIP-certified trailer mechanics in nine months instead of the standard three to four years for heavy vehicle certification. (Photo: iStock) Trainees will also receive a full salary and benefits package when they join, the company says. “The TIP Mechanic Academy is open to passionate individuals pursuing a technician career in the transportation industry,” TIP…

TRC, a global consulting, engineering, program and construction management firm, has acquired green energy and transportation consultants Gladstein, Neandross & Associates (GNA). GNA, producer of Advanced Clean Transportation (ACT) Expo and other tradeshows, has focused its efforts during the past 30 years around driving the commercial transportation industry toward technologies and low-carbon fuels that are environmentally and economically sustainable. (Photo: GNA) Erik Neandross, CEO of GNA said, “We are extremely excited about this next step in GNA’s journey. As the transportation sector moves to zero-emission technology in the coming decades, TRC’s scale and capabilities, alongside their leadership position in delivering climate solutions and their efforts in advancing the broader energy…

Fleet yards, loading docks and warehouse areas – the places where vehicles, equipment and workers are constantly on the move – are full of potential hazards. And the threats include everything from collisions, to slips, trips, falls, and struck-by incidents. However, there are ways to reduce the risks. While selecting equipment used at a facility and in a fleet yard, it is important to start with an inherently safe design, says Morris Benetton, prevention field services manager at WorkSafe BC. (Photo: istock) Managers should consider several factors that apply to workplace operations – from traffic flows to the surfaces on which vehicles and equipment will operate, and the way workers’…

British Columbia will invest $4 million into the B.C. Hydrogen Ports Project (BCH2 Ports), introducing infrastructure such as a high-capacity fueling station that will initially support heavy-duty hydrogen-electric vehicles. The station will be located at a Parkland Corporation cardlock on Tsawwassen First Nation land, while the hydrogen will be supplied by HTEC — a production, distribution, dispensing and fleet-services company. It marks the province’s first large-scale project to use hydrogen and fuel cells for shipping and transportation. (Photo: istock) “We’re working to reduce emissions in B.C.’s commercial transport sector, which accounts for about 60% of transport emissions and 25% of total provincial emissions,” Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation Minister…

A 57-year-old truck driver was detained June 1 after loads of potatoes were found spilled on a key bridge linking two Danish islands, police have said. The driver was held on suspicion of causing reckless endangerment to life. A first spill was reported on the westbound side of the Storebaelt bridge at 6:35 am, police spokesman Kenneth Taanquist said. The bridge connects the island where the capital, Copenhagen, is located to the rest of Denmark. A similar incident happened on the eastbound side a short time later, Tanquist added. “It looks weird,” he said. “We are working on two hypotheses: it is either an accident or it is something that has been…

Penske Automotive Group is establishing its first presence in Manitoba, acquiring Winnipeg-based Transolutions Truck Centres — a medium- and heavy-duty truck and bus dealership group. Transolutions has five locations in the greater Winnipeg market, including three full-service dealerships and two parts and service centres. It sells and services Freightliner Trucks, Western Star Trucks and Thomas Built Buses, and is Manitoba’s licensed dealer for SelecTrucks, Daimler Truck’s used vehicle brand. The deal is expected to add 73 service bays, 59 technicians, and 200 employees to the Premier Truck Group team, and $180 million in annualized revenue. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. (File photo: Penske) Premier Truck Group has 44…

Red-Deer, Alta.-based retailer Peavey Industries has acquired long-term partner and fellow Red Deer logistics and transportation company Guy’s Freightways.  Guy’s Freightways, established in 1975 by Bernie Schwartz, began as a single-truck operation delivering products to six Peavey Mart stores. Today, with 16 full-time trucks and 43 trailers, Guy’s has evolved alongside Peavey Mart, now part of Peavey Industries, to service their retail network across Canada.  (Photo: iStock) National Farmway Stores, founded in 1967, was rebranded as Peavey Mart in 1975. Today, Peavey Industries has more than 160 retail locations with its brands Peavey Mart, ACE Canada, and MainStreet Hardware. Guy’s Freightways delivers products to many of these stores in Canada. …