Speed Limiters, Elimination of Idling, EOBRs Priorities for New CTA Chairman

New CTA Chairman Claude Robert Says Momentum Is For Serious Change

(Ottawa, ON: May 1, 2006) -- The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) has moved quickly to name a new chairman following the tragic and untimely passing of John Cyopeck. Moving into the chair for the 2006-08 term will be Claude Robert, CEO of Group Robert of Boucherville, QC.

Robert, considered one of the most innovative, energetic outspoken leaders in the industry, says he intends to build on the momentum started by previous chairmen John Cyopeck, Evan MacKinnon (MacKinnon Transport) and Allan Robison (Reimer Express) “to build a new culture of competition based on compliance” in the trucking industry.

One of Robert’s first priorities will be to encourage all provincial associations, jointly under the CTA banner, to push hard for the mandatory activation of speed limiters.

“With the price of crude oil likely to be in the range of US$75-100 per barrel over the next few years, everyone in the industry has got to get serious about eliminating excessive speed,” Robert says. “With a slower economy in many regions of the country, shippers will push back harder on fuel surcharges and the industry will also have to improve fuel efficiency.”

“OTA has got the ball rolling and has been taking most of the heat from those who haven’t supported speed limiters up until now. I want to work with all the provincial associations under the CTA banner to make speed limiters a reality across the country” says Robert, who has little patience for those who oppose the mandatory activation of speed limiters. “Their arguments make so sense.”

Anti-idling will be a major priority of his, says Robert: “We can’t do much about the cost of a barrel of crude, but we can manage our consumption.”

Industry compliance with hours of service rules will also be a major priority, the new CTA chairman adds. (Two years ago, CTA approved a policy in support of the mandatory introduction of electronic on-board recorders to monitor and improve compliance with hours of service rules.)

“Paper log books are a joke,” says Robert. “You can have all the internal audit protocols you want and you won’t eliminate illegal operations. Again, the industry has got get serious about hours of service compliance. If we don’t, and some carriers and drivers continue to operate illegally, we will never get the rates we need, our drivers will never be paid what they are worth and we will not attract the quality people to the industry that we are going to need in the future.”

If all carriers realized the risks to their businesses from the liability to law suits and increased insurance costs, they would join with CTA in calling for tougher and more effective enforcement, adds Robert.

 As for shippers, they can expect CTA to continue to promote shipper responsibility for safety, as well as rates and surcharges that reflect the cost of service.

 “It is not right, for example, that the onus for the new cargo securement rules rests entirely with carriers even when we don’t load the trailers,” says Robert. “With all the new US customs rules, carriers are providing more and more services to shippers that really should be the shippers’ job. If the carriers are going to continue to act more and more like customs brokers, the shippers should be prepared to pay more.”

Robert also plans to seek opportunities for harmonization of provincial rules, such as the allowable weights for wide-based single tires. “Maybe we can reunify Canada through trucking,” he says.

Lofty goals indeed, but don’t underestimate Claude Robert’s ability to provide the leadership to make it happen.

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