Recruiting technicians? Consider cultural fits, homegrown talent.

Staffing a shop is a little like making a salad. You can go to the grocery store, buy your vegetables, and toss them together with little thought to who grew…

Sustainable tires growing like weeds, particularly dandelions

Dandelions. Rice husks. Soybean oil. Sounds like the trappings of an entrée at a fancy vegan restaurant. But these are some of the ingredients that will likely go into future…

Labor rates on the rise, but parts shortages appear to be easing

Canadian repair shops led the charge last year, when it came to technician efficiency and utilization, but lagged behind their U.S. counterparts in the categories of profit margins and parts…

Common ELD mistakes can be solved

While electronic tools have been able to monitor compliance with Hours-of-Service (HoS) rules since the early 1980s (remember the Rockwell Tripmaster?), it seems some truck drivers and fleets still haven’t…

Sourcing hydrogen for fuel-cell-electric trucks remains a challenge

There’s lot of talk about hydrogen as Canada’s fuel of the future. While there’s little doubt it will play a role in decarbonizing our economy, the pathway to hydrogen-powered transportation…

Partnerships play key role in journey to autonomous trucks

The journey toward highly autonomous trucks continues, and there seems to be no shortage of paths to get there. Most of today’s test fleets focus on jurisdictions like New Mexico,…

MELT truck driver training standards are only minimums, and gaps remain

When Ontario established mandatory entry-level training (MELT), the original intent was to establish a minimum amount of training and expected level of competency before someone could be licensed to drive…

New engine oil category will play a key role in emissions battle

The oil that flows through diesel engine galleries has little in common with the fluids of days gone by, largely because of evolving emissions standards. When exhaust gas recirculation (EGR)…

Wasted steps kill shop productivity

Step counters are generally used to increase exercise throughout the day. But when you’re a technician or welder at a busy shop, time spent walking around the shop floor is…

Future emissions rules will push truck engine manufacturers to the limits

Truck emissions regulations are becoming evermore complicated. Regulators are pushing manufacturers to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate matter (PM or soot) while simultaneously improving fuel efficiency, which means a…

Top 10 new and emerging truck tech in 2022

Trucks, trailers, and other commercial vehicle components were hard to come by amid the supply chain challenges of 2022, but that clearly didn’t dampen the creativity of engineering teams. Here…

Orlicks celebrates 75 years and a family legacy in trucking

Gene Orlick’s trucking career began in his youth, when the hours after school were spent helping his dad, Max, and uncle Tom at Orlick Transport. One of the jobs on…

Trailer electrification takes step toward greater efficiency, stability

The road to full trailer electrification will be a long one, but certain technologies that will improve overall efficiency are closer than we might think. Trailers equipped with electric axles…

Shops see rising demand for repairs amid supply chain challenges

When John DeGueldre began his career as a trailer mechanic in 1994, fleets would typically write off equipment whenever collision-related repairs were expected to last longer than 160 hours. “Now…

How to extend trailer life

Trailers are suddenly getting a newfound appreciation in the trucking industry, thanks to long lead times at factories, the increased adoption of drop-and-hook freight, and higher – much higher –…