One on One: Jennifer Singer, President, Alberta Construction Trucking Association

CALGARY — Jennifer Singer, ops manager at Ron Singer Truck Lines in Calgary, is the third-generation Singer in the family construction-trucking business. Also, she and her partner Gino Howe recently launched a specialty carrier, Demon Water Hauling Ltd.

From her grandfather and father (Ron), Jennifer Singer learned about the value of working with others to improve the overall industry and it was with Singer’s help that the Alberta Construction Trucking Association (ACTA) managed — among other things — to convince the government to lift the sunset clause and weight restrictions on non-RTA trailers in the province. As the eyes of the country are on Alberta’s hard-driving construction truckers, Today’s Trucking caught up with Singer, currently outgoing ATCA chair, and asked her to finish a few sentences…

The thing I’m proudest of for ACTA is…

“The hard work and sacrifices our members have given to make this a better trucking industry."

The Alberta Construction Trucking Association was instrumental in…

“Three things. One: designing and developing several end-dump configurations specifically to the end dump industry; two: we were successful in convincing the weights and dimensions group to grant exemptions to the RTAC legislation and regulations for specific end-dump configurations; and three: ACTA was successful in convincing the Alberta government to change the sunset clause and weight restrictions on non RTAC vehicles indefinitely.

Another thing I should add is …

“ACTA has played a major role in changing the Partners in Injury Reduction audit instrument to a user-friendly, simplified format specifically for the construction trucking industry.”

ACTA’s most pressing issue in 2012 looks like it’s going to be…

“Apathy. It is running rampant in our society and in the trucking industry. If we don’t work together to overcome its gripping effects, it will devour us all.”

Construction trucking in Alberta is different than trucking in the rest of Canada because…

“More truckers come and go to work in our province than any other one in the country. Alberta is the leader of the free-market enterprise system. It carries all the negative effects of an oversupplied industry that reflects negatively on the market rates.”

Trucking in Alberta is the very same as trucking in the rest of Canada because…

“Truckers are truckers are truckers. No matter where you go. They just speak different languages and drive different trucks.”

One thing that truckers of tomorrow will have to do that truckers of yesterday didn’t will be…

“Work together to achieve goals and responsibilities. Growing up in the trucking business I learned early on how important it is for us all to contribute and work together to achieve objectives. Truckers in the future will need to pay their fair share of membership dues to the credible associations so they have adequate resources and funding to operate.”