Shipping Green Energy

The Globe and Mail yesterday along with all national newspapers published a story regarding Dalton McGuinty’s promise of green energy “explosion”.  After reading this article, you will of course be for or against the proposal of “green power” .  We will though in the future see more and more wind power units throughout our province.

globeandmail.com: Will green energy ‘explosion’ clear way for new jobs?.

Now comes the question of transportation of these very large “green energy” units.  We, at RBM Carriers have the right fleet and are accustomed to hauling equipment such as wind turbines that will generate our future green energy.   So when you plan to purchase and erect one of these future wind power units, we are here to assist you along the way to green energy.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

Future Green Energy

Bringing the issue of the speed limiter to the forefront again, this article was posted in Today’s Trucking last month.  We will all see how this legislation will affect the trucking industry very soon.

US carriers back Ontario speed limiter plan — with conditions

The American Trucking Associations reinforced its support for Ontario’s plan to mandate speed limiters set at 105 km/h, but is also urging rulemakers to revise the current legislation. The carrier group has in the past sided with the Ontario Trucking Association in its campaign to get speed limiter legislation passed in Canada and is also quietly pushing for a 68 mph speed limiter policy in the U.S. While that’s still the case, the ATA is concerned with how the Ontario rule would be applied to vehicles and how it would be enforced, according to the ATA’s official publication Transport Topics. The Ontario policy requires all trucks built after 1995 be programmed through the engine’s ECM to electronically controlled speeds but ATA said the requirement should only apply to new trucks and be extended to buses as well. In its final comments to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation last month, ATA urged the government to include a provision that would allow manufacturers to “embed a security code [or] software that would minimize the potential for tampering” after a truck is sold.” Furthermore, ATA says drivers and carriers should not be cited if a faulty speed limiter failed to govern speed below 105 km/h.

The ATA also wants to see a speed limiter policy in Canada and the US, but urges changes to the plan first ATA also objected to a provision holding that a driver charged with a speeding offense “will be deemed not to have a functioning speed limiter.” “Many factors influence the maximum governed speed of a vehicle,” ATA said. “Even with a properly set and calibrated speed limiter, various components on a truck can influence the vehicle’s potential speed.” Despite the perception that OEMs are generally supportive of mandatory limiter rules for heavy trucks, comments by the Truck Manufacturers Association and Engine Manufacturers Association to Transport Canada show that equipment suppliers are uneasy with the rule for some of the reasons cited by ATA. A Transport Canada report related to technical and tampering issues associated with speed limiters highlights several flaws revealed by the association. Asked by Transport Canada if a 100-percent tamper-proof speed limiter is a reality, the TMA, answers: “We don’t foresee any possible way to make such a system completely tamper-proof … A fully tamper-proof system is highly unlikely.”

Hurricane Ike produced another scare in the Gulf refineries and we saw an overnight surge at the gas pumps. Now we here that oil will be trading under $100 a barrel but it is doubtful if we shall see that at the pumps.

Whose pocket is being lined this time with gold? No one is ready to answer that question, although we all have a pretty good idea whose pot is getting bigger.

From Transport Topics Online this morning:

Oil Falls Below $95 as Refineries Escape Major Damage from Hurricane Ike

Crude oil fell $7 to below $95 a barrel in early trading Monday, a seven-month low, as Gulf of Mexico refineries escaped major damage from Hurricane Ike over the weekend, Bloomberg reported Monday.

Crude futures fell on the New York Mercantile Exchange on speculation that turmoil on Wall Street Monday and a worsening credit crisis could further slow the global economy, cutting energy demand, Bloomberg said.

Refiners said preparations were under way to restart plants in the Houston area, home to more than 20% of U.S. refining capacity, following Hurricane Ike’s landfall there early Saturday morning as a Category 2 storm, the second-lowest of five strength levels, Bloomberg said.

Many refiners and Gulf oil platforms idled and evacuated their facilities Friday as the big storm approached. A total of 14 refineries in Texas and Louisiana, with combined crude processing capacity of 3.6 million barrels a day, were closed due to Ike, Bloomberg said.

Despite the oil downturn, gasoline prices rose 17 cents over the weekend, to $3.84  a gallon. according to a survey by the motorist group AAA, news services reported.

The Energy Department comes out with its weekly survey of diesel and gasoline pump prices Monday afternoon.

If you are in the trucking industry, you are well aware of the crazy amount of paperwork that is associated with each shipment.  It does not matter if it is a tiny box or a piece that needs all the room of a 53foot flatbed, the paperwork is the same.  Sometimes the dispatcher is the sole person making sure that all the paperwork is correct on top of making sure the trucks are full, drivers are happy and deliveries are being made when promised.  Sometimes, it is a thankless job.  Then there is the US/Canada border crossing stickers that must accompany every shipment.  CBSA has now alerted all that this sticker must be adhered to either the bill of lading or the customs invoice …….. not one of the other multiple pieces of paper that come with each shipment.  You have been warned!!

Courtesy of Today’s Trucking

CBSA warns carriers against improper PARS procedures

Canada Border Services Agency is reminding carriers and brokers to notify drivers and dispatch that the PARS barcode must be affixed to the Customs Invoice and/or Bill of Lading.

The PARS barcode is not to be placed on a coversheet, says CBSA. The truck may be refused entry to Canada the proper procedures are not followed.

The agency says a recent trend has developed in which PARS are being presented upon arrival at the border on lead sheets with no shipment information other than the PARS bar code.

Having the code on the invoice or bill of lading allows border officers to review the information and verify it is the same shipment for which a release recommendation was made.

Lead sheets, says CBSA, are used only when submitting PARS release requests in advance of the arrival of the goods, as well as for multiple shipments carried by approved LTL carriers which benefit from Post Audit or CSA privileges.

You have to love the politics and the probing that goes on when a huge project is in the works, and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel is not immune.  The transportation industry is keeping a close eye on any news regarding the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.  This border crossing is one of the busiest in North America and the trucking industry is dependent on this particular border crossing.  The FBI are now involved!!

Here is the latest news from Today’s Trucking ………….

FBI investigates Detroit-Windsor tunnel player

A key player in the proposed $75-million Detroit-Windsor tunnel agreement, and a former aide of Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick,  is under investigation by the FBI as part of a federal corruption probe.

A friend of the mayor and his former chief administrative officer, Derrick Miller has been named in federal search warrants regarding his business dealings with a pair of Detroit businessmen, The Windsor Star reported today..

Miller was a lead negotiator for Detroit in talks with Windsor on the tunnel and helped establish the framework for the proposed deal — to create a joint tunnel authority.

“We’re shocked. We thought very highly of Derrick Miller,” said lawyer Cliff Sutts, Windsor’s lead negotiator on the tunnel talks.

“I honestly hope there is nothing inappropriate in his conduct that will cause him any future problem.”

Mayor Eddie Francis agreed, describing Miller as a key advocate on the other side of the border for keeping the tunnel under public control.

“He was a leader of that camp,” Francis said. “His advocacy was part of the reason that instead of selling the tunnel (to the private sector) they started looking at keeping it in public hands.”

Miller left working for the City of Detroit in November to start his own consulting company, Citivest Capital Partners, but continued to play a role in the tunnel talks until the end of 2007.

The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press reported on Wednesday that court records revealed Miller is facing scrutiny in the escalating federal investigation into the city’s financial dealings.

Raids were carried out in Detroit and Ann Arbor on July 14, as federal agents searche for documents showing the relationship between Miller, his consulting firm’s business partner, Bonita Powell, Ann Arbor businessman Andrew Park and Detroit designer Dominic Pangborn, the Free Press reported, citing court records.
The court records were said to indicate that agents were looking for laptops and documents related to a security contract with a company owned by Park and into money the city’s General Retirement System provided for the a failed restaurant and retail center venture, called Asian Village.

David DuMouchel, Miller’s lawyer, told the Free Press earlier his client has done nothing wrong.

The group governing American owner operators (OOIDA) as we reported earlier are not happy with the Ontario Speed Limiter and today are in Ottawa to discuss/convince the federal MP’s to stop the Ontario Speed Limiter’s legislation later this year.  They are going to have quite the battle.  Why have the MP’s agreed to the visit because from all accounts the law seems to written in stone, but then there are some stone breakers!  Here’s the full story from Today’s Trucking.  Your comments ladies and gentlemen?

OOIDA takes speed limiter fight to Ottawa

Leaders of an American owner-operator group are in Ottawa today, hoping to convince federal MPs to stop Ontario’s speed limiter legislation from spreading to the rest of Canada.

According to the Owner Operators Independent Drivers Association’s (OOIDA) official website, Landline, the group’s Washington, D.C.-based executives will meet with Canadian lawmakers today to “continue pressing the issue before speed limiters are mandated in more areas.”

“This legislation is like an open wound. We are traveling to meet with the federal government of Canada to see if we can patch up this wound or at least make sure it doesn’t get infected and spread to the rest of Canada,” Government Affairs Counsel Laura O’Neill was quoted as saying.

Ontario passed a rule requiring trucks to have speed limiters set at 105 km/h earlier this summer despite the fact that a series of studies by Transport Canada echo some of the warnings by groups like OOIDA and the Owner-Operator Business Association of Canada (OBAC), which claim that a greater differential in speed between cars and large trucks will result in more rear-end collisions and similar crashes.

Regulators in Ontario are currently accepting public comments for Bill 41 until Aug. 31.

Quebec is on the verge of officially passing a similar rule to Ontario’s Bill 41, and while Alberta’s Transport Minister Luke Ouellette previously rejected speed limiters for that province, Deputy Premier Ron Stevens more recently told media such legislation may in fact get a closer look.

OOIDA has already threatened to sue the Ontario government if the rule takes effect, arguing that speed limiters in the lone Canadian jurisdiction are a violation of NAFTA.

Running Fast and Free

Today’s Trucking posted an article today which you can read in full below, that the US Border agents now have the authority to confiscate any electronic devices (and more) without any given reason.  As we have stated before, understandably in the fast paced world of travelers, border security has changed and has to be more secure but this now may be getting out of hand.  Almost every adult and child over the age of 12 has some form of electronic devise that has become a necessity, especially when traveling.  Now how far the border agents will use this new authority, only time will tell.

It may be disturbing news for some transportation companies and could cause further delays at the border, but here at RBM Carriers we feel secure that all our paperwork is complete and the border agents will have no reason at all to detain us any longer than usual.

US border cops empowered to seize laptops, cell phones

Need another reason to avoid crossing the U.S. border? How about the fact that your laptop, cellphone, or other electronic communication device could be confiscated for almost no reason at all. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently granted American border agents the authority to seize and detain such property from cross-border travelers. Agents now have the greenlight to search the devices, and make copies of their contents and distribute them among other government agencies. The searches could take place at the point of entry or off-site, and the machines can be detained for as long as it takes to conduct the analysis, according to documents released by DHS on July 16. “These examinations are part of … long-standing practice and are essential to uncovering vital law-enforcement information,” the policy says, noting examinations help authorities detect possible instances of terrorism, narcotics smuggling, child pornography and violations of copyright and trademark laws — which under a broad interpretation might include illegally downloaded videos and music files, or even pirated software. The problem is the CBP policy document is incredibly vague in what it defines as questionable material. The policy document defines “Business Information,” for example, and advises officers encountering business or commercial information to treat such information as business confidential information, and to take all reasonable measures to protect that information from unauthorized disclosure.

You could kiss your laptop goodbye, with little probable cause, when heading south of the border. If the authorities find there is not probable cause to hold the seized items, copies would have to be destroyed, according to the policy. The policy does not outline a timeframe in which materials would have to be returned, however. Elsewhere in the document it’s stated that officers are empowered to seize and retain documents, books, pamphlets, and other printed material, as well as computers, disks, hard drives, and other electronic or digital storage devices where “probable cause” of unlawful activity exists. What other printed material is fair game, we’re not sure. But cross-border truckers might want to be aware, just in case. After all, CB officers have been known to confiscate people’s lunches before, so who knows what else they might reach into a truck cab for. U.S. Senator Russ Feingold told the Washington Post he finds the new policies “alarming” and said he plans to introduce legislation that would make grounds for border searches more rigorous. Greg Nojeim, senior counsel at the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Democracy and Technology, told the paper the new policies allow authorities to conduct searches without suspicion of wrongdoing. “They’re saying they can rifle through all the information in a traveler’s laptop without having a smidgen of evidence that the traveler is breaking the law,” he told the Post.

Now the police will have one more item on their agenda while cruising the street this fall.  Here in Ontario, we all knew that it was only a matter of time before the government passed yet another bill that will affect drivers.  You better look into purchasing a “hands free” cell phone otherwise you may end up with a fine – just what you need!!

Today’s Trucking has made some very valuable points on this topic posted below.

And the ban plays on

The list of provinces where you can drive while talking on your hand-held cell is getting shorter and shorter. This week, the Ontario government announced a plan to ban cell phones and other “electronic distractions.” The new law will probably be introduced this fall. Others who have already forced drivers to put down their phones include Quebec, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador. Quebec’s grace period for enforcing the law expiring this month, and police have handed out more than 1,000 tickets already. First-time fines run up as high as $115. On the Rock, if a driver’s caught talking into a cell he might also wind up walking into one. You might actually get thrown into the slammer in that province. In Ontario’s case, the announcement was made yesterday by Transportation Minister Jim Bradley and he said the ban would apply to “electronic distractions,” which implies it could include other telematic devices like things like GPS or DVD monitors.

Is there any evidence between cellphone usage and road accidents? Cellphone use in vehicles is banned, to one degree or another, in more than 50 countries, including Australia, Britain and France. Ontario has already banned new drivers from using cellphones when they’re behind the wheel. But two big questions remain. First, will truckers be told to stop using CBs or push-talk devices like Mikes, as in Quebec? Our request to the MTO for the answer to that one remains on hold but stay tuned for the results. Second Question: Has anybody ever found an accurate statistical link between cellphone usage and road accidents? Not to our knowledge. Recently, the Alberta government released the results of a study that said cellphone use while driving has less risk than many other acceptable distractions including eating or tending to children in the back seat. Other reports in jurisdictions like New York — which has had a cellphone ban for a few years — arrived at similar conclusions. As if that’s going to stop the politicians.

PLEASE READ FULL STORY – WE ARE NOT SELLING DIESEL FUEL!!!

People take desperate measures when their backs are pushed against the wall.  The high cost of diesel is now making people do things that perhaps they would not normally do.  We all know that siphoning fuel is not new but things do seem to be getting out of hand.  This can only harm the trucking industry and all who work in the field.  Yes, the high cost of fuel hurts and the price of hauling material can only increase which the end user will feel.  But we do not control the prices and to start stealing is really not the answer.  Read this story from Today’s Trucking and be on the look out!!

PSSSST – Wanna buy some diesel fuel?

Following the disappearance of more than 55,000 liters of diesel fuel from underground storage tanks in and around Hamilton this past weekend, it’s beginning to look like an organized theft ring is operating in the area. CHCH television news reported several thefts in the area, at least two of which were caught on security cameras. In both cases, two trucks pulling 53-ft van trailers — possibly reefers — pulled up and parked over top of under ground fuel storage tanks. While not actually seen on camera, it’s assumed that the vans were equipped with liquid pumps and storage tanks large enough to accommodate a significant amount of fuel. In one incident, Gord’s Sunoco in Flamborough lost an estimated 21,000 litres of fuel. In another, First Student bus lines in Brant County (formerly Laidlaw) lost 34,000 liters of fuel. Video from a security camera at the Sunoco station shows a two-tone tan and maroon colored Peterbilt tractor pulling a non-descript with van pulling into the station and parking over the fuel storage tanks, and then returning to the fuel island to fuel up in the usual manner. One of the suspects caught on camera walking toward a pay phone is described as an older white male, with a balding head.

Keep your eye on that tank CHCH television reports the tractor had a dented left front fender. The trailer reportedly has a number on the side containing the numerals 7705. A spokesperson from First Student was quoted by CHCH TV as saying the locks on the underground tank caps had been cut. A typical fuel delivery B-train has a capacity of about 55,000 liters, so the question of where vans are depositing their stolen fuel is going has raised some concerns. Certainly, the theft operation has to have some remote storage capacity. Fuel purchased on the black market would obviously not qualify in an IFTA fuel tax report, and IFTA takes note of even minor discrepancies in fuel used versus fuel purchased. Police are asking anyone approached with an offer of cheap fuel to come forward or call Crime Stoppers. With the price of fuel these days, diesel heists is a very lucrative business. The modes of theft are getting ever more creative. In Pittsburgh, for example, benzine bandits were caught driving around with a tractor-trailer, parking beside other trucks, and then siphoning the diesel into a 5,000-gallon tank using a vacuum powered by the truck’s engine.

We have been busy this week, as always matching loads to trucks and visa versa.  Inbound and outbound to the US transporting everything from steel to plastic in everyshape and form.

As everyone knows who is in the trucking and transportation business – it is a crazy one!!  I have come to the conclusion that everyone should try either being in the restaurant or the trucking business.  You will learn some valuable life lessons.  Trust me – I have been in both!!

There has not been a lot of news to report to you this week ……. even the majors have fewer posts than normal.   Warren Meyer of Coyote Blog, which you can check from our web site had a great link this week and here it is -  Need More Cowbell!!  Enjoy!