National Trucking Week

1.800.462.4766 BisonTransport.com Bison Transport is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace We know professional Drivers often miss out on time with family and friends when they're on the road. We also know that without them, we'd be without many of our everyday essentials. So, we want to say THANK YOU, not just during National Trucking Week, but all year long, because we recognize your efforts! CELEBRATING TRUCKING IN CANADA I TRUCKING NATIONAL TRUCKING WEEK 11 T he Humboldt Broncos tragedy in the spring of 2018 was a rare occurrence on Canadian highways but it may have left an inaccurate perception in the minds of many that trucks are dangerous. In fact, numerous studies show that commer- cial vehicles are among the safest on the road. According to road safety statistics from Mani- toba Public Insurance, heavy trucks have about 217 incidents per 10,000 vehicles while passenger vehicles have nearly 1,000 inci- dents — or 4.5 times as many — across the same metric. Terry Shaw, executive director of the Manitoba Trucking Association, said these figures don't take into account incidents per mile driven or incidents per hour on the road. "Trucking is a 24-7-365 business so heavy trucks spend much more time on the road than passenger vehicles. If we looked at incidents per mile, as opposed to per vehicle, trucking would have dramatically less accidents than just a 4.5 times reduction relative to passenger vehicles," he said. He is quick to note that trucks aren't incident- free, but they are "by far" the safest of all-season motorized vehicles on the road today. The Humboldt incident, in which 16 people were killed — most of them players on the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League team — and another 13 seriously injured, is the excep- tion to the rule. The driver of the semi-trailer failed to yield at a flashing stop sign at a highway intersection. One of the challenges for the trucking indus- try in changing public perception is the fact accidents involving trucks may often generate headlines. Shaw said the MTA is continually working to reduce the number of incidents its drivers are involved in regardless of who is at fault. "When a heavy commercial vehicle is involved with a non-commercial vehicle, (the chances are good) it's not the heavy commercial vehicle driver's fault. They drive for a living," he said. The trucking industry is continually adopting new technologies that will help reduce acci- dents, including adaptive cruise control, rear collision avoidance, lane departure assists and forward-facing and driver-facing cameras. It would also help if other road users had a greater understanding of how trucks operate. For example, because they're carrying heavy loads, they need more distance to stop. And if you can't see the driver's side-view mirrors, they can't see you. The MTA is also involved in active transporta- tion conversations with the City of Winnipeg and trucking associations across the country are having the same discussions with other jurisdictions. Shaw said one of the biggest opportunities to- day is having genuine segregation of different vehicle types, such as trucks and cyclists. "Where cyclists exist should be separate from where we exist. I believe people in the cyc- ling community would support that as well," he said. Painting lines on a commercial road hardly qualifies, he said, and a curb won't do the job either. In fact, reducing the width for a heavy truck by bolting a bike lane on to a road can make things less safe for cyclists. "An over-dimensional load could be 10 or 12 feet wide and a the truck moving it is eight feet wide. (The load) could actually be direct- ly in the cycling path. A curb isn't stopping that," he said. The solution, he said, is a genuinely separ- ated active pathway. Yes, it would cost more but increased safety and reduced accidents would make it worthwhile, he said. A further safety challenge is the fact some cyclists venture out without really knowing the rules of the road. There are better and worse drivers out there but at least they're all licensed to comparable standards. "They're called 'vulnerable road users' for a rea- son. Not everyone driving a bicycle on a road- way is a true cyclist. We're absolutely not anti- cycling, we're pro-road safety," Shaw said. thank you to those who make the miles count In honour of National Trucking Week , we will be hosting a breakfast at our Kindersley Winnipeg Branch on Tuesday Sept. 3rd from 6:00am - 8:00am If you're a current employee or interested in seeing what our Company is about, come stop in at the branch for a coffee and meet our team!

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