The Private Motor Truck Council of Canada (PMTC) is the only National Association that represents the views and Interests of Canada’s Private Fleets, and has been around since 1977. I am honored that the PMTC Executive and Board of Directors has endorsed me as succeeding Bruce Rihards in the role of President of PMTC. Bruce has left the PMTC in a great place in the industry, and I pledge to do my best to ensure the PMTC continues to grow and remain a respected and prominent player in the great industry of transportation! While Bruce is stepping back after 21 years of leading the PMTC, he has agreed to stay on in a consulting role, and help myself, and the organization, achieve as seamless a transition as possible. This comes as a great comfort to myself and the PMTC Board and members, and shows Bruce’s commitment, even as he steps back, to ensure the PMTC operations continue to run smoothly.
As a brief introduction of myself, I grew up on a beef farm in the farming communities of South Western Ontario. My background in trucking began 25 years ago, when I started as a local hauler of livestock at the age of 18. The various roles I have had in the industry also include a long haul driver of refrigerated and general freight, bulk multi-axle grain trailers and container chassis; driver trainer at a fleet driving school; and safety, compliance, training and fleet manager. I also sat on the Board of the former CTHRC, and now sit on the Board of THRC, and spent 7 years on the Board of the PMTC. I was also recently the Chairman of a Fleet Safety Risk Management Insurance Group Captive. I believe that through this experience, and through the great leadership and support we have within the PMTC membership, together we will be able to continue to lead the PMTC effectively and successfully through this transition. The PMTC is a great organization, whose members freely share their ideas, and help each other out whenever questions or concerns arise. This, along with our amazing educational conference in June, are just a few of the amazing benefits being a member of the PMTC provides. If you have not joined the PMTC community, please give us a call, or drop us a line, and we will provide you with more information on the value and benefits of membership. If you are still not sure, come to our conference in June, and once you see the PMTC and its members in action, I am convinced you will see the value!!
PMTC awards season is open for entries February 1st
One of the highlights of our conference every June is our awards program, and this year will be no exception. This year’s conference will take place on June 17th and 18th, once again at the beautiful Kingbridge Conference Center located in King City, ON, just minutes north of Toronto off Highway 400.
Most people don’t give a 2nd thought to the professional men and women who safely pilot commercial motor vehicles up and down our highways for millions of miles every year. Despite the lack of praise from a lot of the general public, those of us in the industry know what a huge role the trucking industry, and its drivers, play in the economy of this great country we live in. We know what a huge debt we owe to the professionalism and safe operation displayed by the vast majority of the amazing people who put this industry, and the country, on their shoulders, proudly, each and every day. As a result, the awards program of the PMTC, is at least one way, we and our sponsors can proudly showcase the achievements of a few of these professional drivers and companies each and every year!
The awards program opened on February 1 and here’s a brief overview. All entry forms and criteria are available at www.pmtc.ca or by calling the office.
The Hall of Fame for Professional Drivers, sponsored by Huron Services, a CPC Logistics Company, inducts up to four professional drivers each year. The Hall of Fame resides on our website at www.pmtc.ca, and a visitor can review the outstanding records of all the inductees dating back to 1990.
The Private Fleet Safety Awards, which began in 1998, is open to all private fleets in Canada. These awards recognize companies that have successfully integrated detailed safety programs as a key component of their operations, and whose programs deliver results.
The Vehicle Graphics Design Awards, sponsored by 3M Canada adds colour and drama to our annual awards luncheon. 2015 is the 30th year of these awards and the competition attracts entries from across the country. There are a number of categories for which awards are presented, each based on vehicle type, and are shared by the fleet and its graphics house.
Top Fleet Employers, managed by Trucking Human Resources Canada, is designed to bring a focus to Canadian private carriers. Top
Fleet Employers Canada is a distinctly Canadian program, publicly recognizing Canadian fleets which take extra steps to support employees and operators. Online submissions are due by February 27, 2015 and hard-copy submissions are due by March 27, 2015. Top Fleet Employers recognizes any fleets which meet standards of excellence in Human Resources. It is not a competition. There is no limit to the number or size of fleets which can be honored. Visit www.truckinghr.com to enter.
The recognition continues well after the conference with award winners being featured in the PMTC’s own international magazine, Private Motor Carrier, other industry magazines and on PMTC’s website.
So now is the time to prepare your entries for submission, and to make plans to attend the ceremonies at our conference in June.
Our full conference agenda will soon be finalized, and will be available on our website. Please check it out, you don’t want to miss your opportunity to attend this great networking and educational event. Many sponsorship opportunities are also available, and provide excellent value, please contact our office for more details.
About the Author
“Mike has 25 years’ of wide ranging experience in the trucking industry, performing such duties as a livestock and grain hauler for 3
years, followed by 5 years of long haul across North America hauling refrigerated and general freight. Mike was also a full time certified driver trainer for 2 years, and then transitioned into Safety and Compliance for 2 years, and then spent over 12 years as a Fleet manager for a Private Fleet. Mike is now the President of the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada, Canada’s only National Association that represents the views and interest of today’s Private Fleets.” Mike can be reached at trucks@pmtc.ca
