Mike grew up on a beef farm in rural Southwestern Ontario in Huron County. Mike began his career in the Trucking Industry in 1990 at the age of 18, spending three years working for a local carrier Hauling Livestock and bulk agriculture products. At the age of 21 Mike went to work for a long Haul Refrigerated and general freight carrier and spent 5 years hauling all sorts of freight in all 48 US Mainland States and 6 Canadian Provinces. The Carrier then opened a Certified Driver Training School in 1998 and Mike came off the road and become one of the Schools first Certified Driver Trainers. In 2000 Mike Transitioned into Safety and Compliance for the Fleet, while still working part time as a Trainer for the School. In 2002 Mike moved over to a Private Fleet and became the Safety, Compliance, Maintenance and Training manger for the Hensall District Co-operative’s Commercial Trucking Fleet. Mike spent the next 12.5 years with Hensall and oversaw the Fleets as it grew from 40 Trucks in 2002 to over 140 in 2015. In January of 2015 Mike moved into the Trucking Association business and was named the President of the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada, where he remains in his current role.

Each day and throughout the year, there are individuals at your work who are going the extra mile, driving change, and making a difference. These moments in time – where a fellow colleague saw an opportunity to help, connect with others, and take on a new challenge – create a monumental impact in your workplace and throughout our industry because they elevate us all to a new level of greatness, quality and success and inspire others to do the same.

We, at the PMTC and throughout the industry, are grateful for their service and invite you to join us in celebrating them all year round with the PMTC Awards Program – a part of the PMTC 2024 Annual Conference – that recognizes excellence in the trucking community. This year’s Awards include The Rick Austin Memorial Dispatcher Award, Hall of Fame for Professional Drivers, Private Fleet Safety Awards, Young Leader Education Bursary, CMV Driver Training Scholarship and Vehicle Graphics Design Awards:

  • The Rick Austin Memorial Dispatcher Award, sponsored by CPC Logistics Canada, was established as a tribute to the memory of Rick Austin, Fleet Dispatcher at CPC, who passed away suddenly on March 15, 2017. This Award recognizes the exceptional (and often underappreciated) efforts of dispatchers, who have made an outstanding contribution to their company, in the past year or over the course of their career.
  • The PMTC & CPC Logistics Canada Hall of Fame for Professional Drivers recognizes superior, over the road performance of drivers employed by PMTC members. Each year, the PMTC inducts up to four drivers – and collectively, the Hall of Fame celebrates all the great drivers who have made a difference over the years, and who make our industry turn!
  • The PMTC & AVIVA Canada Private Fleet Safety Awards promotes best practices in private fleet safety management and improved road safety. The Awards recognize the private truck fleets most committed to safety improvement – especially where they exceed National Safety Code requirements. (This Award is available to all private and dedicated fleets in Canada).
  • The PMTC-tenstreet Young Leaders Education Bursary will award one PMTC Young Leader and one Mohawk College Supply Chain Management Program Student with an Education Bursary that will cover the costs to complete two of the four courses that are required to complete the PMTC Logistics Management Graduate Program.
  • The PMTC-KRTS Professional CMV Driver Training Scholarship will cover the costs for a full Training Program through KRTS (or another registered training provider outside of Ontario). This Program is an intensive 200-hour course that will prepare the professional driver with a high level of training set by the Truck Training Schools Association of Ontario (TTSAO)’s mandatory requirements.
  • The PMTC & 3M Vehicle Graphics Design Awards Competition, sponsored by 3M, recognizes fleet operators and graphic design companies who graphically enhance their vehicles. (This Award is available to all private and dedicated fleets in Canada).

Every year, we are incredibly moved by the stories of individuals that make a positive impact throughout the transportation industry (and beyond). Professional drivers are the backbone of our industry, yet many of them either don’t receive or ask for the recognition they deserve. It’s great to see them step onto the stage each year and be honoured by fellow drivers and advocates across Canada. Give your colleagues the gift of recognition for all the great moments they’ve taken to serve our industry: visit www.pmtc.ca  and submit your nomination(s) by April 30, 2024.

In addition to recognizing our award nominees, we’ll be celebrating our graduates of the 2024 Driven to Lead Program: a practical leadership program that empowers students to breakthrough performance barriers, improve results, and become better leaders – personally and professionally. During the Conference, each graduate will be called up to receive their diploma on stage alongside fellow graduates, allies and industry professionals, including Driven to Lead sponsors KRTS Inc., TransRep Inc., and tenstreet.

Another significant offering at the PMTC Annual Conference is a review of the 8th Annual Canadian Private Fleet Benchmarking Survey – proudly sponsored by the Ontario Truck Training School. During the Benchmarking Survey seminar, we will review the results of how Canadian private and dedicated fleets operate and compare those results to operations in the U.S. Overall, this seminar provides tremendous value and perspective on industry operations, nationally and internationally.

These pillars – to learn, celebrate and support one another – are foundational throughout our Awards Program, at our Conference, and throughout our industry. We at the PMTC take great pride in providing our members and community at-large with the tools, resources and opportunities to grow and enhance their careers and celebrate their successes.

To register for our Annual Conference, taking place from June 18-20 at the Niagara Falls Convention Centre, visit pmtc.ca – where you find our full Agenda, Awards Program line-up, sponsorship options and more! If you have any questions along the way, please contact Executive Assistant Annette Kieft at info@pmtc.ca or 905-827-0587 ext. 101.

Thank you for your time, consideration and dedication to our industry – we look forward to seeing you then!

 

 

Please follow and like us:

Mike grew up on a beef farm in rural Southwestern Ontario in Huron County. Mike began his career in the Trucking Industry in 1990 at the age of 18, spending three years working for a local carrier Hauling Livestock and bulk agriculture products. At the age of 21 Mike went to work for a long Haul Refrigerated and general freight carrier and spent 5 years hauling all sorts of freight in all 48 US Mainland States and 6 Canadian Provinces. The Carrier then opened a Certified Driver Training School in 1998 and Mike came off the road and become one of the Schools first Certified Driver Trainers. In 2000 Mike Transitioned into Safety and Compliance for the Fleet, while still working part time as a Trainer for the School. In 2002 Mike moved over to a Private Fleet and became the Safety, Compliance, Maintenance and Training manger for the Hensall District Co-operative’s Commercial Trucking Fleet. Mike spent the next 12.5 years with Hensall and oversaw the Fleets as it grew from 40 Trucks in 2002 to over 140 in 2015. In January of 2015 Mike moved into the Trucking Association business and was named the President of the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada, where he remains in his current role.