Greetings all!

In this post I’m going to give the North American equivalent to the points Ian made in his first article about trucking in England.

Of course many things about trucking are similar all over the world. When we learn some of the differences, however, we sometimes realize, “Maybe we don’t have things quite so bad after all.”

The first thing Ian mentioned was truck makes. We do have many Volvos on the roads here in North America but that’s where similarities end. The majority of trucks in Canada and US are, Peterbilt, Kenworth, Freightliner, International, Western Star and of course Volvo. Cabovers which once were quite popular here are much rarer now, although there are still a few around. They are mostly used to haul trains (multiple trailer units) on main routes between major cities.

I believe the “artics” Ian refers to is an abbreviation or slang for “articulated lorries”. He doesn’t use the term lorry, but I believe its still the standard British term for truck.
Although many different sizes of semi trailer combinations are allowed on various North American roads the most common trailers hauled now are 53 footers although there are still a number of 48 footers in use especially in the US, where their maximum gross weight is lower than in Canada.

That seems to be one of our greatest difficulties in North America, is the differences in regulations, especially for those of us who cross the border on a regular basis. We are constantly battling differences in weight allowances, hours of service regulations, as well as other rules which even vary from state to state and province to province. One may be perfectly legal in one jurisdiction and suddenly find ourselves on the wrong side of the law as soon as we cross that invisible line.

While most trucks in North America as yet, don’t have Tacographs as they once did, there is a push to bring in black box recorders to report every move made by truck and driver. This is seen by many as invasion of privacy but eventually I think the powers that be will win out in the end. Especially as more and more less scrupulous operators push the limits and get involved in needless, sleep related accidents.

Both Canada and US have passed new hours of service regulations within the past couple of years, but as usual they are not the same in both countries and even DOT officials interpret them differently from one jurisdiction to the next.

Some companies have gone over to electronic logs, but similar to what Ian was saying, they offer absolutely no flexibility and require some very stringent planning to avoid being in violation.

Because of less need for length restriction in North America, most long haul trucks at least, have fairly roomy sleeper accommodations. The average sleeper length being from 60 to 72 inches usually with TV/DVD, power inverters, microwave ovens and fridges. Some trucks that haul lighter commodities on a regular basis have 10 to 14 foot living accommodations complete with toilets, showers and washer/dryers. These are becoming more and more a necessity as many drivers stay out for two or more weeks at a time and some for months.

Ian mentioned speed limiters and those have just recently become mandatory in Ontario and Quebec. This was brought on by the various lobby groups and trucking associations. One would think that would mean the majority of drivers are for them, but not so. The primary membership and governing bodies of the trucking associations in this country are the owners of trucking companies. We really have no organization that truly represents only drivers.

I personally, as an owner operator, have no problem with speed limiters, as I pay my own fuel bills and need to conserve in every way possible. My company requires them anyway, so its not an issue for me.
While I welcome hours of service regulations and speed restrictions many drivers, especially from the old school, see it as an invasion of personal choice. I figure if it helps to keep them alive and out of the hospital it can’t be all bad. Many companies though, still book their loads as if they have 100 mph trucks, and while they purport to want their drivers to run legally, their dispatching policies force drivers to constantly be pushing and extending the limits. Of course trucking companies are subject to audit at any time from any jurisdiction, and fines are stiff for blatant violations. Sadly, it often takes a severe accident or incident to prompt such audits, and by then it is too late.

While many differences occur from country to country in the trucking industry, a bad week is still a bad week and for me anyway, there seem to be more of those than the good kind. Keep on Truckin!

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