In mid-November 2021, the Province of British Columbia experienced significant rainfall which caused widespread flooding and mudslides. As a result, all major highway and rail transportation corridors into and out of Vancouver, BC and the lower mainland were cut off from the rest of Canada, resulting in stranded travelers and delays of currently-unknown magnitude.

BCTA: As per our previous update, the best resource for real time specifics will always be Drive BC (www.drivebc.ca ). We will NOT be providing notice of real-time highway conditions as the provincial government is best positioned to do this.

Alberta Government: The $20-million Restrictions Exemption Program Implementation Grant is now open to all eligible businesses, cooperatives and non-profit organizations. In-scope small and medium-sized organizations may use the one-time funding as they see fit. Click to read full release.

On November 10, 2021, the provincial government opened the second intake of the Alberta Jobs Now Program (AJNP). The intent of this program is to support Albertans, including those with disabilities, to gain the right skills to find and maintain employment through on the job or formal training. This is accomplished by providing a subsidy to employers for 25% of a new hires annual salary up to $25,000, which ever is less. This increases to 37.5% or $37,500 when hiring people with disabilities. [1]

People in general want to be engaged at work. One of the tools we can use to do that is by providing meaningful investments in training. Unfortunately, employers often struggle to justify spending that kind of money on training. After all, training an employee costs the employer both money and time.

The 2022 COVID Audit Plan is in effect from January 1 to December 31, 2022.

-On-site data gathering activities by auditors is suspended until March 31, 2022:

-Internal maintenance auditors who are directed by their employer to remain on-site during the pandemic may continue to conduct on-site data gathering, however the Safe Auditing Guidelines for Auditors and Employers for On-Site Activities must be strictly followed.

CALGARY, Alberta – Pioneer Safety Solutions, Ltd. wishes to clarify a previous press

release dated September 1, 2021.

AMTA Board Chair Jude Groves submitted an op-ed to the Edmonton Journal chronicling the importance of drawing more people to careers as commercial drivers. Read the article in full here.

The 2021 Alberta Inspectors Challenge has concluded.

This year’s event was held at the Atmore Vehicle Inspection Station. The event usually takes place in conjunction with the AMTA Professional Truck Driving Championship (PTDC), however with restrictions surrounding public gatherings, PTDC 2021 was cancelled and the inspectors event moved to a smaller venue.

In response to Alberta’s Public Health Emergency, the COR program is implementing an immediate suspension of on-site data gathering activities by auditors. This means:

Alberta Government: The province has expanded eligibility for an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine to more immunocompromised Albertans to align with recent recommendations made by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization.

Via CN Police Service: September 20-26/2021 marks National Rail Safety Week across Canada United States and Mexico. Its annual aim is to increase awareness of the importance of safe behavior near railroad tracks. Operation Lifesaver Canada and Operation Lifesaver U.S. work in partnership with CP, the rail industry, National Rail Safety Week Sept. 20-26government, police, unions and many public organizations and community groups to highlight safe practices around railway property. Although safety awareness is ongoing, this week raises that importance even further.

Alberta Government: New temporary health measures to help slow the spread of COVID-19 will apply provincewide. This includes new restrictions on restaurants, indoor gatherings, weddings and funerals, retail, entertainment venues, and indoor sport and fitness beginning Sept. 20. Measures in workplaces, indoor private gatherings, places of worship, schools and children’s activities, as well as mandatory masking and physical distancing in all indoor public spaces begin Sept. 16.

Canadian Trucking Alliance: The Government of Canada has announced a new ArriveCAN feature which now allows exempt/essential workers, including truck drivers, the ability to save time by entering their information into ArriveCAN once and using the same ArriveCAN receipt for each entry.

CALGARY, Alberta – Pioneer Safety Solutions, Ltd ELD (powered by Apollo Assured Tracking Inc.), becomes a Transport Canada Certified Electronic Logging Device (ELD) vendor, passing all test procedures as per the Third-Party certification company – COMDriver Tech, appointed by Transport Canada.

Press release: Bison Transport is pleased to announce they are currently engaged in operating a full battery electric class 8 tractor in their cross-border regional operation. Bison has partnered with Freightliner Corporation in running two full Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) exclusively between Delta, BC and Washington State.

A familiar face with an even more familiar laugh at Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA) events, Terry Warkentin, has retired after more than 40 years in the commercial transportation industry.

Press Release – August 30, 2021 – Diesel Tech Industries is excited to announce the Guardian ELOG has been Officially Certified by COMDriver Tech an Accredited Certification Body. Our ELD solution has been published with Transport Canada. Our ELD solution has been published with Transport Canada.

The Alberta Medical Association has called for mandatory vaccines for health care workers, adding to a list of associations and groups making mandatory vaccines a priority.

More than two dozen Canadian trucking companies hit the road this summer to join the fight against child hunger.

Food Banks Canada, through the organization’s After the Bell program, enlisted the help of Canadian truckers to help support the delivery of 150,000 healthy food packs to children in need this summer. Food Banks Canada reports that 34 per cent of the people who rely on food banks in the country are children.