Calgary, AB (April 23, 2021) – The Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA) celebrated at its virtual Awards Gala April 23, 2021, eight individuals for their extraordinary contributions to commercial transportation in Alberta, an armada of industry professionals serving as a vital link to the security of all Albertans through its delivery of essential goods and services and in helping to rebuild our economy.

Phase four of construction has commenced at Kicking Horse Canyon, located just east of Golden, BC on the Trans-Canada Highway.

The corridor sees more than 10,000 vehicles daily in the summer months, and in a year averages as much as 30 per cent commercial traffic.

As I completed my research for a safety moment that I completed earlier in March, I found it to be quite concerning how catastrophic the impacts of fatigue really could be. Now, the safety moment I provided lightly discussed the various symptoms of fatigue – as there are many – as I wanted to focus on the impacts of one symptom in particular, which at times, I believe, can be overlooked.

Over the next three years, the Alberta Government is reviewing the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Code. The Province says the review is an opportunity to improve health and safety outcomes for workers and streamline requirements to reduce unnecessary administrative burden.

Starting April 1, the federal carbon price on diesel will increase $0.1073 per litre.

In a release from the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA), the alliance estimates the commercial transportation industry will pay $538 million in carbon pricing in 2021. By 2030, CTA estimates $3 billion in carbon pricing by 2030.

Proposed amendments to the Association’s Bylaws will be presented to Members and included on the meeting agenda for approval. The proposed amendments pertain to the Association’s mission, vision, core values, goals and purpose. The document is located here.

Not only do commercial drivers keep goods on the move, they also constantly have their eyes and ears on Alberta’s roadways

Those drivers now have the opportunity to do even more as the Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA) is collaborating with #NotInMyCity to help educate its more than 15,000 members on the issue of sexual exploitation and human trafficking.

Knowing when and how to ask for help is a valuable life skill. No one can do everything completely on their own, and if they try they are likely to see worse results than if they had asked for help when it was needed.

Alberta Transportation: Road Ban Order 21 – Road – 03 comes into effect at 1:00 P.M. on Thursday, March 18, 2021.

Without commercial transportation, we would all be without essential necessities during this time of the COVID-19 health crisis

In many cases, you don’t use insurance until you’re faced with the most challenging times in your life. You may not want to think about the worst that could happen — but you need to. It can protect you and your business from financial hardship. Good insurance is an act of care… here’s why.

Release: Trucking HR Canada released [March 2] a new Women’s Resource Inventory for employers and employees in the industry.

The new, easy to navigate on-line resource includes links to mentorship information, training programs, business networks and associations for women, leadership development, best practices, and more.

It was approaching the first week of March 2020 when I first learned the term “pandemic”, as a small group of people were conversing at my son’s basketball game about this thing that was happening on the other side of the world. What a journey it has been since that day.

The Alberta Government has released the budget for 2021.

The AMTA recognizes the Alberta Government’s ongoing investment in transportation infrastructure and what that means to how essential commercial transportation is to the underpinnings of our economy.

Highlights from the budget affecting the transportation sector include:

The Alberta government has announced it is temporarily expanding eligibility to the Canada-Alberta Job Grant (CAJG) in an effort to help businesses access training. The expansion is in effect through Feb. 28, 2022.

Expanded eligibility includes funding mandatory training, allowing employers to train employed family members and allowing some business owners to get funding to train themselves.

Released by the Canadian Trucking Alliance (Feb. 19) – On February 14th the Government of Canada issued an Order in Council declaring that all travellers must use the ArriveCAN App for the purpose of re-entering Canada. As truck drivers are essential travellers, CTA has worked on clarifying the impact of this Order in Council on truck drivers that cross the border for work purposes. Late this evening, CTA received this clarification from the agency.

CTA Release: (TORONTO, Feb. 18, 2021) – A federal Order in Council (OIC) was introduced this week which is causing major concern for members of the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA). The recently published Order in Council states the following:

Lane Kranenberg, integral in making both the Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA) and Partners in Compliance (PIC) program what they are today, passed away Feb. 13, 2021.

Alberta Government release: Under the new Enhanced COVID-19 Business Benefit, up to $30,000 in support will soon be available to small and medium-sized businesses that have been most affected by the pandemic and ongoing health restrictions.

There is a lot of talk in the trucking industry about the driver shortage, and I am not minimising this concern. However, the best jobs in the industry often have many applicants, and simply holding the right license may not be enough to land you the position you want.