Transport Committee on Nov. 4th, 2014

[Grant Mitchell]

Again, in the way we operate our program we're always in touch with our units and our drivers through satellite communication, and so access to reporting is very quick. Based on that and depending on where it might happen, our safety and maintenance professionals would be engaged immediately and would contact the appropriate third party, if a third party were required, or the closest facility to respond as quickly as possible.

[Peter Braid, Conservative, Kitchener—Waterloo, ON]

Thank you for clarifying that.

You mentioned as well that your trucks send real-time information back to headquarters, if you will, and in some cases you have the opportunity to react accordingly or immediately. Could you give an example or two, and how does your business deal with this from a process point of view? Are there staff monitoring the real-time information on a permanent, dedicated basis? What does the process look like?

[Grant Mitchell]

There are two ways. Minor notifications from the on-board technology aren't necessarily addressed in real time, but compiled and reviewed monthly at the home terminal of that driver. So there's a progressive training program in place that would address minor notifications. If there's an elevated issue, let's say a roll stability issue, then that notification will immediately be seen by the dispatcher of that unit in real time. They have the ability to engage a safety professional and send what we would call an emergency message to the truck asking that driver to pull over and call into either his safety professional or into dispatch. We can ask at that point what happened.

[Peter Braid, Conservative, Kitchener—Waterloo, ON]

Thank you. Great.

Mr. Picard, you have spoken in favour of speed limiters for the trucking industry and for electronic tracking. From your perspective, speaking either for the Atlantic region specifically or Canada more broadly, what percentage of companies within the industry currently have these sorts of technologies, speed limiters, electronic tracking? For the companies that don't yet have it, why don't they?

[Jean-Marc Picard]

Speed limiters are actually mandatory in Quebec and Ontario. For us in Atlantic Canada, I'd say probably 75% of companies put them in place for safety reasons, and also for fuel efficiencies. So there are great advantages to doing it. For the others that don't, we push for it and promote it within our industry among our members, but we can't really force their hand to put it in place.

[Peter Braid, Conservative, Kitchener—Waterloo, ON]

Okay.

[Jean-Marc Picard]

If it were mandatory, it would be a different story.

[Peter Braid, Conservative, Kitchener—Waterloo, ON]

Right.

[Jean-Marc Picard]

In terms of the e-logs, the electronic on-board recorders, it's a small percentage obviously, because it's fairly new and there are more costs involved. But some of the larger firms, such as RTL-Westcan and us, have almost 100% electronic logs, and it has been nothing but beneficial for them. So we continue to push our members to look into it, to try some products, and we're seeing more and more do so, but not at a pace that we'd like. Obviously mandating something would be the route to go.

[Peter Braid, Conservative, Kitchener—Waterloo, ON]

In terms of the driver electronically logging information as opposed to doing it on paper, I presume that there are now a number of technologies and apps available today for companies and drivers to do that, including apps for smart phones. That's not a concern? The technology is there?

[Jean-Marc Picard]

The technology is there. It's available, like you mention.

[Peter Braid, Conservative, Kitchener—Waterloo, ON]

Including some Canadian technology I suspect.

[Jean-Marc Picard]

Absolutely, and predominantly Canadian.

[A voice]

From Waterloo.

[Peter Braid, Conservative, Kitchener—Waterloo, ON]

Exactly, from Waterloo.

You knew where I was going.

[Jean-Marc Picard]

It's ready. It's there. It's available and it's not that expensive. So we feel that it's time to put it forward it, to mandate it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Thank you.

We'll now move to Mr. Yurdiga for five minutes.

[David Yurdiga, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to the witnesses for being here today.

Many transport companies are now using independent operators to supplement their fleets. The major concern id whether they are getting the same training as your own fleet. I'd like to address this to Mr. Warnock.

[Richard Warnock]

The major fleets certainly are. The larger fleets have the same requirements for the owner-operators to work the same training as a company driver.

Some of the smaller fleets use a different standard as far as over the road control is concerned. But the required training for the transport of dangerous goods, the Department of Transport regulations for hours of service and so on, is mandated and the same for owner-operators as for company drivers.

[David Yurdiga, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Thank you.

Mr. Mitchell, many cities and towns have alternative routes for dangerous goods, and many smaller communities have a dangerous route going right through the community. Some of these go past schools and hospitals.

Is there any consideration in your SMS program to address this issue, and are the first responders part of the program?

[Grant Mitchell]

That starts with our journey management program. All that information is documented and provided to our drivers each time they are dispatched on a trip. They see that the changing speed zones as they're going through a community, and that there may be a school zone or a hospital or whatever that increased risk may be.

We have emergency response plans on file with the municipalities, if something were to take place on a higher level. I couldn't tell you we have it with every community in every region we operate in, but we know the risks our drivers face on each trip.

[David Yurdiga, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

Thank you.

Mr. Picard, as technology comes along we are getting better at what we do. Are the rates for insurance getting better because of your safety management program? Is that part of the equation? Or are the insurance companies not recognizing all the work that's been done by various companies?

[Jean-Marc Picard]

No. I think they are starting to recognize it. They work very closely with their customers, and they are trying to help them improve their record so that the rates will go down, but at the end of the day it's different with every carrier and who their insurance supplier is.

But, yes, for sure if you have a good safety record, then your insurance will reflect that.

[David Yurdiga, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Athabasca, AB]

That's all I have.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Larry Miller]

Thank you.

We'll move to a new round.

Ms. Morin, you have five minutes.