The fine art of heavy haulin’
JIM KENZIE FOR THE TORONTO STAR
Drivers had to carefully back up into a simulated loading dock with only centimetres to spare on either side.
“If you got it, a truck brought it.’’
Like many clichés, this one holds some truth.
Nonetheless, the trucking industry — and particularly its drivers — often take a lot of heat, because whenever a big truck hits a car, the car loses.
Never mind that in the majority of cases, the truck driver is not at fault.
It’s that sort of perception that leaves truck drivers helpless — and often angry. When your rig can weigh upwards of 60 tonnes , you pretty much need written notice of the need to stop.
That said, it is remarkable how these drivers can control these massive vehicles, as evidenced by the Ontario Truck Driving Championships, which were conducted in the Mohawk Race Track parking lot last weekend.
Drivers from across southern Ontario competed in a variety of trucks — van, straight (i.e., non-trailer) truck, single- and double-trailers in various axle configurations.
Many of them had the $259 entry fee covered by their employers; some won an entry from various regional events; others simply paid their own way.
The drivers first wrote a test on proper safety procedures, then went through a simulated pre-trip inspection, where a specific number of technical problems were introduced into the vehicle — the driver had to find them.
Next came the obstacle course, which varied slightly depending on the type of truck.
To the outsider (e.g., me) all appeared to be an impossible challenge. Especially since the drivers were not driving their own vehicles, but brand-new trucks, provided by various sponsors.
The drivers had to thread the trucks through a tight serpentine course marked out by pylons and huge barrels (hit one, and both your truck and your score got dinged), park the right rear wheel of the trailer directly over a pad simulating a weigh scale, and stop the vehicle so the nose of the cab was directly over a bull’s-eye target flat on the ground (they measure this one with a laser pointer).
And — this was most impressive — back the unit into a simulated loading dock, with just a few centimetres’ clearance on either side.
The so-called B-Trains — the double trailer units — were nothing short of amazing in this task. If you’ve ever tried to back up with one trailer — to go right you have to steer left — perhaps you can begin to imagine what it’s like with two trailers.
A tiny movement of the steering wheel has to nudge the wheels on an axle that is tens of metres away — and you’re looking at everything in reverse image, in those big side-view mirrors.
An orange-shirted judge was ready with a whistle to let you know you just got dinged again.
As they wound their way through the serpentine course, the drivers had to plan several turns in advance — set up the vehicle not for this corner, but for three corners ahead.
As one driver told me, “You’re cranked over so tight you can practically see your own taillights.’’
The ultimate goal of this event was to promote safety, which all these drivers strongly believe in. As each driver was introduced at the beginning of their run, the announcer didn’t say what college they graduated from or how much they weighed, like they do in pro football, but how many years of collision-free driving they had racked up.
The top three placers in each category received cash prizes and trophies, and the top finisher in each will go on to the “Nationals” event in Winnipeg in September.
Space limitations don’t allow mentioning every winner — the results should be posted on the www.truckchamps.ca website by the time you read this.
I will mention the Grand Champion though — this was the category winner whose points total exceeded the average for his group by the largest margin.
That was Shawn Matheson from Stoney Creek, who drives for Home Hardware. His wife and three children — the newest arrival just four days old — were on hand to celebrate his win.
“I really didn’t expect to do this well,’’ he told me after the awards banquet, his voice still a bit shaky as he fingered the gorgeous diamond ring which is part of the Grand Champion’s winnings.
“I was looking at a previous winner’s ring earlier today, but never thought I’d get one of my own.’’
He’ll look like an NBA champ from now on.
He was cheered like an NBA champ, too by his fellow drivers. The camaraderie and “knights of the road” image of truckers that at least some of us grew up with has not totally died.
The ultimate referees in the truck safety business — the Ministry of Transportation inspectors who monitor those road-side weigh stations, among other things — also conducted their “playoffs” simultaneously.
Inspectors performed checks on deliberately faulted trucks — even more detailed and picky than the pre-trip inspections the drivers must do.
In presenting these awards, Peter Hurst, director of the Carrier Safety and Enforcement branch of the MTO, noted that the winners of these Ontario events go to the North American competition in the U.S., where they often end up as overall winners too.
“It’s part of what makes Ontario roads among the safest in North America,’’ he said.
So, we have the government trying to make sure the trucks are safe.
We have the industry running competitions like this one to stress safety amongst the truck drivers.
Now, if only we could do something about those car-driving idiots behind the wheel.
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