“It is time to end the danger posed by illegal immigrant and foreign national truck drivers who are not capable of safely operating an 18-wheel commercial vehicle or, in many cases, understanding English language warning signs and road instructions,” Van Duyne said in a news release.

Among those falling under the bill’s definition of “ineligible foreign nationals” are apparently Canadian commercial drivers because it proposes to remove the licensing reciprocity agreement the United States has with foreign countries.

Currently the only countries to have such agreements with the U.S. are Canada and Mexico.

The bill goes on to require any non-resident holder of a state-issued commercial driver’s license to prove residency in that state.

It would seem that this would prevent Canadian drivers from entering the U.S. with a Canadian licence or obtaining a recognized U.S. licence, meaning only U.S. drivers could handle cross-border freight hauls with Canadian carriers effectively shut out.

This is how Section 3 of the proposed bill describes it: “Not later than six months after the date of enactment of this aAct, the administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration shall take such actions as are necessary to terminate any existing reciprocity agreements that recognize foreign commercial driver’s licenses in the United States or permit holders of foreign commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) to operate a commercial motor vehicle in the United States, unless expressly authorized by statute.”

Reciprocity for Canadian CDLs stems from a notice published in the FMCSA Register as of May 1989.

The U.S. government shutdown at the time of writing made it impossible to get further comment for this article.

In her online press release, Van Duyne said the bill is in response to an immigration crackdown and a high-profile commercial motor vehicle collision that involved an immigrant driver.

That incident and another fatality crash have spurred a number of government actions in the U.S. aimed at immigrant drivers, including a rule that drivers must pass a roadside English proficiency exam by traffic officers or be placed out of service. In some cases, the truck can be impounded.

Van Duyne’s bill hasn’t yet passed, but if it did and reciprocity was terminated, the disruption to cross-border trade and Canadian commercial carriers would be enormous.

When contacted, a Canadian Trucking Alliance spokesperson said the bill hadn’t yet been brought to its attention and the organization would need time to study it before commenting.

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The W900 holds the record for the longest heavy truck model to remain in continuous production. It entered service in 1963 and has continued with the same basic body style until today, although there have been a couple of minor variations.

“We know these legacy Kenworth models are an integral part of our history here at Kenworth, which makes this decision a difficult but necessary one as we enter the next era of trucking,” Kevin Haygood, Kenworth’s assistant general manager for sales and marketing, said in a release.

“The W900 is truly historic in that it’s helped shape North American trucking culture and tradition as we know it today, often seen at truck shows, featured in movies and on TV and shown at other events.”

Those include the movie Smokey and the Bandit as well as the Movin’ On TV series.

Also ending production is the narrow cab T800 model, which debuted in 1986, as well as the very heavy-duty C500 model that first appeared in 1972 and is designed for extreme heavy-haul and off-road operations.

The W990, introduced in 2018, offers an updated design with a nod to the W900 but includes a wider 2.1-metre cab, similar to most other new on-highway trucks, providing a more spacious interior. The W990 uses a little more aerodynamic design without the external air filters used on the W900.

In a statement, Kenworth said the decision to end production of these models is due to “evolving emissions regulations and component constraints as the industry moves forward with new, more efficient and better integrated technologies and products.”

A rumour had been circulating online about the company’s intent to discontinue production, which may have caused it to officially reveal its plans early, ahead of the annual MATS truck show in the United States, where it was expected to be announced.

A final call for truck orders will be announced later in 2025 and at least one dealer, Inland Kenworth, says it is still accepting orders for W900s with manual transmissions.

Kenworth’s sister company Peterbilt, under the ownership of parent company Paccar, also discontinued its classic long-hood truck, the 389, in late 2023. The 389 also had a strong following and was similar in appearance to the W900.

The Peterbilt 589 — an updated version of the 389 and its predecessors, the 379 and 359 — was given a comparable treatment to Kenworth’s W990. It keeps a hood like that used on the 389, but mates it with a wider, more aerodynamic cab.

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Every year authorities organize pop-up roadside inspections to check heavy trucks for safety violations. And although farm trucks and drivers get a variety of exemptions from some regulations commercial carriers must follow, passing a roadside safety inspection isn’t typically one of them.

So how do you get through a spot check and avoid a ticket — or worse?

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) was set up several years ago to standardize equipment requirements and inspection procedures across Canada and the U.S. Most officers checking trucks will be certified by CVSA. Inspections will be carried out in a similar way no matter the province where they occur, although exact regulations and some exemptions vary a little.

“We have level one, two and three inspections,” CVSA roadside inspection specialist Jeremy Disbrow said during an information webinar in May. “A level one is we’re looking at driver credentials, their hours-of-service status, and it’s a complete vehicle inspection. It includes all the components underneath the vehicle as well. And it focuses also on cargo securement.

“A level two inspection involves everything except going underneath the vehicle. It’s called a walk-around inspection, basically. A level three is just a driver-only inspection.”

Farm truck drivers will usually be exempt from the hours-of-service regulation.

First impressions

The first step in acing a spot check inspection is to do a thorough daily pre-trip inspection on the truck before starting work. That ensures you find any defects before heading out onto the road — and repair them.

Officers doing inspections get an overall impression of a driver and truck pretty quickly. And first impressions are important, so having a clean, well-maintained truck will help.

“If you have your vehicle in order and you’re ready for the day, you’re likely to get a clean inspection,” Disbrow says. “Quite frankly, you can tell a lot within the first 30 seconds of interaction. A driver that seems to be prepared shows a level of professionalism.”

READ MORE: Driving a loaded grain truck

Drivers must make a written record of daily pre-trip inspections, but some farm truck drivers are exempt from needing to create a written report. For example, in Manitoba, the Commercial Vehicle Trip Inspection Regulation exempts a “two-axle or three-axle commercial vehicle or any trailer attached to it while being used primarily for the transportation of primary farm, forest or aquatic products if the driver or driver’s employer is the producer of the products.”

In Saskatchewan, only two- and three-axle farm trucks are exempt. Drivers of a farm semi will have to produce a written inspection report and show it to police when requested, according to the Saskatchewan Highway Patrol.

Them’s the brakes

One of the defects most commonly found at inspections is brake problems. Though nearly all modern heavy trucks with air brakes use automatic slack adjusters, some may not realize a driver still has a procedure to follow to ensure they are set correctly.

Making six full brake applications and holding them momentarily with system air pressure above 90 pounds per square inch is required for automatic slack adjusters to set up correctly. Failure to do this at the start of each day may mean push rod travel will exceed the maximum limit, putting brakes out of adjustment.

Making a full-service brake application and holding it for one minute to measure air loss is a key pre-trip test. Single-unit trucks cannot lose more than three p.s.i. in that time. Semi-trailer trucks with one trailer cannot lose more than four.

READ MORE: Truck is key piece in transport puzzle

There are other tests as well, such as ensuring the tractor protection valve closes at no less than 20 p.s.i. when the trailer lines are disconnected.

Farmers who’ve never had to take additional training to drive a Class 3 truck with air brakes may want to pick up a copy of their provincial air brake manual to ensure they understand the full test procedure, and make sure they know how the system works. Pre-trip regulations typically require a driver to have a reasonable working knowledge of the systems they’re checking.

“Last year the top out-of-service violation we had was for brakes,” Disbrow says. “Some of the other common violations were tires and lighting devices, things like that.”

Finally, even if you’re in a hurry and annoyed at the delay, curb your attitude when pulled into a roadside inspection. Being rude and abrasive won’t help you in the least.

“Something we look for is the professionalism of the driver and their attitude,” Matthew Austin of the Saskatchewan Highway Patrol said during the webinar. “That’s immediately noticeable as soon as we walk up and say hello. Things we’re looking for — do they have their proper documentation; do they know what documentation they’re giving us? Do they understand the expectations of the inspection? That all builds up to a good interaction during the inspection.

“The more organized the driver is, the smoother the inspection goes. It speeds it up.”

To find out more about CVSA inspections, visit the alliance website.

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As the spring auction season ramps up, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (RB) just released its “Market Trends Report for Used Equipment and Trucks” for the first quarter of 2024 — and the key takeaway seems to be supply is up and prices are down.

The report shows it’s become a buyer’s market for those two machine types — and in general, those softening prices are also reflected across most of the construction and transportation equipment categories in the first quarter of 2024.

“The majority of equipment sectors in Canada are showing deflation,” the report reads.

Skid steers lead the downward slide, with a 10 per cent overall decline in selling prices. The volume being offered for sale has roughly doubled during the first quarter of this year, compared to Jan. 1 to March 31 in 2023. The median age of the machines has declined, from an average of 10 years down to nine. So, buyers are seeing more and newer machines sell for less.

That said, those newer machines have a little more experience under their belts. The median number of hours on their clocks has actually risen by almost 500. Caterpillar, Bobcat and Case respectively made up the top three brands sold by RB.

Trucking

If the farm needs another used truck tractor to pull a hopper trailer, it’s good news for buyers there too. “In our estimation, for the three months ending March 31, 2024, prices for truck tractors decreased four per cent compared to the same time frame last year,” the report reads.

That four per cent is small potatoes compared to the 22 per cent decline in sale prices for truck tractors south of the border — likely due, at least in part, to a softened market for freight hauling in the U.S.

Just as with skid steers, the number of truck tractors RB sold in Canada during the first quarter of this year is nearly double the number for the same time in 2023. But the median number of hours on their clocks has declined, from over 5,000 to well under that mark. The median hammer price has fallen below $50,000.

As for which brands most often found the willing buyer, Freightliner, International and Kenworth, in that order, took the top three spots.

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Turkey, Ukraine, Russia and the United Nations have been holding talks on ways to extend the deal brokered in July allowing the safe export of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea. The deal is due to expire Thursday.

Of about 20 senior Ukrainian and international traders and analysts polled by Reuters at the GrainCom conference in Geneva, a vast majority said they expected a renewal of the deal, though possibly with some delay.

Nearly all the delegates polled said a much lower harvest expected this year had alleviated the pressure to export through Black Sea ports, and that alternative routes including rail, truck and exports via the Danube river would be able compensate.

Those routes are, however, generally much more expensive than shipping via the Black Sea.

Nikolay Gorbachov, head of the Ukrainian Grain Association, warned that without the corridor export logistic prices would surge and cut farmers’ margins so much that they would stop producing wheat and corn in big volumes.

Ukraine’s corn crop is forecast to total just 21 million tonnes this year, around half the 42.1 million it harvested two years before the conflict began, according to the International Grains Council.

Moscow has threatened to quit the deal over obstacles to its grain and fertilizer exports.

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that questions remained about Russia’s part in the agreement, and that it would have to make a decision on whether to renew it.

Dan Basse, president of Chicago-based consultancy AgResource, said on the sidelines of the gathering that there wouldn’t be a big impact on global supplies this year if the agreement wasn’t renewed.

“With a lower crop this year, it can all go out west through eastern Europe. The problem is that it will cost 15 per cent to 20 per cent more,” he said.

Under the pact to create a safe shipping channel, Ukraine has been able to export some 30.25 million tonnes of agricultural products, of which 50 per cent was corn and 28 per cent wheat. Other commodities shipped include rapeseed, sunflower oil, sunflower meal and barley.

“Do we need the corridor? I would say yes,” Stefan Florescu, global head of wheat trading at CHS, the largest U.S agricultural cooperative, told the conference. “But if we aren’t going to have it, are we going to find a solution to export everything via the EU export corridor? I would say yes as well.”

— Sybille de La Hamaide is a Reuters commodities correspondent in Paris; additional reporting by Nigel Hunt.

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Spring road restrictions set axle weight limits for vehicles moving on certain roads to reduce the damage heavier loads can cause during the spring thaw period. Grain and equipment movement can both be affected by the spring road bans, as drivers may need to find alternate routes or haul smaller loads.

The duration of the restrictions will depend on the local weather conditions, but typically last through April and into May.

In Manitoba, spring road bans are set to come into effect on Friday, March 17, according to a provincial order.

The winter weight season in neighbouring Saskatchewan is set to expire on March 14, which will reduce the tonnage allowed on roads.

Alberta has yet to report the official start of road restrictions in the province, but typically sees its first weight limits for the southern areas of the province in mid-March.

— Phil Franz-Warkentin is an associate editor/analyst with MarketsFarm in Winnipeg.

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Truckers agreed late last week to end a strike that had paralyzed grains transport in the South American nation and seen the number of trucks arriving at port hit almost zero, right in the middle of the busy soy and corn harvest.

Agricultural logistics firm AgroEntregas said on Monday morning 4,295 grains trucks had arrived at port terminals. Trucks are the main transport method to bring grains from the farm belt to river and sea ports for export.

“The flow of trucks is back to normal,” Guillermo Wade, head of the Chamber of Port and Maritime Activities, told Reuters.

AgroEntregas said on Twitter that grains transportation was “beginning to stabilize” after the four-day strike last week.

The striking truck owners had been demanding a hike in freight rates to offset rising fuel prices. Some 85 per cent of Argentine grains are transported domestically by truck, mostly to inland ports on the Parana River.

Exporters had warned that the hike in rates could paralyze grains exports once stockpiles at ports had run dry.

According to the Buenos Aires grains exchange, farmers have harvested some 14.4 per cent of the soybean planted area and 19.4 per cent of the area planted with corn. The exchange forecasts a 2021-22 soybean harvest of 42 million tonnes and 49 million tonnes for corn.

— Maximilian Heath is a Reuters correspondent in Buenos Aires.

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The Quebec company announced Monday it would sell its Quebec bulk milk hauling business to unnamed “companies whose core business is transporting liquid food products,” and would also halt its milk transport work in Nova Scotia.

But Agropur, in its release Monday, emphasized it “is continuing its milk transport operations in New Brunswick.”

The Quebec sale is expected to affect about nine per cent of the milk produced by Agropur members in that province, and to eliminate up to 11 jobs “upon closing of the transaction.” The company didn’t give an expected closing date.

Another 75 Quebec jobs, meanwhile, will be transferred to the unnamed “acquirers.” The deal also includes the affected bulk milk transport assets.

In Nova Scotia, meanwhile, Agropur plans to discontinue its farm pickup operations as of June 30, eliminating 34 jobs.

Effective July 1, Dairy Farmers of Nova Scotia (DFNS) said it has “designated new agents” to pick up milk from member farms.

DFNS, in an April 15 notice, named those milk transport agents as Fisher Transport Ltd. and Burghardt Transport Ltd., which it described as “well-established Nova Scotian transport companies with recognized expertise in milk hauling.”

“To streamline its business model and focus on its most strategic assets, Agropur is withdrawing from milk hauling in those two provinces,” Agropur CEO Emile Cordeau said in Monday’s release.

“I would like to thank all employees in this sector affected by this decision. They have been and will be until the conclusion of the transactions, important standard-bearers of the co-operative on the roads and with dairy farmers in these two provinces.”

DFNS chairman Gerrit Damsteegt said the organization thanks Agropur “for their excellent service over the years and for their co-operation in the transition. We will work hard to make sure the changeover goes smoothly for Nova Scotia dairy farmers.” — Glacier FarmMedia Network

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“Not if we can help it,” Fertilizer Canada CEO Garth Whyte said Thursday.”We’ve weathered all the rail system disruptions that we had over the last six months, and now, with COVID-19, we’re doing OK.

“We’ve put contingency plans in at our manufacturing plants, at our storage terminals, and our retail outlets across the country to make sure that employees are protected and that farmers get the fertilizer they need.

“Stocks are pretty well in position, and once farmers start up in a couple weeks, we should be OK.”

Fertilizer Canada is working closely with provincial and federal governments, as well as national ag organizations, to ensure COVID-19 safety measures don’t have “unintended consequences” on fertilizer distribution.

“We’ve implored government to not forget about us,” Whyte said. “We’ve really been pushing that fertilizer is an essential commodity that’s got to get to our farmers.”

“A lot of the directions around COVID-19 have been from an urban point of view, but we’re there to remind them that we need to make sure that we don’t blindside the agriculture industry with any changes.”

The federal government announced Wednesday that trade between Canada and the U.S. would remain mostly uninterrupted despite closing the border to non-essential traffic.

But the real concern right now is potential trucker shortages across North America, Whyte said, adding that trucking regulations may need to change to reflect the current emergency situation.

“They may have to work longer hours, so they shouldn’t be impeded by hours-of-work legislation,” he said. “It’s got to be safe and secure, of course, but if it is, then let’s make sure we’re doing everything possible to get fertilizer to the growers when they need it.”

While the Canadian Trucking Alliance isn’t yet experiencing problems, Fertilizer Canada will be monitoring the situation.

“We’re ramped up, but (seeding) is not going to happen for a couple more weeks, so we’re monitoring and preparing now.”

So far, the response from governments has been “overwhelmingly supportive,” he added.

“They basically understand the importance of agriculture and agribusiness and their inputs as a major part of their COVID-19 contingency planning,” said Whyte.

“It’s critical that we have a successful planting season this spring that hopefully leads to good yields at harvest this fall. If we have a strong agriculture sector, it can play a major role in Canada’s economy, especially with everything going on.

“As we try to get out of this pandemic and potential recession, one of the shining lights will hopefully be agriculture.”

— Jennifer Blair reports for Alberta Farmer from Red Deer.

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“Everybody is just waiting to see what will happen,” said Mike Fleischhauer of Eagle Commodities in Lethbridge.

While large amounts of tough grain were moving, he said there was also plenty of drier grain available that growers were holding off on selling in hopes of seeing higher prices later in the marketing year.

However, trucking remains an issue, with the holiday season exacerbating tight transport availability.

“Everybody is on holidays and taking some time off, but the cattle still need to eat, every day,” Fleischhauer said.

A number of unit trains bringing grain from Saskatchewan arrived in recent weeks, taking some pressure off of the market, said Fleischhauer. However, not much corn was coming up from the U.S., due in part to the poorer quality of the U.S. crop.

Barley has traded around the $225 per tonne area for the past several weeks, with feed wheat generally a few dollars per tonne higher.

— Phil Franz-Warkentin writes for MarketsFarm, a Glacier FarmMedia division specializing in grain and commodity market analysis and reporting.

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