Brampton Truck Driver Named to Prestigious OTA Road Knights Team

Alvin Kane of Brampton, a truck driver with Prescott-based Kriska Holdings Ltd. has been named a member of the 2005-2006 Ontario Trucking Association Road Knights team – a select group of professional drivers who are dedicated to educating the public about sharing the road. Kane competed with truck drivers from all across the province for a coveted spot on the team.

The 9 members of the group are all full-time truck drivers, and competed against applicants from across the province for the right to wear the coveted Road Knights coat of arms. Team members are all employed as full-time transport drivers and step out of the cab several days each month to meet with community groups.

During their two-year terms, Road Knights meet with community groups, business associations, driving schools, seniors organizations and service clubs to help improve highway safety and increase awareness of the trucking industry’s contribution to the provincial economy. The free community outreach service is offered by the Ontario Trucking Association.

“My love of driving ensures that, as an individual or as part of a team, safety is [my] largest priority,” says Kane, who has traveled more than 1.6 million accident-free kilometers in his 20 years as a professional driver.

In the past year he has worked as a driver trainer with the responsibility of introducing new employees to company policies and procedures, and helping improve their driving skills. He is also a representative of Kriska’s Joint Advisory Committee, a health and safety group including drivers, contractors, office and shop staff, and management.

The Brampton native has helped organize fund-raising activities for Toronto’s Sick Kids Hospital, and has worked with Atlantic Ocean Farms on TV documentaries.

“The Road Knights are first-class drivers who represent their peers – Ontario transport drivers who are dedicated to safety and professionalism in the industry,” says David Bradley, president of the Ontario Trucking Association. “They are highly qualified to spread the message of road safety because they travel our roadways everyday, and have faced every type of traffic and weather condition imaginable.”

According to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, tractor-trailers are involved in less than three per cent of all road collisions, making professional truck drivers the safest users of the province’s roads. The industry’s collision rate has declined in spite of a steady increase in the number of trucks on the road and kilometers driven.

The Ontario Trucking Association’s Road Knights team is selected by a panel of judges including representatives from the Ontario Provincial Police, Ontario Ministry of Transportation, 680News radio, the Transportation Health and Safety Association of Ontario, Truck News (an industry journal), a truck driver from the previous Road Knights team, and OTA staff.

More than 50 drivers applied to participate in the program, while a short list of candidates prepared a speech and essay for the panel of judges. Each candidate on the short list was also subjected to a personal interview.

Prospective Road Knights must possess first-class driving records. To participate in the program, candidates must also be nominated by an Ontario Trucking Association member company in good standing.

In addition to educating community organizations about road safety, Road Knights take their trucks to local schools to introduce young people to career opportunities in the trucking industry. Recognized as leaders within their industry, the Road Knights also meet with students at truck driving schools to emphasize the importance of safety, professionalism and courtesy.

This is the sixth team that has been assembled since the program was formed, and 68 drivers have participated. The program is celebrating its 10^th anniversary this year. The Road Knights program earned a National Transportation Week (Ontario) Award of Excellence in 1996.

Free presentations by a member of the team include an oral presentation, a video and pamphlets promoting road safety. Trucks can also be provided for road safety demonstrations.

For more information about the Road Knights, or to arrange for a presentation, contact the OTA’s communications department at 416-249-7401, ext. 224 or 237, or email info@ontruck.org.

The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) is a business association representing motor carriers operating into, out of and within Ontario. The trucking industry is one of Ontario’s largest employers. Trucks haul 90% of all consumer products and foodstuffs produced and consumed in the province and 80% of Ontario’s trade with the United States. Founded in 1926, the association’s membership comprises trucking companies of all sizes, shipping all types of commodities, from all regions of North America. OTA is a member of the Canadian Trucking Alliance.

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