MacKinnon Transport Truck Driver Named to Prestigious

(March 12, 2007) – James Coles, a professional truck driver with MacKinnon Transport in Guelph, Ont., has been named a member of the 2007-2008 Ontario Trucking Association Road Knights Team – a select group of professional drivers who are dedicated to raising awareness of how all road users can safely share the road. Coles competed with truck drivers from across the province for a spot on the team and for the right to wear the coveted Road Knights coat of arms.

The 10 members of the team are all employed as full-time transport drivers or owner-operators and step out of the cab several days each month to meet with the public.

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.

“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.

Coles, a former long-distance truck driver with experience in both Canada and the US, now hauls freight throughout Ontario, and has logged over 2.2 million collision free kilometers in 29 years on the road.

This professional driver possesses numerous certificates verifying the many courses he has taken to finely hone his professional driving skills. A one-time farmer who says he’s a country boy at heart, Coles describes himself as a person who always tries his best.

“As a farmer I took pride in ploughing long straight furrows, now as a driver I see my rig as an extension of myself,” says Coles. “My behavior on the road has a direct impact on other drivers around me.”

This professional driver resides in Hillsburgh, On. With his wife Mary, Coles helps operate the English Bull Dog Rescue Society for the Bulldog Club of Central Ontario. In his leisure time, Coles is a dedicated family man who enjoys puttering around home. Visiting with family and friends leaves too little time for his woodworking hobby. “My workshop is years behind schedule,” laments Coles. He and his wife Mary have two sons, Jay is looking forward to an apprenticeship in the construction industry and Dane has completed his first year at Fanshawe College.

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, Today’s Trucking magazine (an industry journal), a truck driver from the previous Road Knights team, and OTA staff.

More than 70 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.

The Road Knights program earned a National Transportation Week Award of Excellence in 1996. In 1995 the program earned the coveted ‘Trailmobile Service to Industry’ award which is presented for vision, leadership and making an outstanding contribution to the truck transportation industry

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 www.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.

About MacKinnon Transport: MacKinnon Transport has earned a solid reputation by building strong relationships and focusing on customer service, safety, and financial stability. MacKinnon’s modest beginnings started in 1929 in the little town of Caledon, Ontario doing business off the kitchen table. Since that time we have grown into a major player in the industry of transportation and logistics in North America and world wide. MacKinnon has two facilities to better serve our customer’s needs. The Company’s 40,000 plus square foot, state-of-the-art head office is located on a 20-acre site in Guelph. Our warehouse facility provides 80,000 square feet of inside storage and 6 acres of secured outside storage capabilities.

Dedicated to serving its customers, employees, industry and many business partners, MacKinnon Transport has managed controlled strategic growth by focusing on those areas that have contributed to its success. MacKinnon supports many employee run events throughout the year as well as proudly contributing to the community.

We remain committed to our industry by actively supporting and participating on the executive boards of the Ontario Trucking Association, the Canadian Trucking Alliance and the Truckload Carriers Association in the U.S. Our people contribute their time and effort to Carrier Safety Councils in Canada and the U.S. as well as the Canadian Maintenance Council and Council of Driver Trainers. We demonstrate our strong belief in the future of trucking in North America through active support of these important industry associations.

Our commitment to quality, safety and employee development has enabled us to gain national recognition over the years. MacKinnon has been the proud recipient of;

Our commitment to this is exemplified everyday, through the dedication of our people in providing quality, on-time service to meet and exceed our customer’s needs.

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