AMTA's Kelsey Hipkin and Doug Walton chat with Constable James Kendrick of the Edmonton Police Service.

In our conversation, we discuss something that has become an epidemic, and is affecting the safety of Alberta’s highways and beyond … distracted driving. Constable Kendrick provides examples of distracted driving that he and other officers with EPS have seen on the local roadways, some misconceptions that people have with using smartphones or ELDs and operating vehicles, and the penalties that drivers face when caught driving distracted.

AMTA's Kelsey Hipkin and long-time planner of the PTDC, Michelle Spacil, chat with Members of our Professional Truck Driving Championship (PTDC) Committee: Matt Geib, PTDC Marshall, Don Atemechiuk, PTDC Co-Marshall, and Don MacDonald, PTDC Track Master.

In our conversation, we highlight AMTA's Professional Truck Driving Championship (PTDC) which returns May 31, 2025, celebrating 75 years of Driver Excellence! We discuss how this event works, the specifics of the course and what it takes to navigate it, our collaboration with the Alberta Sheriffs, the importance of having an event that celebrates commercial drivers, and more.

AMTA's Kelsey Hipkin, Dave Elniski, and Andy Barnes chat with Steve Keppler, Co-Director of Scopelitis Transportation Consulting.
In our conversation, we discuss voluntary safety programs like beyond compliance and how facilitating best practices, safety management systems, training and coaching services, and new technologies can help carriers of all sizes to reduce collisions, empower drivers, and improve safety within your company.

AMTA's Kelsey Hipkin and Rob Destree chat with Warren Stasiuk, Safety Manager at Volker Stevin Highways Ltd.
In our conversation, we discuss snowplow logistics in Alberta, roadside safety for snowplow drivers and the motoring public, tips and tricks for approaching snowplows on the road, and ways to stay safe on the highways in winter storm conditions.

AMTA's Kelsey Hipkin and Michelle Spacil chat with Arlene Ledi-Thom, President and Board of Directors and Chair of the Society, with the Health and Safety Conference Society of Alberta (HSCSA).
In our conversation, we discuss the Health and Safety Conference and how AMTA came to be involved, the importance of all the health and safety-related industries coming together to collaborate, and what we can expect from this year’s conference.

AMTA's Kelsey Hipkin and Rob Destree chat with two of our past Safety Person of the Year Award recipients, Christine Groulx, Health and Safety Manager of 4Seasons Transportation (2022),and Dale Howard, Regional Safety Manager for Canada with Flying J Canada Transport (2024), for one of our favourite topics as an association: safety.
In our conversation, we discuss the significance of safety in day-to-day operations, the value of supportive workplace culture and training, the importance of driver recruitment and retention, the use of emerging safety technology including cameras, and more.

AMTA's Kelsey Hipkin and Dave Elniski chat with Brenda Suggett, Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals (CARSP), for our first episode of 2025, or Season 2 of Steering Change, if you will.
In our conversation, we focus on all aspects of road safety and ways Carriers and Drivers can apply research to their operations to improve their safety when they are on the highways.

AMTA's Kelsey Hipkin and Michelle chat with Tim Bennett, AMTA Board Chair for our special Steering Change One-Year Anniversary episode.
Having an AMTA Podcast has been a dream for many years. We wanted a different way of promoting AMTA initiatives and important takeaways for everyone involved in commercial transportation, especially our Membership and commercial drivers, and what better way than to be broadcasted from truck radios travelling across Canada and beyond.

**Trigger warning: this episode contains discussions around mental health and brief mentions of PTSD, past trauma, and suicide.

AMTA's Kelsey Hipkin and Doug Walton chat with Kris Marks, founder and CEO of VĪV Mental Health, for the fourth and final episode of our special edition four-part series: Road to Wellness. These episodes are dedicated to the health and well-being of the commercial drivers who keep goods on the move 24/7.
In our conversation, we address an important topic that is often overlooked in our industry, and that is our mental health. Our goal with this discussion is to raise more awareness about mental health, break the ice and reduce the stigma, inspire listeners to foster healthy support systems and connections, and identify when and how to seek help.

AMTA's Doug Walton and Dave Elniski chat with Rodolfo Giacoman, Fatigue Management Specialist at the CVSA, for the third episode of our special edition four-part series: Road to Wellness. These episodes are dedicated to the health and well-being of the commercial drivers who keep goods on the move 24/7.
In our conversation, we delve deeper into the importance of sleep and fatigue management for commercial drivers.

AMTA's Kelsey Hipkin and Doug Walton chat with Mark Manera, founder and CEO of Offshift, for the second episode of our special edition four-part series: Road to Wellness. These episodes are dedicated to the health and well-being of the commercial drivers who keep goods on the move 24/7.
In our conversation, we want to help change the narrative and provide some tangible and driver-friendly takeaways for improved health behind the wheel.

In this episode, hosts Kelsey Hipkin and Doug Walton chat with Justin Barber, co-founder of my-eforce, for the first episode of our special edition four-part series: Road to Wellness. These episodes are dedicated to the health and well-being of the commercial drivers who keep goods on the move 24/7.
In our conversation, we discuss how technology can contribute to driver safety while out on the road and within the cab.

In this episode, host Kelsey Hipkin chats with AMTA’s Cliff Litke (Senior Advisor, Member Services), Rob Destree (Senior Instructor, Driver Development), and Doug Walton (Senior Advisor, Member Solutions) to discuss winter preparedness as we will inevitably move from this stunning fall into the clutches of our Alberta winters, and with that comes challenging winter driving.

In this episode, hosts Kelsey Hipkin and Dave Elniski (AMTA’s Industry Advisor, Safety and Compliance), chat with Deborah Nilsen, Industry Specialist, Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) - Alberta. AMTA is very fortunate to work with Deb and her counterparts in advising on disability management in the workplace.

In this episode, hosts Robyn Betts and Michelle Spacil chat with Craig Faucette, Chief Program Officer at Trucking HR Canada (THRC).

AMTA has long worked closely with Craig and the THRC team, and in this conversation, we discuss our combined efforts to address the driver shortage, our collaboration on Western Women with Drive, and more. 

In this episode, hosts Kelsey Hipkin and Kristin Picken (AMTA’s Advisor, Member Solutions (South)), chat with Katie Marchant, Area Safety Manager with First Student Transportation and Director with ASBCA, and Mark Critch, President of the Alberta School Bus Contractor’s Association (ASBCA).

In this episode, Kelsey Hipkin (Manager of Communications), chats with AMTA’s Terri Johnson (Manager of Industry Advancement) and Erin Horb (Technology Advisor & Hydrogen Specialist), to introduce AMTA’s inaugural ndustry Innovations EXPO coming up in Edmonton on September 26. 

This event will invite attendees to explore the forefront of low and zero-emission, electric, and alternative-fuel commercial vehicles, alongside cutting-edge emerging technologies and the industry professionals leading the charge. As well, Terri and Erin speak to a few of the many exciting projects our Industry Advancement team is working on.

In this episode, hosts Kelsey Hipkin and Dave Elniski (AMTA’s Industry Advisor, Safety and Compliance), chat with Leo Barros, Associate Editor, Today’s Trucking, to discuss Leo’s history as a journalist, writer, and a former long-haul truck driver, as well as his love of storytelling and reporting on the stories that matter most to the commercial transportation industry in Canada.

In this episode, hosts Kelsey Hipkin and Michelle Spacil, chat with the leaders from our fellow Western Associations, Aaron Dolyniuk, Executive Director of the Manitoba Trucking Association (MTA), Susan Ewart, Executive Director of the Saskatchewan Trucking Association (STA), and Dave Earle, President and CEO of the British Columbia Trucking Association (BCTA), to discuss industry initiatives, our mutual interests for our members, and commercial transportation in Canada.

In this episode, hosts AMTA’s Kelsey Hipkin and Robyn Betts, sit down with Shelley Walker, CEO of the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada, to discuss how we’re making progress in the commercial transportation industry for recruiting and retaining women professional drivers, as well as Shelley’s background as a professional driver, and other issues affecting women in industry.