Canada Calling

Join Jimmy Mac for a special edition of Canada Calling with Joanne Ritchie and Jim Park of the Owner-Operator’s Business Association of Canada (OBAC). This episode covers the heartwarming tradition of Nova Scotia sending a 45-foot Christmas tree to Boston every year, a gesture that began in 1918 as thanks for Boston’s relief efforts following the Halifax Explosion. Joanne and Jim share the history...

Jimmy Mac talks with Joanne Ritchie and Jim Park from the Owner-Operator’s Business Association of Canada (OBAC) about the latest news in Canadian trucking. Joanne highlights National Tank Services in Sarnia, Ontario, which just celebrated 20 years and 7,300 consecutive days without a lost time injury—a remarkable safety achievement. Jim discusses Bill 60 in Ontario, a proposed law that would clos...

On this edition of Canada Calling on Road Gang Radio, Jimmy Mac is joined by Jim Park and Joanne Ritchie to cover the latest Canadian trucking news. Joanne kicks things off with a shout-out to the Erb Group employees who raised over $20,000 at their annual charity golf tournament, contributing to more than $600,000 for local charities over 32 years. Jim Park highlights Quebec’s intensified truck s...

This week on Canada Calling, host Jimmy Mac checks in with Joanne Ritchie and Jim Park from the Owner-Operator’s Business Association of Canada (OBAC) for the latest updates from north of the border. Joanne kicks things off with a big shoutout to regular Canada Calling caller Starduster, who helped raise nearly $14,000 for the Nova Scotia Truck Convoy for Special Olympics — part of a record-breaki...

It’s a fresh October edition of Canada Calling with the Owner-Operator’s Business Association of Canada (OBAC). Host Jimmy Mac welcomes Jim Park and Joanne Ritchie to talk about the latest headlines affecting Canadian drivers. Stories Covered: Canada’s Top Driver of the Year Congratulations to Mario Bulacso from Steinbach, Manitoba, named 2025 Canadian Driver of the Year. With nearly two decades i...

In this edition of Canada Calling on Road Gang Radio, host Jimmy Mac is joined by Joanne Ritchie and Jim Park from the Owner-Operator’s Business Association of Canada (OBAC). This week’s stories span the quirky, the critical, and the cutting-edge: Fallout Shelter Spa: Joanne brings a wild story out of Nova Scotia — an old Cold War bunker in Debert is being restored as a luxury fallout shelter spa!...

In this edition of Canada Calling, the Owner-Operator’s Business Association of Canada (OBAC)’s Joanne Ritchie and Jim Park bring Canadian trucking news, analysis, and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Toronto Traffic Congestion Jim Park opens with a discussion of Lorraine Sommerfeld’s recent editorial on traffic congestion in the Greater Toronto Area. From adding lanes to out-of-the-box propo...

On this edition of Canada Calling, host Jimmy Mac is joined by the Owner-Operator’s Business Association of Canada (OBAC) to cover three big stories making headlines in Canada’s trucking and transportation world: Historic Recovery – A piece of joint aviation history has been found: the stolen Amelia Earhart statue from Harbour Grace, Newfoundland. Although damaged, the 700-pound copper sculpture i...

In this edition of Canada Calling on Road Gang Radio, host Jimmy Mac welcomes Joanne Ritchie of OBAC and Jim Park to celebrate the Canadian trucking industry's efforts to unite like never before. From coast to coast, drivers, carriers, and industry leaders are working together to tackle challenges, share solutions, and strengthen the future of trucking in Canada. Hear firsthand how this movement i...

On this episode of Nemo Nation, Dave Nemo and Jimmy Mac are joined by Jim Park and Joanne Ritchie of the Owner-Operator’s Business Association of Canada (OBAC) for a powerful conversation about cross-border collaboration in trucking. As leaders and longtime advocates within the Canadian industry, Jim and Joanne discuss the urgent need for unity—not just within Canada’s provinces, but across North...

In one of the longest-running segments on Road Gang Radio, Canada Calling returns with Jim Park and Joanne Ritchie of OBAC to tackle a hot topic in Canadian freight: internal trade barriers. From steering axle weights to oversized load permitting and the call for a federal CDL, Jim and Joanne unpack the key takeaways from a recent national Trucking Hackathon. Joanne kicks things off with the conte...

On this episode of Canada Calling with Jimmy Mac, Joanne Ritchie delivers well-earned shout-outs to the unsung heroes of the highway—Canadian truck drivers navigating wildfire zones, detours, and long hours to support emergency relief efforts during one of the country’s worst wildfire seasons. She also tips her hat to Alexey Khorev, named Canada’s Top Driver by Samsara’s 2025 Connected Operations...

On this edition of Canada Calling on Road Gang Radio, host Jimmy Mac is joined by Jim Park and Joanne Ritchie of the Owner-Operator's Business Association of Canada (OBAC) for a wide-ranging conversation on the latest headlines and hot topics in Canadian trucking. Joanne kicks things off by honoring Canada’s newest Highway Angel, Oleksandr Tkachuk, an owner-operator from Edmonton who was recognize...