Donations, highway safety highlights of CRA Saskatchewan meeting

CRA Saskatchewan meetings typically feature a guest speaker, such as Officer Waldner, above.

Nov. 24, 2009, Saskatoon, Sk. – The Saskatchewan chapter of the Canadian Rental Association (CRA) has announced that they will be making donations to two worthy causes. The decision was made at the CRA Saskatchewan regional meeting held November 17 at The CAT Rental Store in Saskatoon.

The first donation will be $250, to help defray expenses involved with the Canadian hospitality room at The Rental Show in Orlando, Fla. The Canadian hospitality room will be open from 8:00 PM to midnight on February 8, 2010 at the Double Tree Resort.

CRA Saskatchewan also plans to donate $5000 to the Dorothy Wellnitz Scholarship Fund. The Scholarship is available to employees and family members involved in the rental industry and are currently attending school to further their knowledge and skills in the business.

The Dorothy Wellnitz Scholarship was started when the Executive Director of
21 years, Dorothy Wellnitz,retired from the association in 2006. Many local chapters contribute to the Scholarship Fund, which is administered by the American Rental Association (ARA).

Blair Holtsman of Hub-City Display, the Saskatchewan local President, welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced the guest speaker for the evening: Officer Rhiannon Waldner with Highway Transport.

Officer Waldner updated the group on new regulations for trailer safety, towing, large trucks, and more.  Some of the highlights from her presentation include:

•    Drivers hauling loads weighing more than 4600 KG on a trailer require a “G” endorsement on their class 5 drivers license.
•    Business owners/ managers should contact Saskatchewan General Insurance (SGI) for details on how to get drivers certified with a “G” endorsement.
•    Truck and trailer inspections should be completed every 24 hours. Drivers must have in their possession the most recent inspection report. In the event a truck is pulled over, reports cannot be more than 24 hours old.
•    Drivers must have a log book if they travel over 160 km radius from their home location or if they are hauling in excess of 5000 kilograms.
•    If store managers have questions regarding trailer safety, towing, safety inspections or truck modifications, they should contact SGI’s Vehicle Standards and Inspection unit at 1-800-667-8015 ext. 6188.

A call was issued during the meeting for new volunteers to join the Trade Show Committee. Sara Ghiglione, Bill Brooks, Gene Elash and Shauna Murray all volunteered to join the existing tradeshow committee, which consists of Doug Mitchell, Blair Holtsman, Brad Williams, Lisa Bains, Brad Pattinson, Wayne and Tammy Beckett, Glen Loosen, and Brian Miller. Doug Mitchell has stated that he will set a tradeshow committee meeting date in January, 2010 and notify the committee members.

Glen Loosyen informed attendees that the CRA Saskatchewan Golf Tournament is set for June 17, 2010. Blair Holtsman noted that he and his wife, Jill, came out on the evening prior to the golf tournament last year and they had a wonderful time networking with other members of the rental industry. For this reason, he says that he would highly recommend coming early and staying over.

For more information on CRA Saskatchewan, please contact Blair Holtsman (President) or Lisa Bains (Secretary) at 306-653-4429.

Canadian Rental Service magazine would like to thank Lisa Bains for providing photos and the meeting report. We’re dedicated to covering the Canadian rental industry, and greatly appreciate the time taken by members of the industry in sending news our way. All news can be sent directly to Mike Davey at mdavey@annexweb.com.