Maple Leaf Motoring: Carrier Turns To Augmented Reality To Boost Driver Recruitment

Maple Leaf Motoring is a weekly rundown of developments in the world of Canadian transportation.

This week: Challenger Motor Freight gets into augmented reality, group pushes for Oshawa plan EV conversion, and trucker charged with reckless driving after rollover on 401. 

A major Canadian trucking company plans to use augmented reality technology to step up its recruitment efforts. 

Challenger Motor Freight is developing augmented reality materials with Nextech AR Solutions. The Cambridge, Ontario-based carrier hopes the recruitment materials will connect with Millenials – a demographic the industry is struggling to attract.

"We're trying to be different from everyone else," said Paul Weatherbie, Challenger's marketing communications manager.

Challenger's first augmented reality piece will profile a real-life driver. 

"They'll be telling their story, talking about the benefits of working here. They'll talk about pay – and other perks – like how we allow pets," Weatherbie said. 

Weatherbie hopes to launch the first augmented reality recruitment effort at Truck World in Toronto in April 2020.

Challenger working on bringing augmented reality to other parts of the business. 

Toronto-based Nextech is hoping to expand its reach into transportation and logistics. hoping that other transportation and logistics companies.

An example of the Nextech AT platform.

"The Challenger deal is pretty exciting," said CEO Evan Gappelberg. "We see it as the first as many deals where we'll be bringing value to the freight industry."

Gappelberg said augmented reality has many potential applications to the freight industry, including remote product demos.

"We have the ability to scan a whole truck," Gappelberg said. "Imagine being able to walk into a tractor-trailer."

Group wants GM Oshawa plant to make electric vehicles

A group that includes local autoworkers is calling for the Canadian government to invest more than C$1 billion to convert the General Motors Company GM car assembly plant in Oshawa to electric vehicle production.

The proposal emerged at a public forum organized by Green Jobs Oshawa on Sept. 19. 

The plant's assembly operations came to a halt on Sept. 20 because of the strikes by autoworkers in the U.S. disrupted parts shipments. The plant itself is slated to stop making vehicles at the end of 2019. 

Green Jobs Oshawa released a feasibility study that found an investment of C$1.4 to C1.9 billion could pay for such a conversion, according to the CBC. 

Police charge trucker after rollover on Highway 401

A trucker hauling decking supplies was charged was reckless driving after a rollover on Highway 401, known as North America's busiest highway, police said. 

The accident occurred on Sept. 19 mear Puslinch, near 45 miles from Toronto. No one was seriously injured in the accident.

Image Sourced from Pixabay