IN THIS ISSUE
THE VIEW FROM MY SEAT
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ACHIEVEMENTS
TRAINING WORLD
WORD? WORD. WORD!
CHEERS TO YOU!
John Furrow, Planner /
Traffic Coordinator.
Where’s your view from these days?
GREENER, RIGHT HERE
LIGHTER SIDE OF THE ROAD
CUSTOMER SERVICE
At McConnell Transport, down
the hallway, to the left.
What do you like about the work at
McConnell? The front line – the
drivers! The team atmosphere
that we work in, the new
DID YOU SEE THAT SIGN?
facility, new equipment……the
list is a long one.
WE REMEMBER YOU
Tell us about yourself. I’m a
FOLLOW ON FACEBOOK
married man. Christine and I married last summer; she’s wonderful. As time
permits I spend time with family and pursue the interests I have refined over
Phone: 506-325-2211
the years. Music is, very much, an exciting activity now, until I can get outside
Email:
[email protected]
to work on the geology of the area. The family gets together quite often to
play and sing – I love it! Keyboard, drums, guitars and Christine singing – I just
love it! We all need a hobby for the retirement years, and to that purpose, I’ve been prospecting and have
expanded that into geology and refining minerals. I’m currently having a bit of difficulty in sourcing
grinding pads for cutting and polishing but, it’s a work in progress.
When asked about something funny to share, John responded: Did I tell you the one about two cannibals sitting around
a campfire eating a clown? Does that taste funny to you?
THE DOPPLER EFFECT
Success is liking yourself, liking what you do, and liking how you do it.
McConnell Transport Drivers that
met the criteria for Fuel Efficiency
were entered into a draw for a
jacket. The draw took place
on April 3rd with Paul Goodin
pulling the winning ticket of
Gary Calhoun. Gary has
been employed as a driver
at McConnell Transport for
two years and was entered
into the draw for his fuel
efficiencies during March.
Gary has had a great record of fuel
conservation and expects continued
success in the future.
Ross Wilson, right, presenting Gary with his choice of jacket.
Congratulations, Gary!
Watch for the opportunity to complete the new ‘maximizing your fuel’ online course with
your McConnell Transport training login. Ross has your login info if you forgot it.
Email [email protected] with your ideas for more training! Another way to
contact us with information and ideas is through the McConnell Transport Facebook page.
"Your problem isn’t the problem. Your reaction is the problem.”
~ Anonymous
Tourist (tur-ist) noun. Synonyms: excursionist, rubbernecker, traveler, tripper, sightseer, holidaymaker,
vacationer, vacationist, guest, visitor, journeyer, pilgrim, wayfarer, sunseeker.
1. A person who travels to a place for pleasure.
Origin: not recorded. First Known Use: 1780.
~merriam-webster.com
Exercise, Exercise, Exercise!
When driving for long periods of time, your body will be lacking exercise. Research small exercises to carry out
in rest areas – these could even help energize you in between driving. Equally important is making time to
exercise when you are not at work. Swimming, walking, hiking and gentle weight training are all good choices
to help keep you fit and your muscles in prime condition. They may even help alleviate problems such as back
pain and cramps that truck driver’s experience.
The American Robin is the state bird of Connecticut, Michigan and Wisconsin.
It was also depicted on the 1986 Birds of Canada series Canadian $2 note, but this note has since been
withdrawn.
Robin's egg blue is a color named after the bird's eggs.
The American Robin has a place in Native American mythology. The story of how the robin got its red breast
by fanning the dying flames of a campfire to save a Native American man and a boy is similar to those that
surround the European Robin.
The Peace Bridge robins were a family of American robins that attracted minor publicity in the mid-1930s for
their prominent nest on the Canadian side of the Peace Bridge connecting Buffalo, New York to Fort Erie,
Ontario.
The Robin is considered a symbol of spring. A well-known example is a poem by Emily Dickinson, "I Dreaded
That First Robin So".
Among other 19th-century poems about the first robin of spring is "The First Robin" by Dr. William H.
Drummond, which according to the author's wife is based on a Quebec superstition that whoever sees the first
robin of spring will have good luck.
American popular songs featuring this bird include "When the Red, Red Robin (Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin'
Along)", written by Harry M. Woods and a hit for Al Jolson and others, and "Rockin' Robin", written by Roger
Thomas and a hit for Bobby Day and others.
Although the comic-book superhero Robin was inspired by an N. C. Wyeth illustration of Robin Hood, a later
version had his mother nicknaming him Robin because he was born on the first day of spring. His red shirt
suggests the bird's red breast.
"Rockin' Robin" is a song written by Leon René under the pseudonym of Jimmie Thomas and
recorded by Bobby Day in 1958. It was Day's only hit single, becoming a number-two hit on the
Billboard Hot 100 and spent one week at the top of the charts (number one hit) in R&B sales.
o Michael Jackson recorded and released a cover version of "Rockin' Robin" in 1972, which was taken
from his Gold-certified solo album titled Got to Be There.
o The Hollies included a cover of the song on their 1964 album Stay With The Hollies.
o In 1965 by Australian band, "The Henchmen". The song made its way into the Australian top 10.
o In 1981, Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem led by Janice performed this song on an episode of The
Muppet Show.
o UK singer Lolly covered this song in 1999, as a double A-side with "Big Boys Don't Cry". The single
peaked at number ten in the UK singles chart, in December of that year.
o The song was covered by Paul Anka on the album Rock Swings (2005).
"Rockin' Robin"
He rocks in the tree tops all day long
Hoppin' and a-boppin' and singing his song
All the little birdies on Jaybird Street
Love to hear the robin go tweet tweet tweet
Rockin' robin, rock rock
Rockin' robin'
Blow rockin' robin
'Cause we're really gonna rock tonight
Every little swallow, every chick-a-dee
Every little bird in the tall oak tree
The wise old owl, the big black crow
Flappin' their wings singing go bird go
Pretty little raven at the bird-band stand
Told them how to do the bop and it was grand
They started going steady and bless my soul
He out-bopped the buzzard and the oriol
He rocks in the tree tops all day long
Hoppin' and a-boppin' and singing his song
All the little birdies on Jaybird Street
Love to hear the robin go tweet tweet tweet
Do you know how old McConnell Transport Is?
Knock, Knock
• Ben
Who's there?
• Ben who?
• Ben knocking for ten minutes!
The most famous robins in history were the
Peace Bridge robins. A mating pair of robins
attracted the attention of the media and
became an instant tourist attraction when they
tried to build a nest on the bridge connecting
Buffalo, New York to Fort Erie, Ontario in the
1930s. The ledge that the robins had chosen was too narrow for a nest, and after watching the
birds futile nest-building attempts for fifteen days, Canadian customs officials took pity on the
pair and widened the ledge. The robins then succeeded in building their nest, and continued to
nest in the same spot for several years afterwards.
HURRY UP AND WAIT.
The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary.
It’s a tough job - WE can do it.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed a number of new rules during 2013. Some
of these are in the “public comment” period at this time, with conclusions happening during
the first and second quarters of 2014. From there, the FDA will submit final language to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and publication in the Federal Register,
and these are expected to become final within 90 days of issuance.
While there are many proposed rules, guidance documents and reports that are part of the
Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), here are a few of the primary issues.
 Sanitary transportation rule for both human and animal food – This will affect shippers,
carriers, receivers and other parties involved in food transportation.
 Written food safety plan, which incorporates proof that you are following the plan, to
include hazards analysis, preventive controls, monitoring, corrective actions, verifications
and record-keeping.
 Foreign supplier verification program – Importers will be required to have a program to
verify that the food products they are importing are safe, which includes verifying that their
suppliers are in compliance with reasonably appropriate risk-based preventive controls.
The Doppler Effect
When the distance between the source and receiver
of electromagnetic waves remains constant, the frequency
of the waves is the same in both places.
 When the distance increases between the source and
receiver of electromagnetic waves, the frequency of the
received wave forms is lower than the frequency of the
source wave form.
When the distance decreases, the frequency of the
received wave form is higher than the source wave form.

In 1842, when human flight was in its infancy, the Austrian physicist, Christian Doppler first
proposed a theory now known as the Doppler Effect or Shift in his treatise "Über das farbige
Licht der Doppelsterne und einiger anderer Gestirne des Himmels" (On the coloured light of the
binary stars and some other stars of the heavens). The hypothesis was tested for sound waves
by Buys Ballot in 1845. He confirmed that the sound's pitch was higher than the emitted
frequency when the sound source approached him, and lower than the emitted frequency
when the sound source receded from him. The frequency of the sounds that the source emits
does not actually change.
Stationary bug
No change in wavelength
Moving bug
Waves are stretched and squashed
There was a lot of discussion surrounding a McConnell Transport Facebook page
picture and even a few ‘outside the box’ comments a week or so ago.
Was this a good day to be trucking, a distracted driver, a relieved driver or a driver
stopped on a rural road getting ready to back
into a farm road to load some farm produce?
All trucks within the McConnell Transport fleet
have a reminder on the dash to NOT be a
distracted driver and training on the effects of
distracted driving is ongoing.
McConnell Transport’s main office sits very close to
Route 560 and the Lockhart Mill Road in
Jacksonville, New Brunswick, Canada. The
McConnell Transport employees are very aware
of the speed limits of 50 km on these roads. This
neighbourhood appreciates that McConnell Transport people care for the community they work in.
What they leave behind cannot be taken from us, as we move forward.
Grief is a long, painful journey. As the friend of a grieving co-worker, you can choose to help
make the journey more tolerable. Tell your co-worker how sorry you are and listen if he/she
wants to talk. Be available to him/her in the difficult weeks and months ahead. Your support
will help more than you can imagine.
Memories left behind when someone stops being our co-worker are one thing, but to absorb
the information that this previous co-worker is not ‘out there in the world somewhere’ is
something else entirely. McConnell Transport doesn’t often have the information on deaths
but there have been a few; Karen McCarthy (2006-2007 Admin), Ted Kitchen (2007-2008 Shop
Manager), Lyman Jenkins (2007-2009 Driver), Jeff Miller (2006-2008 Driver), Mike Reed (20082009 Driver).
Stephen Morris 1975 – 2014
Recent news reached us of the death of Stephen Morris, Traffic
Coordinator at McConnell Transport from 2004 until November 2008.
Following his employment at McConnell Transport, Steve trained and was
employed by Canada Border Services Agency and lived in the St. Stephen
area.
Winsor Floyd 1972 – 2011
Winsor was employed at McConnell
Transport from 1997 until 2011. It’s
been a short three years since his death
and he is remembered. Winsor came to
McConnell Transport as a very young
man and had many more miles to go
when he died.
.
Work/Life Balance
More than ever before, Canadians play many different roles in their lives. They are workers,
parents, spouses, friends, caregivers of elderly relatives and volunteers in their communities.
They must also make room in their lives for taking care of their own physical and mental wellbeing. Not surprisingly, achieving balance among all these competing priorities can be difficult.
Finding a ‘perfect’ balance between work and life is rare. The nature of that balance is different
for every person, and changes over time for each person. So we shouldn’t strive for perfection,
but to constantly be aware of making choices that will benefit all aspects of our lives.
Achieving work/life balance is an investment – it does take time and effort to implement the
changes necessary. But it’s worth the effort! Work/life balance offers some major rewards.
http://mentalhealthweek.cmha.ca/
.