VANCOUVER, B.C. – The Vancouver Port Authority (VPA) has introduced the most demanding container truck safety and environmental licensing standards in North America.

In support of its strategic trucking program, the port’s new Truck Licensing System (TLS) will prohibit the access of substandard trucks on port property and develop a safer, cleaner, more sustainable container truck fleet to service the port’s container facilities

The new provisions will take effect on Jan. 1, 2008.

“With our new TLS version, the VPA is following through on the promise we made in April 2007 to introduce industry-leading container truck safety and environmental standards,” said Chris Badger, VPA vice-president, customer development and operations. “This new version of the TLS exceeds existing provincial environmental standards and raises the bar for container truck safety at the Port of Vancouver.”

The new truck licence includes more stringent safety and environmental enforcement, data qualification and audit provisions to allow the VPA to prevent non-compliant or substandard equipment from accessing port property.

New safety enforcement standards within the port’s mandatory licensing system include a three-tiered approach based on a cumulative system of warnings and suspensions and, for the most serious offences over time, cancellation of a company’s truck licence.

New environmental standards will require cleaner and more modern engine technology by phasing-out the use of older container trucks. By Jan. 1, 2008, the port will no longer allow access on port property to container trucks older than 1989. By Jan. 1, 2009, the VPA will prohibit access to container trucks older than 1994.

The TLS will include an appeals process to consider older trucks that meet acceptable alternatives to reduce emissions.

Other new environmental provisions address opacity, idling and driver education. To qualify for a licence beginning Jan. 1, 2008, trucking companies will be required to pass increasingly stringent annual opacity checks conducted by provincially-certified facilities and pass random checks throughout the year.

The port will also enforce a new mandatory idle reduction provision on and around port property and introduce a compulsory annual driver education component to the truck licence.