CTA offers ideas to improve trucking harmonization

by Truck News

OTTAWA, Ont. – The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) has made 11 suggestions for improving trucking harmonization in Canada, in a submission to the Council of Transport Ministers.

The Council established a federal/provincial/territorial task force in September 2016 to identify areas that would benefit from increased harmonization in the trucking sector. The trucking industry provided feedback through 2017.

“CTA applauds the Council of Ministers for their leadership on this effort. To assist the task force in their mandate, CTA and provincial trucking associations put their heads together and offered input on 11 key issues that can be addressed to improve harmonization for inter-provincial trucking operations that focused on productivity, a level playing field, safety and the environment,” said Stephen Laskowski, CTA president and CEO.

Highlights of CTA’s submission include:

  • The need to move forward in a consistent and collaborative manner on electronic logging devices (ELD’s) as soon as possible;
  • The need to harmonize hours-of-service regulations in all jurisdictions with the federal standard;
  • A call for increased collaboration among federal and provincial governments on truck parking and the development of a national strategy;
  • Progress by all governments with respect to mandatory entry-level training for professional truck operators;
  • The need for mandatory drug and alcohol testing for professional truck operators;
  • All carriers, regardless of domicile (Canada or U.S.) be treated and monitored equally by carrier profile systems;
  • Canadian carrier profile, safety rating and audit systems be given a formal review to ensure consistency and fairness in their application;
  • Government and industry move forward and establish a minimum baseline across the country for wide, single tires that works for the Canadian industry;
  • Improvements be made to the national weights and dimensions memorandum of understanding for b-trains and tractors with larger sleeper berths are implemented consistently and in a timely manner;
  • For provincial enforcement agencies to intervene and end the practice of emissions tampering and;
  • All jurisdictions move forward and implement speed limiter regulations.

“This is a great opportunity for further collaboration between industry and government,” says Laskowski. “CTA commends the provincial trucking associations for their efforts in contributing to our submission and looks forward to working with all interests in addressing the issues identified.”

 


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