OTA hails Ontario plan to integrate emissions, safety inspections
The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) has applauded the Ontario government for a proposal the trucking group believes would curtail the use of Driver Inc. by carriers who subscribe to a business model of non-compliance.
The proposal tackles the issue of climate change and emissions tampering by modernizing vehicle inspections and integrating emissions testing for commercial vehicles in Ontario.
OTA in a news release said the proposal is a victory for the environment and means the noncompliant industry will begin to face consequences for illegally deploying delete kits that pollute the environment to lower operating and maintenance costs of greener equipment.
Under changes put forward by the Ministry of Transportation (MTO), the integration of the emissions and annual safety inspection program will create a streamlined “one test, one result” approach, which will digitize the collection of inspection results, allow certificates to be issued in a digital format, and create an efficient process for businesses that will provide sophisticated safety inspection data to the province.
The ministry is proposing to enhance diesel emission inspection requirements by introducing tighter opacity standards for 2011 and newer commercial vehicles; an advisory on-board diagnostic inspection for 2016 and newer commercial trucks where universal emissions data is measurable; and visual checks for critical emissions components on all vehicles where required.
The regulatory changes would also replace the current Motor Vehicle Inspection Station (MVIS) program with a contractual model, providing increased oversight on MVIS stations to ensure compliance with the new program and its inspection requirements.
Violations of program rules could lead to stations being removed from the program. Technicians will also conduct new enhanced inspections with specialized software, which will increase data collection and provide oversite on technicians conducting inspections.
“The OTA strongly supports the Government of Ontario for their leadership and commitment to tackling climate change and heavy-truck emissions in our province, through this innovative and streamlined approach,” said Wendell Erb, OTA chairman, president and CEO Erb Group of Companies.
“These regulations will help ensure that delete kits and non-compliance will not be an acceptable business strategy to the detriment of our environment, health and quality of life.”
MTO will also continue its robust on-road enforcement on emissions tampering, which includes out-of-province trucks with deleted emissions controls. With additional enforcement powers being given to MTO officers, the ministry expects enforcement efforts to continue to expand in the coming months.
Have your say
This is a moderated forum. Comments will no longer be published unless they are accompanied by a first and last name and a verifiable email address. (Today's Trucking will not publish or share the email address.) Profane language and content deemed to be libelous, racist, or threatening in nature will not be published under any circumstances.
Weird how “Climate change” and “air pollution” get lumped together here.
No emission system no mater how good prevents any greenhouse gas from a diesel truck…
It’s a feel good solution that makes no scientific sense.
Are you trying to prevent air pollution or greenhouse gas?
Better to spend the money on electrification.
Whos buying diesel trucks in 10 years anyhow?
They would like this because it will put the little guy out of business. The big trucking companies want the little guy to loose everything the have worked for.
The amount of cvor in Ontario by 1 and 2 truck operation are growing do to most work is local and the Big companies are loosing drivers over it.
Do to the lack of education the EPA has in most of north America shows after Def causes more harm to the engine and to humans then they even know. It is ammonia based that should tell people something, then on top of all that the cost of repairs it has caused that drives prices up in the stores.
This system has not fix anything in the environmental world more garbage at the land fill plastic not getting recycled was of cardboard and a waste of good water and a cost of $2.00 a litre.
So the happiness of the OTA doesn’t surprise the real truck drivers it just makes people in offices around the big trucking companies less educated. We already know that the government is only out for tax dollars and not fix anything.
The real fix is to honor all deleted trucks from 2008 to 2015 these are the years that had the most problems and most costly they do pass emissions even deleted.
As for the truth about trucks they do less harm to environment than cars, the biggest harm to the environment is people that are not educated about electric vehicles that will create more heat and are less recyclable that diesel trucks or gas cars.
But as many in the industry would say what does he know he just a truck driver. If you look at everything I told you it’s fact not fiction like taking carbon tax before the fuel is turned to carbon.
The true fix of
Guess they had better get on those asian owned and operated trucks as well as the ones glidered so as to avoid emissions. They seem to know how to get around certain regulations.