BCTA seeks idle management regulation in province
BCTA (B.C. Trucking Association) is advocating for a province-wide idle management regulation for the medium- and heavy-duty commercial road transportation sector.
Greenhouse gas emissions from the commercial road transportation sector has grown by 27% over the past decade (2007-2018), and BCTA modelling is forecasting growth of 17.3% by 2030, according to a press release.
Many North American jurisdictions have implemented legislation and regulations to limit engine idling. On average, heavy-duty commercial vehicles idle for 1,800 hours per year, and as a result burn approximately 7,200 litres of diesel and emit roughly 18,720 kg of carbon dioxide emissions.
Some idle management regulations that have been implemented are:
- Vancouver: all motor vehicles, three consecutive minutes in a 60-minute period
- Revelstoke: all motor vehicles, three consecutive minutes when not in motion
- Toronto: all motor vehicles, one minute in a 60-minute period when not in motion
- Banff: all motor vehicles, no idling permitting other than exemptions
- Gatineau: all motor vehicles, three minutes in a 60-minute period
This regulation would apply to all commercial vehicles with a gross vehicle weight larger than 11,794 kilograms and prohibit idling for longer than five minutes in a 60-minute period when the vehicle is stationary.
Exemptions to this regulation could include:
- Emergency activity/personnel
- Traffic and weather conditions
- For maintenance/repair purposes
- A diesel-fueled truck operating in ambient air temperature below 0 degrees Celsius, or above 28 degrees Celsius for more than two hours
- A vehicle using an auxiliary power unit, generator set, cargo temperature control, or other idle reduction technology that maintains heat or air conditioning or provides electrical power
- A vehicle using power to perform its duties (e.g., crane, concrete, picker, hydrovac, bulk liquid pump)
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Tell them to get a life most of these people never left their homes for more than a day. Maybe someone should turn of their electric and gas see how long they last.
If any of these so called k ow it alls would bother to find out what operating temps multiggrade oil changes viscosity they would think differently
Who pays for engine damage?
BCTA? How about BC Anti-Truck Association? Try sitting in a truck at 0 C for two hours, getting in and out to open and close your doors or strap or unstrap your load. Or sitting in a truck in 28C (82 F for us oldies) in August after un-tarping your load. Especially drivers with any kind of health issues. Another example of the people who are supposed to advocate for drivers working against their interests. A reasonable idling policy would be well received by most in the industry but this is another product of the stroking circle of government and provincial trucking lobbyists. How about more parking, mandating access to restrooms, cracking down on waiting times at shippers and receivers, etc? Maybe the BCTA should stick to golf tournaments and back-slapping events.
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The B C T A and the C T A are looking at what certain receivers and trucking companies want. They want the gov to pass the rules, because the trucking company tell a driver this accommodation must be made for those with health issues including providing hotel accommodations. If B C gov pass the law they are exempt from providing for the disabled drivers
Teams need to keep the engine running! When it shuts down we wake up! To make one rule for every unit out there is just not effective! Sleeping on the Hwy is not easy in the best place, but to be woken up when the truck is stopped, is just cruel!
Then provide parking with electric plugs and require trucking companies provide hotel rooms when drivers are disabled or have health issues and also make all receiving and shipping have a drivers room with a bathroom and chairs
Do not complain about disabled truck drivers that the B C T A is making so they can’t do the job or in any other part of Canada