LANGLEY, B.C. — B.C. truckers say that recent dips in oil prices are disguising the immediate effects of the province’s new carbon tax, but that doesn’t mean the new fuel levy isn’t costing the industry.

One month in, the 2.69 cent-per-litre carbon tax is less noticeable in day-to-day transactions thanks to a 2.4-cent decrease in pump prices from the week before.

"But isolate the carbon tax and look at its cumulative cost to the industry over time, the results are staggering," says the B.C. Trucking Association (BCTA).

Annual volume of diesel consumption by medium and heavy-duty trucks for 2007 is 1,570,838,764 litres. At current consumption levels at 2.69 cents/litre, BCTA’s research shows the industry will pay over $42 million in carbon taxes for 2008-2009.

In 2012-2013, when the carbon tax has climbed to 8.07 cents/litre, the industry will pay almost $127 million extra. Over the next five years, trucking’s cumulative share of the carbon tax will be over $422 million if consumption remained constant.

"The personal, corporate, and small business tax cuts implemented by the government don’t even begin to cover the contribution individual carriers are making to those totals," says BCTA is response to the government’s claim that the so-called "revenue neutral" carbon tax is offset by income tax breaks.

"These returns are not enough to offset the implications of the carbon tax for many in the industry."

BCTA members can calculate their company’s actual carbon tax payout through the association’s new "Carbon Tax Calculator," available online.