SARNIA, Ont. (Jan. 20, 2005) — A anti-idling group funded by Environment Canada is encouraged by truckers’ response to an educational outreach program launched along Hwy. 402 and the Blue Water Bridge last year.

The Truckers Idling Reduction Program — conducted by the Canadian Centre for Pollution Prevention (C2P2) — was presented to 1,500 truck drivers at the border crossing and weigh scales along Hwy. 402. The purpose was to illustrate to truckers, through various mechanisms, the impacts of idling and what they can do to operate engines with the least amount of emissions.

The group says that during the six-week campaign, about half the drivers pledged support for anti-idling initiatives. Furthermore, 160 drivers signed a declaration agreeing to reduce their idling for one hour a day for one week.

“The campaign reinforced the messaging that other organizations such as Natural resources Canada (and) FleetSmart are promoting,” stated a final report released by C2P2 yesterday. “Drivers were pleased to see this campaign in action and felt the information was valuable for taking the first steps toward changing idling behaviour.”

Most drivers that were appreciative and thought the information was of great use recognized a need for education, the group said. It added that the unenthusiastic drivers seemed to be mainly truckers who did not pay for their own fuel and felt idling was purely a company problem.

The first step in the project was to gather interested stakeholders, including the Blue Water Bridge Authority, City of Sarnia Citizens Environmental Advisory Committee, and Lambton Community Health Services, and put together an educational message campaign. C2P2 says it was disappointed that the Ontario Trucking Association, which initially participated in the committee, later withdrew its support citing, according to C2P2, that the project scope was too broad for OTA to accept.

Also part of the project was the implementation of Idle free zones. The Blue Water Bridge Authority designated the truck compound and duty free plaza and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation the north and south Sarnia weigh scales as idle free zones. Permanent signs were mounted at each site to remind drivers to keep their engines off.

A case study, involving two drivers equipped with ant-idling technology and devices, also helped the group address the parameters unique to short duration idling — defined as stops between 15 minutes and one hour. The Rigmaster Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) anti-idling device used to maintain climate control and electrical amenities in the cab was installed in one vehicle and a Webasto direct-fired heater used as a heat source only was installed in the other vehicle.

Results of the case studies provided data on emissions reductions and fuel savings from device usage and contribute to research and development and marketing of these devices to drivers in North America.

The group determined in its conclusion that the message to drivers is stronger if it comes from an industry representative, such as carriers, driver trainers, or trucking associations, instead of another driver or environmental representative.

C2P2 says it needs to work harder to get such groups involved in educating truckers of the financial incentives, through tax relief, innovative financing mechanisms, and rebate programs, for anti-idling technology. “Ongoing educational outreach campaigns at border communities and elsewhere are vital to realizing long term broad based change,” says the report. “(But) anti-idling policies must be developed within trucking companies to educate and remind drivers of the benefits of idling reduction.”