OTTAWA — The Canadian Trucking Alliance says its hopes of a national policy on the mandatory activation of speed limiters on all trucks are looking up as support builds among the provincial trucking associations.

The CTA says it has been receiving encouraging news from six of seven provincial trucking associations that they support a national policy based on the model developed by the Ontario Trucking Association. The Quebec Trucking Association is in the process of surveying its members before going to its board for a decision.

A Sign of Things to Come? CTA says it’s close to a consensus
on a national speed cap of 105 km/h

The OTA announced earlier this year that it wants governors placed on all trucks to cap speed at 105 km/h. OTA said it would seek support from other regional associations and transport ministries for a Canada-wide initiative before taking the proposal to the American Trucking Associations. The Ota has repeatedly said it is working towards a North-American policy, but would go it alone if other jurisdictions refused to adopt the proposal.

According to CTA boss David Bradley, it is likely that a national policy on speed limiter activation will be dealt with at the next meeting of the CTA board of directors in April. “It may happen sooner,” says Bradley. “But, we have not heard from everyone yet and there are a few local issues to sort out, so formal ratification in April seems realistic.”

According to Bradley, the support from the provincial trucking associations is not surprising when you consider the potential benefits, such as fuel savings of as much as 10,500 litres of diesel fuel a year, which amounts to about $ 8,400 per truck. Bradley adds the plan would also reduce car-truck crashes, tailgating and improper lane changes by trucks. It would also put less stress on truck drivers to feel pressured to speed in order to make deliveries, CTA says.

However, since it was announced, the plan has been met with vocal opposition from North American owner-operator groups as well as countless independent truckers in Ontario.

Recently, the Owner-Operators Business Association of Canada teamed up with the U.S.-based Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) — which represents 133,000 members in the U.S. and Canada — to fight the plan.

Owner-ops suggest officials could curtail
speed by stepping up enforcement

In their final comment submissions to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation OBAC and OOIDA contend the OTA’s proposal underestimates the role of the driver in the equation.

“Since the driver has the greatest impact on fuel efficiency, maintenance, and safety, more thorough driver training relating to proper driving speeds should have a positive effect on the speeds actually driven,” Joanne Ritchie, OBAC’s executive director, states in the report. “Technology cannot take the place of a well-trained driver, nor should it take away control of the vehicle from a well-trained driver.”

OBAC contends there are other effective speed management options available to carriers, such as paying bonuses or increasing per mile pay for compliant driving. Reduced fuel consumption is also achievable without government regulation, says Ritchie. She suggests MTO instead step-up enforcement toward non-compliant drivers of both trucks and cars, as well as step up public education on how to share the road with trucks, and retest all drivers with questionable driving records.

But the biggest contention OBAC and OOIDA have with the proposal is safety. While proponents insist governors would increase safety, many truckers suggest speed variations between cars and trucks actually lead to more accidents.

“Forcing heavy-duty trucks to drive slower than the flow of traffic, while other vehicles on the road continue to speed, sometimes excessively, will lead to frequent lane changes, passing, and weaving maneuvers, as well as tailgating by faster-moving vehicles,” Ritchie writes. “It is well established that the risk of crashes increases significantly as speed differentials increase, in both the negative and positive direction. Indeed, safety is best served if all vehicles in the traffic stream travel at about the same speed.”