TORONTO, Ont. –The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) visited Queen’s Park this week to present its pre-budget submission to the provincial government’s Standing Committee on Finance.

The trucking group said the province should encourage private sector investment in efficiency and productivity measures and ensure that the supply chain is reliable and predictable by injecting funds into infrastructure.

“The current situation is not pretty,” said Bradley, referring to the drop in southbound trade and the downturn in manufacturing activity brought on by the value of the Canadian dollar, the slowdown in US demand, ongoing border problems and the rise of China as manufacturer to the world. “Ontario is not going to lower its wages, labour standards and environmental laws in order to compete with countries like China. We have to be smarter; more efficient; more productive.”

He also urged the province to support the association’s enviroTruck initiative, by providing tax incentives and removing regulatory barriers to adopting the newest generation of smog-free, low-emission trucks.

Bradley pointed out a growing number of jurisdictions in the US and Canada have introduced financial incentives to replace older trucking equipment. “It’s an economic and environmental win-win,” he said.