TORONTO, (July 7 2005) –Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) Chairman David Bradley wants Ontario to be the first jurisdiction in North America to make speed limiters on trucks mandatory.

The association’s Board of Directors endorsed the proposal, and will now spend the next few months figuring out how to make the principle into practice.

“The direction of the board is clear,” said OTA Chairman Scott Smith, who is also the CEO of JD Smith&Sons, “speeding trucks and trucks that sit in passenger lanes should no longer be tolerated.

“We’ll talk to carriers, truck drivers, government, police and motorists to answer questions like what speed trucks should be limited to, how to avoid tampering [with limiters], how do deal with the fact that there are 60 jurisdictions in North America, but we are of the strong view that mandatory speed limitation for trucks is overdue.”

So far, no North American jurisdiction requires mandatory speed limiters.

Smith, Bradley, and other representatives of the OTA recently returned from a fact-finding European tour and as Challenger Motor Freight’s CEO Dan Einwechter — who was also on the tour –said, “Speeding by trucks on the major motorways is not an issue in Europe.

“What’s more, the trucking industry there has been supportive of the measures introduced [to control truck speeds]–it’s created a better safety situation, had a positive impact on fuel consumption, helped to relieve stress on truck drivers and is consistent with levelling the playing field.”

While the OTA’s Bradley confirmed that there is no apparent “crisis” with speeding trucks in Ontario, he says limiters on trucks would enhance the image of the industry; it would bolster the trucking companies’ individual market strength, and it would weed out operators who resort to unprofessional tactics in order to compete.

“All players in the industry should be competing, pricing their service, establishing delivery schedules and meeting customer demands on a level playing field where everyone is playing by the rules and without pressure to operate beyond the rules.”

So, he said, at a meeting on June 16 the Board of Directors endorsed the principle that mandatory speed limiters on trucks should be introduced in order to improve safety, reduce fuel consumption, reduce stress on drivers and create a level competitive playing field.

Now, Bradley said at a press conference , the research and real work begins.

Between now and the fall, the OTA will determine the parameters, the feasibility and the industry’s reactions to the recommendations.
Only after comprehensive consultation with all stakeholders will the organization develop a comprehensive policy that it will then take to other jurisdictions, including the Canadian Trucking Alliance, the American Trucking Associations, and government bodies.