The trucking industry in Quebec is taking a step forward in an effort to tackle trucking data gaps with the launch of the Observatoire sur le transport routier des marchandises (OTRM) – or the road freight transport observatory – which was unveiled at Laval University on Sept. 10. The event also marked the return of the university’s freight transportation course to its curriculum.

“One of the goals of the observatory is to create connections and collaborate with the transportation industry to improve best practices,” said Frank Pons, dean of the faculty of business administration.

The initiative was welcomed by Eric Gignac, chief executive officer of Groupe Guilbault and president of the Foundation for Freight Transport Training.

“In 2006, when I joined the board of the Quebec Trucking Association (ACQ), we asked former Quebec Premier Jacques Parizeau to gather data on the trucking industry,” he recalled, saying premier’s response left the association stunned: “There is nothing in the government to explain the importance of the trucking industry in Quebec.”

Historic lack of data

The absence of data was felt even more recently, when a report from the Quebec government’s climate change advisory committee made recommendations based on inaccurate claims, including that 40% of truck mileage in the province were done with empty trucks.

“There was no data or statistics to deny these claims,” Gignac explained. Subsequent research and analysis by professors Jacques Renaud and Leandro C. Coelho, along with their team from Laval University’s faculty of business administration, revealed that “some statistics had been misinterpreted.”

Their study, which included real data from Quebec’s LTL carriers, demonstrated that the actual empty mileage rate was not 40%, but rather 9%.

The creation of the OTRM is seen as a logical solution to the industry’s data gaps.

“We concluded it was important to establish an observatory on freight transportation to stay ahead, have a thorough understanding of our data and statistics, and base our discussions on real facts,” Gignac said. The observatory will also propose improvement and advancement strategies for the industry.

The OTRM will work closely with carriers to gather real data, which will be used for analysis, studies, and recommendations on key industry issues. It will also develop educational materials related to the sector. The Foundation for Freight Transport Training has donated $10,000 to help launch the observatory.

Freight transportation course returns

As for the return of the freight transportation course, it will once again be part of the university’s supply chain management program. The course had previously been replaced with one on distribution and warehousing, which was less focused on the specific realities of road transportation.

“We recognized, alongside the foundation, that there was a need for a course addressing the specific challenges of trucking. So, we decided to bring it back,” Renaud said.

He concluded the OTRM launch with a reference to a recent study on forest fires in Canada published in Nature magazine.

“Forest fires in Canada in 2023 generated 2,370 megatonnes of CO2 emissions. In comparison, Canada, in all its activities, generated 703 megatons of CO2. In one season, forest fires represented three times Canada’s industrial output in CO2 emissions,” Renaud said. “How many greenhouse gases do road haulers in Quebec generate in a single year? The answer is 30 megatons. These fires represented 71 years of road transport in Quebec. Conclusion: when you go for a walk in the forest, be careful — don’t start a fire!”