OTTAWA, Ont. — While the Canadian Trucking Alliance’s proposal to mandate the use of speed limiters on all trucks has captured most of the attention, but a number of other nationwide policies are also in line to preserve the environment.

The alliance and the country’s provincial trucking associations are also pursuing various other measures in a proactive response by the industry to improve fuel efficiency, lower greenhouse gas emissions and impact on the environment.

CTA along with the provincial associations contend that current truck weight laws are a deterrent to investment in anti-idling devices; wide-base single tires; and new smog-free truck engines by penalizing the payloads of vehicles equipped with these new, fuel efficient/environment enhancing technologies.

“Industry wants to get this technology into more wide-spread use, and governments also want us to become more fuel efficient and reduce GHG and smog emissions,” says David Bradley, CEO of the alliance. “Given the fuel crisis and the environmental imperative, the provincial weights and dimensions rules should be sufficiently flexible as to accommodate those carriers that are attempting to do the right thing.”

As a result the associations are calling upon the National Task Force on Vehicle Weights and Dimensions to consider a few measures; including allow a 400-lb. GVW tolerance for anti-idling devices, similar to an exemption in the U.S.; and allow the same weights for wide-base single tires as for dual tires; recognize the weight implications of particulate traps on smog-free truck engines by allowing a 300-lb. weight tolerance.

CTA is urging the National Task Force on Vehicle Weights and Dimensions, which reports to the Council of Deputy Ministers Responsible for Highways and Transportation Safety to address this issue on a priority basis.