The Canadian Trucking Alliance today released a whitepaper recommending a Made-in-Canada, SMART approach toward implementing the proposed Phase II GHG Reduction Standards and fuel efficiency regulations for heavy trucks and – for the first time – trailers.
The Phase I standards which were introduced in 2013 covered tractors and engines from model years 2014 to 2018. Phase II, will encompass the entire vehicle – tractor, engine and trailer.
<< Check out this white board video highlighting CTA’s SMART approach and download the full report at the end of this article>>
CTA contends the Canadian trucking industry is known worldwide as a leader in fuel economy/GHG reduction.
“At no time in our industry’s history have carriers’ economic goals been more aligned with society’s desires in terms of carbon emissions reduction than they are today,” says CTA president David Bradley. “Even with current lower prices, fuel is the second largest operating cost for truck fleets so it is in the industry’s interest to improve fuel economy while also further reducing its carbon footprint.”
But while CTA is onside with the aims of the Phase II regulation, it states that Environment Canada this time around cannot – as it has done in the past and which it has indicated it is planning to do again — simply adopt whatever the US Environmental Protection Agency decides to introduce to the US fleet.
In the whitepaper, CTA argues the US fleet is standardized around one configuration whereas in Canada a vast array of much more productive, efficient and innovative multi-axle configurations, trailer body styles, and higher allowable weights are allowed. When payload is considered, the Canadian fleet is 22 per cent more fuel efficient and produces 22 per cent less GHGs than the US fleet. In addition, Canadian operating conditions – the climate, topography, distances – are very different than in most parts of the United States and require equipment and technologies that have been tested and certified for use in this country.
The EPA considered none of this in developing its proposed Phase II rules which were introduced last year. To date, the only official word from Environment Canada is that it intends to follow the US lead once again. According to the Canada Gazette Part 1 Notice, the department’s approach will be “Consistent with the approach taken with current regulations for GHG emissions from heavy-duty vehicles and engines.”
“Simply taking the US rule and imposing it on the Canadian fleet would be at odds with the goal of reducing GHG emissions from the sector and would undercut Canada’s superior productivity and environmental advantages developed over the past 40 years,” says Bradley. “It would force equipment on Canadian carriers that is potentially either unsuitable or untested for Canadian conditions and which could expose Canadian drivers to unsafe situations.”
CTA is encouraging the introduction of a SMART Approach to the GHG regulation:
Safe
Managed
Adaptable
Reliable
Tested
Download the full CTA white paper here: CTA GHG SMART whitepaper_public