CTA’s recent work with the federal government and provinces has paved the way for new safe, environmentally friendly technology and configurations on trucks and trailers:
BOAT-TAILS
Transport Canada says it supports aerodynamic boat tail devices on heavy trucks and has informed CTA the issue is being raised with provincial transport ministry officials.
Transport Canada recently amended the federal rear under-ride manufacturing standard which paves the way for the introduction in Canada of full length boat-tails – environmentally-friendly, rear trailer aerodynamic devices which reduce drag and GHG emissions.
The ball now squarely in the court of the provincial governments, who have jurisdiction over truck weights and dimensions standards.
CTA has been urging the provinces to respond as quickly as possible so the industry begin taking advantage of this technology nation-wide.
Ontario is one province that is close to adopting the boat tail standard and is working closely with the MTO to see it through.
Click here for a CTA Briefing Note that explains the benefits of Boat-tails on trucks: Briefing Note – Boat Tails_Public
EXTENDED B-TRAIN CONFIGURATIONS:
In recent years, an increasing number of carriers have needed to utilize tractors with longer wheelbases in order to accommodate technologies required to meet heavy truck air quality and GHG emissions mandates (e.g., auxiliary power units); invest in driver wellness and fatigue management (e.g., through the installation of more comfortable sleeper berths); and install animal strike guards (e.g., moose bumpers).
Thanks to CTA’s proposals, a number of key dimensional considerations were developed and presented for tractors and semi-trailers in b-train configurations:
Click here for a CTA Briefing Note on the issue: Briefing Note – B-Trains-Longer Tractors_public
TRI-DRIVE TRACTOR WITH SEMI-TRAILER IN W&D MOU
Predominantly of interest to heavy-haul carriers, the primary benefit of the proposed tri-drive configurations is the increased traction they offer, reflecting the tare weight of the additional drive axle when compared to the allowable gross vehicle weights of other MoU configurations. Bulk haulers, many of which operate based on volume, could also potentially benefit from an increase in gross weight.
Click here for details of CTA’s proposed tri-drive single semi-trailer configurations: Briefing Note – Tri-Drive Tractor Single Semi-Trailer Configurations_public