The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) highlighted several asks through its pre-budget submission that would provide practical and achievable ways to reduce emissions from the trucking sector, including through changes to federal government policies and continued funding for important incentive programs that will provide meaningful ways to assist fleets looking at ways to reduce their reliance on diesel fuel.
Some of the policy and program related items outlined in the submission include:
- Emerging Technology Pilots: Increased funding for emerging technology testing, including for zero-emission technologies such as the Alberta Zero Emission Truck Electrification Collaboration (AZETEC), through the Alberta Motor Transport Association, but also for transitional technologies such as renewable natural gas (RNG), which will allow our sector to continue to become more familiar with newer technologies and get practical hands-on operational experience, with little or no-risk being associated;
- Reinstating the Federal Excise Tax Refund: The Government of Canada should reinstate the federal excise tax (FET) refund for trucking idle-reduction technology (TIRT), which was issued to reduce fuel consumption by turning off the main engine and utilizing separate devices to heat or cool a driver in the truck during rest periods. The removal of excise tax refunds for fuel consumed by power take-off units (PTOs) also remains problematic, as PTOs are driven directly from the tractor’s main engine – where the engine is being shared for motive and non-motive purposes. Any fuel consumed when the PTO is operating is therefore clearly for non-motive purposes;
- Carbon Tax and Double Taxation: The Alliance has continued to call on the federal government to ensure policy equity regarding the carbon tax, and has reiterated that carbon taxation provides no incentive to reduce emissions from our sector, and should be removed accordingly. The Quebec Trucking Association has also raised the issue of double taxation, which is negatively impacting trucking companies based in Quebec.
CTA has also continued to highlight the need for continued funding for environmental incentive programs, such as NRCan’s Green Freight Program, and making changes to the program to further streamline its utilization for fleets looking to maximize the use of aerodynamic and other devices within their operations.
“CTA believes that these environmental recommendations provide an incremental, measured and tangible pathway for emissions reductions that can make a meaningful difference for fleets and provide significant environmental dividends today,” says CTA’s Lak Shoan.