As new proposed emissions regulations for heavy trucks are set for Canada next year, the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) is working with member fleets and suppliers to tell the story of decarbonization in our sector and our journey towards zero-emission vehicles. CTA believes the Government of Canada must understand our sector’s commitment to finding solutions to reducing emissions, while also capturing how these technologies are currently being deployed by fleets and their operational and technological performance within the varied Canadian landscape.
CTA’s report will capture what decarbonization efforts are currently happening across Canada, with these real-life experiences helping to guide future discussions with CTA’s Board, including what targets future regulations should contain and realistic timelines for these regulations to come into force.
“We believe this is the ideal time to tell the story of our member experiences with various emission reduction technologies so far. This report will assist CTA in matching these upcoming regulations with the operational realities that fleets are facing, while also maintaining our objective of reducing emissions from the transportation sector where feasible as this journey continues,” says CTA’s Lak Shoan. “This story needs to include experiences from truck drivers, maintenance staff and technicians, refueling/charging considerations, customer expectations, and the grid readiness of municipalities where these fleets operate, among other factors.”
To assist CTA in compiling this report will be Pollution Probe, a not-for-profit environmental group which has done significant work in areas including the heavy truck sector and emission reduction technologies.
“Pollution Probe is excited to be working with the CTA on this important research. Through interviews with CTA members, Probe is excited to gain an on-the-ground perspective of the zero-emission and transitional technologies that exist today and their potential in helping decarbonize the heavy trucking sector,” said Pollution Probe’s Cedric Smith.
As part of this process with Pollution Probe, CTA will be exploring various technologies being used and explored by fleets – such as zero emission and transitional technologies like natural gas, battery-electric and hydrogen fuel, amongst others.
Fleets interested in speaking with Pollution Probe about their experiences should reach out to lak.shoan@cantruck.ca as soon as possible.
CTA’s final report is scheduled to be released to the public in Q1 2024.