U.S., Canada Should Cooperate More, Canadian Trucking Alliance CEO Says
This story appears in the Nov. 16 print edition of Transport Topics.
The United States and Canada should work more closely together on policies and regulations to improve competition and economic competitiveness, as well as to make highways safer and trucking’s environmental footprint smaller, said David Bradley, chief executive officer of the Canadian Trucking Alliance.
“Given the extraordinary level of economic and social integration that exists between Canada and the United States, you would think this would be self-evident,” Bradley said.
He made his remarks Nov. 6 at the annual Transportation Law Institute in Washington, D.C. Bradley also heads the Ontario Trucking Association.
Trucking in both the United States and Canada is undergoing a “cultural change,” in which carriers want competition to be based on service and price — but a price that “includes the true cost of compliance for all,” Bradley said.
The trucking industry in both countries has advanced “meaningful” proposals to improve safety and reduce emissions, he said, but speed limiters, electronic onboard recorders and electronic stability control systems also should be part of North American safety standards.
Speed limiters are required in Ontario and other Canadian provinces, a provision that has drawn disdain from some American truckers.
However, American Trucking Associations supports mandatory speed governing on all trucks manufactured since 1992. And as part of its environmental sustainability program, ATA supports a national speed limit of 65 miles an hour for all vehicles.
Bradley also called for an expansion of the longer combination vehicle network in both Canada and the United States, where some states allow LCVs but others do not.
Michigan, for instance, does not allow the longer vehicles, meaning Canadian LCVs cannot travel through that state to get to Ohio, which does allow them.
The situation is similar in Canada, with some provinces allowing LCVs while others do not.
This summer, Ontario began an LCV pilot program that allowed carriers to get special permits, and Alberta and Saskatchewan recently announced they will work together to harmonize their trucking rules on a variety of issues — including longer, heavier vehicles.
To understand the productivity benefits, American policymakers ought to look at the Canadian provinces that have harmonized their longer, heavier truck rules, Bradley said.
