Western Canadian truck firms still waiting for wide-base single tires

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Today’s Trucking  /  April 20, 2016

Three western Canadian trucking associations are calling on their respective ministers of environment and transportation to adjust weight regulations to allow fuel-saving, wide-base single tires that would reduce harmful emissions and save trucking firms’ money.

The proposal from the Alberta Motor Transport Association, British Columbia Trucking Association and Saskatchewan Trucking Association aims to harmonize regulatory standards, which have been at a standstill out West since the single-tire technology debuted some 16 years ago.

While Ontario, Manitoba and Quebec have made exceptions for the new generation tires, the Western provinces say they’re missing out on fuel savings of up to 10% compared to single tires, and GHG emissions reductions of about 8.5 tonnes per truck per year when using wide-base single tires.

While fleets can load up to 9,000 kgs (19,842 lb) per axle in Ontario and Quebec, the limit is just 7,700 kgs (16,976 lb) in Western Canada. Potential damage to weaker pavements has been the main argument against the new generation tires.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) has also been championing for harmonization, having written to federal and provincial officials to work together to amend the weight restrictions.

“Constraining compliance options in such a way limits our industry’s ability to easily apply new technologies to existing equipment,” wrote the CTA in March. “It is in all parties’ best interest if trucking companies from across Canada have access to the same carbon reducing technologies that the federal government has deemed necessary for compliance.”