The BC Trucking Association (BCTA) is commending a move by the governments of B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan to streamline some trucking regulations to smooth truck movement between the provinces.
“For us, it’s one step in the right direction,” said BCTA president and CEO Louise Yako. “I’ve already heard from carriers who have said this is going to make it easier to travel across provincial boundaries, so that’s a good sign.”
According to the BCTA, the new regulations, which went into effect July 1, will reconcile certain aspects of vehicle weights and dimensions, operating policies and enforcement practices to improve the efficiency for inter-jurisdictional travel for heavy commercial vehicles.
Yako said that the move will make it easier for B.C. companies that have invested in newer tractors to take their equipment across provincial borders.
“It’s the newer tractors that tend to be a bit longer and a bit heavier and they are longer and heavier in order to accommodate additional equipment to deal with emissions and to also make the space available for the drivers more comfortable."
Yako added it’s not just the trucking community that stands to benefit from this new move.
“I think, in the end, the customer benefits because if you’re allowing carriers to be more efficient, then they should be able to pass on that efficiency savings to their customers,” she said.
But she noted that there are still regulatory inconsistencies to be worked out between the three westernmost provinces.
“There are a number of other irritants that we think need to be fixed and the government has made a commitment to look at those for 2012,” she said. “We certainly appreciate the changes that have been made thus far.”
Jenny Wagler
Twitter: JennyWagler_BIV