Canada funds “ecoFreight”

Earlier this month, Canada’s federal transport minister, Lawrence Cannon, unveiled a four-year, $61 million (Canadian dollars) program to “help reduce the environmental and health effects of freight transportation.” Dubbed “ecoFreight,” the program is a part of Canada’s over all environmental strategy, which includes initiatives impacting all modes of transportation, not just trucking.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) was cautiously optimistic about the initiative in a news release issued following the announcement. David Bradley, CTA’s chief executive officer, was quoted as saying, “from what we can glean, today’s announcement may be a good first start in the adoption of CTA’s 14-point action plan for a Made-In-Canada Clean Air Act for Trucking.”

The ecoFreight Program includes $6 million to help reduce provincial barriers to harmonization on the adoption of emissions-reducing technologies in trucking. Specifically, that may include nationwide weight and/or dimension allowances for idle reduction equipment and other fuel-saving components, such as wide-base single tires and aerodynamic devices.