Transport Committee on March 15th, 2012

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Wild Rose, AB]

Can you give me some specific examples, from your membership or from the dealings you've had advocating on behalf of your membership, of some of the innovations they have come up with for creating fuel efficiency or other innovation?

While you're doing that, could you tell me some ways you were able to work with Transport Canada and could you provide some success stories in which they were able to help accommodate that? Or, if could you tell us of some roadblocks you've come up against, I'd be interested in hearing about those as well—just specific examples from amongst your membership.

[Don Moore]

I wouldn't say the two programs added efficiencies per se. They were more to do with the safety standards, the regulations to do with safety. The first was, as I mentioned, the rear impact guard on trailers, which is a far more demanding, far stronger guard, and therefore a far more difficult and expensive test requirement than, say, the U.S. requirement right now. That's for the rear impact guard on trailers specifically.

We were able to do some consortium testing to come up with a half a dozen designs that would cover 95% of the vehicle population out there. We grouped them together, brought together their funds, and worked with them to bring this project to fruition. They had the design and test documentation required to show that they complied with that regulation. They worked very closely with Transport Canada on the whole concept of consortium testing. That really made a huge difference, being able to spread that cost from $300,000 out among all those stakeholders.

The second was to do with brakes and trailers, particularly testing for parking brakes, which can be a very expensive test for any given configuration. We were able to bring together the industry to come up with a consortium testing because they're using all the same components. So it was a very good way of coming up with a solution that a small company could manage.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Wild Rose, AB]

To home in more specifically on the topic of today's meeting, we're looking at innovative technologies in the transportation sector. To offer some value toward that study, looking at your membership and what they do, what do you see coming over the next 5 or 10 years? What kinds of innovations would you like to see?

[Don Moore]

One that sticks in my mind is to do with fuel economy and the greenhouse gas issue when we talk about these situations where a working vehicle is having to stand and idle so that it's running equipment—using other technologies, even fuel cells and other types of auxiliary technology—that needs to continue running while the vehicle is essentially parked, but needs that engine running to do the job. It's still producing CO₂. It's still burning fuel. It's doing a job, and it's doing a job it needs to do, but there are other technologies coming down the pipe that may provide an opportunity to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas and improve fuel economy in that idling situation.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Jamie Nicholls]

I'm sorry, I'm going to have to cut you off there.

We're moving on to the second round of five-minute questioning.

Mr. Sullivan, go ahead.

[Mike Sullivan, NDP, York South—Weston, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

On Tuesday, we heard from Groupe Robert about some technologies out there they wish were part of the safety regime of the Canadian system. One of them was extra-wide wheels, and not only because they actually reduce the amount of fuel required. But it's not considered a standard in Canada.

How does your organization deal with the double-wide wheels? Is that something that is a federal or a provincial responsibility? How would that coordinate with this study?

[Don Moore]

That is an area where Transport Canada and the federal government could step in. It's dealt with at the provincial level, under vehicle weights and dimensions. So it is a provincial requirement. The allowance for the wide-based tires, using singles rather than dual tires, allowing for the weight, and also the width requirements have been a bit of an issue.... There are axles that will allow it to get out far enough. It's just a matter of having the volumes and not being so concerned about the older trailers out there and about actually being required to put those tires on, yet space them out. The problem there is that you're putting additional load on the bearings, on the axle itself, etc., and you're creating other problems. If you have the right axle for the application, and they do exist—

[Mike Sullivan, NDP, York South—Weston, ON]

It's a matter then of original manufacture rather than retrofit in that particular case.

[Don Moore]

To a large extent, to do it right.

[Mike Sullivan, NDP, York South—Weston, ON]

How would the federal regulation regimen help in that regard?

[Don Moore]

Again, the federal government and Transport Canada in particular at that table are always asked to provide testing or background information. They always seem to be looking to Transport Canada to provide the okay to use this type of technology. To be honest, I think it's just stepping up and taking a bit of a leadership role and saying this makes sense for all of us, so let's push toward that as a group.

[Mike Sullivan, NDP, York South—Weston, ON]

The regulations happen at the provincial level, but Transport Canada could take the leadership role and urge the provinces to adopt those regulations, is essentially what you're saying, rather than a regulation originating out of the federal sphere?

[Don Moore]

Essentially, yes.

[Mike Sullivan, NDP, York South—Weston, ON]

How much time do I have left?

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Jamie Nicholls]

Two minutes.

[Mike Sullivan, NDP, York South—Weston, ON]

You also talked about disc brakes and stability control, CSA-B620, which I believe has to do with the carriage of tanks of dangerous cargo. I didn't really follow. That's a federally regulated—

[Don Moore]

That is federally regulated from Transport Canada's transportation of dangerous goods directorate.

[Mike Sullivan, NDP, York South—Weston, ON]

I didn't really follow how that seems to have been introduced in 2008 but hasn't been enforced.

[Don Moore]

The work that was done to develop the latest standard, the CSA, has been completed. I'm not sure where it is in the process, to be honest, but it has reached a stumbling block because of the election and a few other things. Meanwhile, other work is coming along; we could have another standard by this summer. It would be another newer standard to adopt.

All of a sudden to pull back now on that one and put the new one on...I guess the point is we have to move that one forward. It's already in the system. Let's get it. It is an improvement. All the experts have sat together at the table and said this is the way to go. Have that introduced as a regulation. Then the next phase—it's always been like that. Because of the nature of it being done through CSA, all the right people are at the table.

[The Vice-Chair, NDP, Jamie Nicholls]

I'm going to have to cut you off there, Mr. Sullivan.

Mr. Holder.

[Ed Holder, Conservative, London West, ON]

Thank you, Chair. I'd like to thank our guests for being here today.

Mr. Moore, I want to take you back a little so I can understand your association a little better because I think by understanding it better, I'll understand the testimony you've provided today. How large is your organization in terms of membership?

[Don Moore]

Currently, we have about 500 members.

[Ed Holder, Conservative, London West, ON]

And of those 500, large versus, say, medium and smaller, those 20-size groups....

[Don Moore]

Unfortunately, I don't have exact numbers. I would say roughly 200 would probably be smaller. The balance would be medium. That also includes suppliers, which of course get into corporations as well. Maybe the last, say, 70 to 80 companies are members but are—

[Ed Holder, Conservative, London West, ON]

Are they focused in one province or one particular area versus another in the country?