Environment committee  That's correct.

Environment committee  I'm glad you brought up margins. On average, for example, a class 1 railway's operating ratio would be 0.67 or 0.68. A good ratio for a trucking company is 0.97. That's 3¢.

Environment committee  That's for everybody. To your point on the margins, that's what motivates. You're getting to the point where it's what can they do to stay in business? Again, that doesn't justify it, because the vast majority are dealing with it, and we're dealing with the competitive issues plus the environmental issue.

Environment committee  The ecoTECHNOLOGY program for our members dealt primarily with the testing end of equipment. It has morphed into another program, but the short answer is yes, it definitely helped. It is currently in existence in an altered form, and it's still helping the industry, which gets to the latter part of our recommendation with regard to testing trucking equipment to ensure that what's brought up from the United States can actually work under our climate conditions.

Environment committee  These devices are extremely difficult to pinpoint. OEMs have their own challenges with identifying them. That is why we believe the best solution is a duplication of the Clean Air Act in Canada under CEPA, which would allow Environment Canada the enforcement powers to go after the manufacturers, distributors, resellers, and installers.

Environment committee  Absolutely. We, as a nation, take great pride in reducing our emissions. Therefore, we need a national enforcement policy, not just for emissions, but to level the playing field. This is not just an environmental issue; it's a competitive balance issue.

Environment committee  Absolutely. Instead of “environment”, insert “safety and competitive balance”. They are the same issues. Just for the record, the CTA takes great pride in being a progressive association. We believe in the environment. We believe in safety. We believe in compliance, and equal compliance across the country.

Environment committee  Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you, committee members. I'll start by talking a little bit about who we are, so you get an understanding of our perspective. We are an alliance of provincial trucking associations from coast to coast. We represent over 4,500 trucking companies. Our board is made up of 80 executives from across the country who are either owners or senior vice-presidents, so we represent the ownership within the trucking industry, from for-hire trucking, couriers, and private carriers—all aspects of the industry.

Agriculture committee  We work within the hours of service provisions and the provisions of our sector. In terms of comparing Europe to Canada on transportation and distances, the distances to market are far different. Therefore, the hours of service reflect that. But the animal welfare codes are different too, so the drivers are trained to deal with the realities of hours of service provisions and the distances between pickup and market delivery.

Agriculture committee  I think Deanna mentioned them, but it's not only key to have best practices on the issue. These have to move from being best practices to best requirements.

Agriculture committee  Absolutely. I think the one message here with regard to enforcement of penalties—and our overriding theme and how Deanna was presenting it—is that it's good to have a stick. I think you need government's utilization of the stick in the supply chain, which is always a good thing.

Agriculture committee  The type of workers we're getting is a challenge we've identified. It is becoming an increasing challenge in the general trucking sector, especially the animal sector. That is why we are emphasizing the need for more and more training—not just voluntary training or memorandums of understanding but required training.

Agriculture committee  I think part of the answer to this question has already been brought up both by the pork producers and by the cattlemen. There is a lot of discussion between the trucking industry and our customers on how best to handle these animals in transit and in working with various other sectors that are related to animal welfare.

Agriculture committee  I couldn't agree with you more. We are working on that issue. But I think there are two issues here. There is the issue of making sure that the animals are moved correctly and the public image is there, but then there's also an education that's required by us as an industry to make them understand that when we're moving the animals correctly, there still may be objections to how the animals are moved.

Agriculture committee  Sure I can. We're on the same page, and I think Deanna has been working with the same folks in this room, whether they're from the Cattlemen's Association and discussions with them, or with the pork producers, etc. What we'd like to see as an industry is a database that includes—and this is a private sector database—drivers trained to a certain standard, a standard agreed to by both the trucking industry and their customers, and those standards being enforced by the supply chain.