Transport Canada: New Regulation Changes for 2020
On January 1st 2020 new regulations will come into effect in Canada that will impact tanker trailers. These changes are in line with the government’s vision of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The agency responsible for the enforcement of the regulation is Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC).
In this second phase of greenhouse gas emission regulations (GHG2), the changes will have the following effects on tank trailers with 3 or fewer axles (this includes each unit of a B-train). At this point liquid and (compressed) gas tankers are explicitly covered under the definition of non-box trailers but it is still unclear for dry-bulk trailers. As currently stated, dry-bulk trailers would be excluded from the changes but this is likely an oversight as the similar wording in the US EPA regulations was formally interpreted by the US government to include dry bulk trailers. This remains to be clarified by ECCC.
Required equipment on new tank trailers will be;
- Low rolling resistance tires
- for the 2020 model year, 6 kg/t or less, or
- for the 2021 model year and subsequent model years, 5.1 kg/t or less
- Tire pressure monitoring or automatic tire inflation
- Examples include but are not limited to: Tiremaxx, Meritor PSI, Cat’s Eye
As it stands now, the only tires that pass these requirements are long haul – highway type tires. Off-road, vocational and regional tires do not meet the rolling resistance requirements. Manufacturers of trailers and tires are working together to improve the offerings and hope that some relief measures may be accepted by ECCC.
Environment and Climate Change Canada is expected to provide a guidance document(s) in first half of 2019.
Full regulation can be read at the following web address.
https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2013-24/FullText.html.
For more information or questions concerning how to proceed with the new regulations please contact us.