In recent months B.C., Alberta and Nova Scotia all took a turn unveiling new initiatives aimed at making life easier on truckers.
Out on the left coast, the B.C. government has implemented a 500-lb weight allowance for trucks outfitted with auxiliary power units (APUs).
For truckers who were rolling with these things already installed to reduce idle time and save money on fuel, this will help restore the freight volume lost to the extra weight of an APU. That assumes you'll be able to get a chunk of that increased amount of freight that keeps getting talked about after the dwindling volumes during the past couple of years.
And for any truckers who didn't get an APU because they couldn't absorb a drop in freight, this might just tip the scale in favour of finally getting one and reducing fuel bills.
The initiatives in Nova Scotia and Alberta also targeted APUs. Both governments have decided to put aside some cash to use as rebates for truckers looking to purchase them, as well as a handful of other fuel-efficiency goodies.
Out east, truckers who own or lease a class 8 tractor and/or trailer will be eligible for up to $2500, plus HST, for the purchase of fuel-saving SmartWay-approved devices. The $1 million put aside by Conserve Nova Scotia will be administered by the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association, so if you're in the market for an APU, aerodynamic devices, low-rolling resistance tires, or maybe tire-pressure monitoring and inflation systems, get in touch with them (506-855-2782).
The rebates must be pre-approved and will be issued on a first-come, first-serve basis. Applications must be submitted by July 30.
In Alberta, the province has also put aside rebate money for truckers looking to purchase fuel-efficient technology. As well as APUs, money will be available for purchases of trailer skirts, end fairings, gap fairings and hybrid trucks.
Climate Change Central will be administering the Alberta rebate program and has set up a website (www.trucksoftomorrow.com) where truckers can go and reserve their funds for six months, prior to the purchase and installation of equipment.
In a bit of an effort to ensure the $2 million of Alberta money gets spread around and doesn't just end up in the hands of the province's larger fleets, the rebate program has been limited to $30,000 per company.
While a rebate here and a rebate there, along with a weight allowance somewhere else are all nice individually, for those tiny steps to turn into big leaps we'll just need a jurisdiction or two to put them both together.
Steve Macleod 
