U.S.-Canada agree to closer cooperation on trucking issues

The U.S.-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council adopted a Joint Forward Plan last month that identified 29 cross-border initiatives the two countries have agreed to address.

In addition to agreeing to address concerns raised by the pharmaceutical and agriculture industries, the council has agreed to work on a wide range of issues aimed at benefiting trucking, transportation and logistics.

One key topic is the use of natural gas as a fuel source. Natural Resources Canada and the U.S. Department of Energy have agreed to develop common codes and standards and have committed to share information, identify emerging areas in natural gas deployment and explore challenges in harmonizing codes and standards across the two nations.

“North America has a tremendous natural gas resource advantage. Regulatory cooperation supporting greater use of natural gas in the transportation sector is a win-win for both Canada and the United States,” said Alicia Milner, president of the Canadian Natural Gas Vehicle Alliance. “Canada’s natural gas vehicle industry looks forward to continued collaboration with Natural Resources Canada to address technical barriers and to provide outreach to fleets interested in natural gas vehicle deployment.

The two countries also intend to join forces in the name of truck safety with Transport Canada and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) making efforts to align new and updated light and heavy-duty vehicle motor vehicle safety standards. The two organizations may “undertake joint testing and research, joint and collaborative risk assessments, and exchange technical data and information to support future aligned standards development decisions in both countries. They will also consider how single test methodologies could be implemented in both countries.”