March 2025 Newsletter
Dear HVTT newsletter subscribers,
For this month’s newsletter, we’re focusing on North America, particularly Canada as our upcoming HVTT18 symposium is heading there in May. The organization is going great! We have a solid scientific program, and amazing social activities planned. Check out our website and register soon!
We cannot talk about Canada at this moment without mentioning the tariffs that the U.S. has, will, could, may or may not (who knows!) impose on Canadian products.
These tariffs have a major impact on the economy and the trucking industry as more than 60% of all Canada’s commercial exchanges are made with the USA, with 54% of Canadian exports to the USA transported by truck and 72% of imports arriving by truck. This corresponds to approximately 5.5 million trucks crossing the border annually, carrying an estimated $33 billion in value.
This uncertainty concerning tariffs has accelerated efforts to strengthen trade between provinces in part by reducing trucking-related regulatory barriers. In Canada, some trucking regulations fall under provincial jurisdiction, meaning that there are discrepancies in truck size and weight limits that constrain intra-provincial trade. For example, despite a relative regional uniformity of regulations governing longer combination vehicle operations, differences still exist concerning various operating conditions and equipment specifications. Overall, it is not clear yet what this harmonization effort could lead to, but this initiative is expected to streamline domestic trade, enhance economic efficiency, and boost productivity.
And I was forgetting, spring has arrived early in Québec this year, with the snow melting fast. Roads are officially in thaw this week in Québec. So as the roads are more fragile, trucks have weight restrictions until May 23rd. For instance, a tridem axle normally limited to 26 tonnes will be limited to 22 tonnes during the thaw period. But don’t worry, it doesn’t mean the temperature will remain cold until then. We should have weather around 20°C during the symposium! You might have to bring some shorts and a jacket (we never know). And looking forward to seeing you there!
Julien Lépine, P. Eng., Ph. D.
HVTT18 Chair
