Ontario will allow up to 100 longer combination vehicles to participate in a pilot project where specially certified drivers will pull two 53-foot trailers, known as Rocky Mountain doubles.


According to Canadian trucking publications, only active Ontario Trucking Association or Private Motor Truck Council carrier members will be invited to take part in the pilot. A maximum of 50 carriers will be chosen by lottery, each eligible for two permits. The drivers will have a special LCV Driver Certificate.

Proponents of the plan note that the introduction of LCVs could mean almost 2,800 fewer trucks per day on Toronto streets, and that because LCVs can achieve fuel savings of about 30 percent, that's a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

The Ontario Trucking Association has been lobbying for the program for some time. Shippers also applauded the announcement.

Other Canadian provinces -- Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia and Quebec -- already allow LCVs, with various restrictions.

(Read OTA's announcement here.)