Rolling Truck Age Program at Port of Vancouver to launch on September 15, 2022

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority announced that its Rolling Truck Age Program will go into effect on September 15, 2022, following additional stakeholder engagement earlier this year.

Old, diesel-powered trucks are a significant source of particulate matter, which is known to cause cancer. There are currently older container trucks serving the Port of Vancouver, some more than 20 years old. The Rolling Truck Age Program phases out older container trucks serving the port, for the benefit of the region’s air quality and local communities’ health.

The Rolling Truck Age Program will cap the age of container trucks serving the port to support safer, more reliable trucks and cleaner air for communities in the region. The current fleet provides an average of 30,000 single-sided port moves per week. Once implemented, the program is expected to significantly reduce air emissions from trucking activities in the region, including: an estimated 93% decrease in particulate matter, which is a known carcinogenic air pollutant; an estimated 80% decrease in nitrogen oxides, which are smog-forming pollutants; and a 2.5% decrease in carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change.

The port authority began engaging the trucking sector in 2012 toward the development of a defined Rolling Truck Age Program and considered several approaches in consultation with industry. Based on industry input, together with consideration of health and environmental factors, in 2015, the port authority advised industry of the upcoming Rolling Truck Age Program.

The program’s start date was scheduled for February 1, 2022. In January 2022, however, Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra asked the port authority to consider a short delay to seek further input on the implementation plan from stakeholders. In response, the port authority conducted two rounds of public engagement with Truck Licensing System (TLS) participants, industry associations and stakeholders, Indigenous groups, local government, and community organizations to help inform a revised implementation plan.

Approximately 80% of the 1,800 vehicles serving the port are already compliant with the new requirements, including 150 trucks that have come into service since the port authority began additional engagement over the last few months.

During the port authority’s extensive engagement process with stakeholders, many municipalities, Indigenous groups, communities and industry organizations expressed support for the program.

The Rolling Truck Age Program is one way the port authority is working to fulfill its federal mandate to enable Canada’s trade through the Port of Vancouver, while protecting the environment and considering local communities. It is also in line with the port authority’s goal to develop a zero-emission port by 2050, in support of its vision for the Port of Vancouver to be the world’s most sustainable port.