THE BC Trucking Association (BCTA), in partnership with the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, on Wednesday announced the third offering of the CleanBC Heavy-duty Vehicle Efficiency (HDVE) Program.

The HDVE Program is a key component of the Province’s efforts to support its legislated targets for significantly reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions over the next 30 years. By providing carriers with fuel management strategies and incentives of up to 50 percent for approved fuel-efficiency devices, participation in the program significantly reduces fuel consumption and associated GHG emissions by up to 35 percent.

Since the program launched in 2019, BCTA estimates the impact of the HDVE Program to have removed the equivalent of 8,808 passenger vehicles across North America.  The Province of British Columbia has committed $1.4 million to Year 3 of the program that will run from July 21 to March 31, 2022, or until the funds are fully allocated, whichever comes first.

“The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure is pleased to partner with the BC Trucking Association to support the transition toward a cleaner, more sustainable trucking sector,” said Rob Fleming, Minister for Transportation and Infrastructure. “The CleanBC Heavy-duty Efficiency Program is helping to combat climate change and enabling B.C. carriers to save money by using less fuel. By joining forces, we’re leveraging BCTA’s expertise to administer the program and its many benefits to B.C.’s trucking industry.”

The interest the program has received over the past two years has grown exponentially and Dave Earle, BCTA President and CEO, expects that Year 3 will continue to see the same trend.

“The trucking industry has risen to meet the challenge of mitigating the impact of greenhouse gas emissions, and we’ve only just begun,” said Earle.  “The CleanBC Heavy-duty Efficiency Program is so successful because it gives B.C. carriers an immediate and effective incentive to lessen their carbon footprint.  BCTA is privileged to align with the Province for the third year in a row to enable our industry to take an active role in reducing emissions.”

Key Features:

The HDVE Program Guide offers detailed information about the incentive program.

Key features include:

• A free, half-day CleanBC HDVE Program Course that teaches participants how to develop a Fuel Management Program for a fleet of any size.  Course registration opens July 21.
• Incentive amounts of up to $15,000 per vehicle and up to $100,000 per fleet for purchase and installation of approved fuel-saving equipment and technology.  See the full list of approved equipment and fuel-efficient driver training here.
• Funding allocated equitably among successful applicants by region, and carrier type and size.

Priority funding allocation for Year 3 will be given to new applicants. Applications will be accepted from new applicants beginning August 9, and from all applicants beginning September 13.

BCTA is working in collaboration with Indigenous businesses and communities to encourage program participation.

Eligibility:

To be eligible for program incentives, BCTA membership is not required.  Companies must meet the full eligibility criteria that are available in the HDVE Program Guide, including:

• Must have one or more heavy-duty commercial vehicles in their fleet with a gross vehicle weight greater than 11,794 kilograms.
• Vehicle must be licensed and insured to operate in B.C.
• Must conduct business in the province with a terminal located in B.C.

Applicants must also successfully complete the free, pre-requisite CleanBC HDVE Program Course that describes the benefits of using different fuel-saving technologies and practices. This half-day course, which is offered by webinar and in-person, teaches participants how to develop a Fuel-Management Program for any size fleet, incorporating measures to improve fuel economy. The course also demonstrates how to develop a baseline of fuel consumption and track progress as part of the company’s program. Registration for the CleanBC HDVE Program Course opens July 21.

How to Apply:

The application process for the HDVE Program is broken down into three stages:

• Stage 1: July 21 – Registration opens for the free, pre-requisite CleanBC HDVE Program Course
• Stage 2: August 9 – Applications open for new applicants
• Stage 3: September 13 – Applications open for all applicants

Program Course registration information and application details can be found on the BCTA website.

More Information:

For more information on CleanBC, visit cleanbc.gov.bc.ca.

For more information on the CleanBC HDVE Program, contact Cory Paterson, BCTA Vice President at 604-888-5319 or CoryP@BCTrucking.com.