The Alberta Motor Transport Association has been lobbying to eliminate a weight-penalty applied to trucks that use super wide tires, according to the Edmonton Sun.
While truckers in Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba face no penalty when using super wide tires, drivers in Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia are subject to a weight penalty of roughly 15% compared to those using dual tires.
Currently, dual-wheel truck drivers can pull a maximum of 17,000 kg in Alberta and Saskatchewan. While in British Columbia, drivers can pull a maximum of 15,400 kg, the newspaper reported. Using single side tires reduces wheel weights and can save up to 360kg per truck. This saved weight could be put toward carrying a heavier load, the association argues.
“One tire is better than two,” Carl Rosenau of Rosenau Transport and former chairman for the AMTA, told the Edmonton Sun. “It’s not as expensive, it doesn’t use as much fuel, the ride is better, and there’s better traction.”
The association has been lobbying against the inhibited usage of super wide tires for six years and will continue to lobby for uninhibited usage, the association said.