With double the payload and half the emissions, two-trailer trucks seem the perfect solution to the troubles facing the road mode - that is, where they're allowed to operate. Deborah Aarts latches on to what shippers can expect. In a mode hammered by driver shortages and high fuel prices, turnpike doubles-longer combination vehicles (LCVs) with two 53-foot containers pulled by a single tractor-appear to be a trucking dream come true. One engine can haul double the cargo of a regular tractor-trailer combination, cutting costs and giving shippers more bang for their transportation buck. The problem? Turnpike doubles aren't legal everywhere in Canada. They're currently allowed to run in Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta (and more than 30 US states). Most other provinces have launched or are planning pilot programs. The biggest stickler is Ontario, which has not conducted turnpike trials on its roads. But shippers and carriers are keen to bring turnpike doubles to the whole country, and they've got some convincing stats to back up their case.
展开▼
