VANCOUVER, BC— Between the federal government, BC provincial government and Port Metro Vancouver, they’ve put together $1.71 million to outfit the remainder of the Port’s container truck fleet with GPS technology.

“GPS technology will help manage congestion and wait times,” said Robin Silvester, president and CEO, Port Metro Vancouver. “The completion of this program is an essential step in carrying out the Joint Action Plan, with the opportunity to transform the container trucking industry and make our port a world leader.”

The Joint Action Plan is a 15-point agreement that convinced container port truckers to return to work after a month-long strike earlier this year.

GPS technology in every TLS-approved truck will give insight to routing and operational information to help manage congestion and wait times. The data is also necessary to carry out the Joint Action Plan, in terms of having a common reservation system, and for determining wait time fees.  

Under the program, about 50 percent of the trucks approved in the port’s Truck Licensing System (TLS) were outfitted with GPS transponder units between 2012 and 2013. The remaining TLS-approved trucks will be outfitted with GPS units as part of the new initiative, to be completed by July 2014.

The funding needed to outfit the balance of the licensed truck fleet with GPS technology will be split among Transport Canada, which will give $855,000, Port Metro Vancouver, which will give $595,000,  and the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, which will give $260,000. The total cost of the program, which started in 2013, is more than $2.5 million.

But once completed, Port Metro Vancouver will be the only port in North America to have a full truck fleet using GPS-monitoring, which will contribute to reducing the number and length of truck trips at the port.