The BC Trucking Association is reporting that a lot of truckers and trucking companies are looking for ways to reduce emissions.

BCTA president Dave Earle tells NL News there was an over-subscription to the funds by 33 per cent – which were available as rebates for companies that install fuel-saving equipment to their trucks.

“The commercial transport industry in B.C. is the number-one emitter of greenhouse gas emissions. The 77,000 heavy vehicles that are registered in B.C. have emissions that are similar to the 2.3 million light vehicles that are registered in B.C. So we’ve got a big, big lever to pull.”

The program included a free one-day course, held in Kamloops, Prince George and Langley. There were 137 participants, who represented 117 different companies and nearly 16,000 heavy-duty vehicles.

As part of Clean BC, the province provided $1.4 million dollars for the program, and Earle says 73 per cent of funds will go to companies in the Lower Mainland.

“The dollars that were spent was just a reflection of the size of the fleets and the size of the applications that we got in. It had nothing really to do with anything more than that, it’s just the size of the industry. So everybody’s eligible, and certainly we encourage all companies to come forward and have a look.”

Earle says he’s not sure if it will be funded again next year but says he hopes it will be.