Project to reduce greenhouse gases at the Port of Montreal

The Montreal Port Authority (MPA) is launching a project that will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by optimizing truck routes on its territory.

The advanced new Trucking PORTal Web-based application will be a key tool to reach the goal of reducing wait times at port container terminals. A data capture system makes it possible to measure truck trips from entering to leaving the Port, and to relay this information in real time to drivers and dispatchers. The data is gathered using a combination of Bluetooth and RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) technologies and licence plate readers.

Specifically, truck trips are captured at several points on Port territory, tracking their movement. This results in a comprehensive view of the traffic, bottlenecks and wait times at the various terminals. This information is sent to drivers in real time by means of a mobile application that they download on their mobile device. They can use this information to plan more efficienty their route resulting in less traffic congestion, less idling and, therefore, less GHG emissions.