YELLOWKNIFE - Long-haul truckers will soon be able to claim 80 per cent of their on-the-road meal expenses, according to last month's federal budget.

Eric Brown, an independent truck driver who hauled on the winter road last year, stands with his truck in Yellowknife. Long-haul drivers like Brown are finally getting some relief from the federal government in terms of larger meal-related tax deductions. - NNSL file photo

This is particularly significant for truckers in the North, where food expenses can be higher than in the south.

"It's definitely a positive change for our drivers and we hope that this will contribute to attracting drivers to coming North," said Cheryl Robinson, communications co-ordinator with RTL Robinson Trucking.

Prior to 1994, truckers could claim 80 per cent of their meal expenses. Former federal Finance Minister Paul Martin slashed the limit to 50 per cent in 1994.

The main targets of the change at that time were big business spenders who would take clients out for expensive dinners, said James Menzies, editor of Truck News.

The U.S. made a similar the change at the same time, but immediately realized truckers shouldn't have been included.

There the government has been slowly increasing the claim amount to its former level. Despite lobbying efforts for similar changes in Canada, the government had refused to adjust the decision until the recent budget.

Truckers in the North were upset when they could no longer claim 80 per cent of their meals, said Robinson.

"It increases everyone's operating costs," she said. "It takes so much away from the drivers' take-home pay."

At $12 to $13 a meal in a truckstop, three times a day, she and Menzies agreed food expenses add up fast.

"It hasn't gotten any cheaper to eat at truckstops," Menzies said.

For the past few years, the Canadian Trucking Alliance has been pushing for a change in the claim level and last year joined with the Teamsters union and Owners/Operators Business Association of Canada to petition the federal government for change.

They launched the "End the Lunch Bag Let-Down Campaign," where postcards were sent to the federal finance office. A few weeks before the budget was announced, the finance office had received approximately 4,000 postcards from disgruntled truckers.

While the claim amount has changed, it won't be until 2010 that truckers can claim the full 80 per cent.

After March 16 this year, 60 per cent of food expenses can be claimed, 65 per cent in 2008, 70 per cent in 2009, and finally 80 per cent in 2010.

The phase-in period is most likely designed so there is not a sudden loss of revenue for the government, Menzies said.

"Phasing it in is better than not re-introducing it at all," he said.