OTTAWA - Taking another step toward buying a new fleet of more than 1,000 military transport trucks, the feds have completed their one-on-one meetings with eight undisclosed companies about the purchase.

"In working closely with industry, our government will ensure the best value for Canadian taxpayers, while providing the Canadian Armed Forces with the equipment and capability they need to do their jobs," Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose said in a statement.

Government officials say they'll analyze the industry feedback before kicking off a request for bids, but they don't know when the contract competition will start.

The project is complex, with the military seeking five variants of the trucks, along with associated equipment and maintenance service for the life of the vehicles.

The Conservatives originally announced plans to spend $1.2 billion to buy a new fleet of military trucks, but those plans were suddenly suspended in July 2012 because of feared cost over-runs.