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Thursday, March 28, 2024

E-Bulletin: Saskatchewan Secondary Highways Start Spring Weight Restrictions

E-Bulletin March 26/2024 Secondary Highways Start Spring Weight Restrictions Released on March 25, 2024 Spring road weight restrictions begin to protect a key part of Saskatchewan's transportation network as the province shifts from freeze to thaw. Road restrictions reduce allowable vehicle weights on rural municipal roads and secondary weight provincial highways by 10 to 15 per cent. During the spring thaw, these restrictions protect the surface and ground beneath these roads, which are softer and unable to handle more weight until conditions are dryer. The 2024 restrictions began this morning in the south and are expected to be phased in by region as warmer temperatures and longer days arrive. The 2024 spring restrictions will remain in place for up to six weeks. To check for the latest available information about which highways have spring weight restrictions, please visit: https://www.saskatchewan.ca/business/transportation-and-road-construction/information-for-truckers-and-commercial-trucking-companies/regulations-and-road-restrictions/increased-weights-and-road-restrictions. The newest order will be under the Spring Road Bans heading.

Ontario increased enforcement

As you may have noticed, the OPP between Thunder Bay and Kenora have recently stepped up enforcement in regards to speed and distracted driving. This is in response to increased complaints from the public regarding bad driving habits, distracted driving and excessive speed. The proverbial “last straw” was a driver being pulled over for driving 27 km/h over the posted limit, watching a movie on his phone with his feet on the dashboard. While the final list of violations and the cost of said violations is unknown, rest assured that they will include a court date, and substantial monetary penalties. Speeding is one thing, but Ontario law requires a tractor trailer to be electronically limited to 105 km/h Period. Even if you are descending a hill, and your speed creeps up to 110, you can be ticketed for not having a speed limiter on your truck. Many times drivers had complained that they are not being treated as a professional. Well, if we want to be treated as a professional, then we have to act like a professional. We can do this by driving courteously, and professionally. Do not pass when it’s unsafe, watch your speed, especially in towns, cities,...

Insecure loads

There has been a rise lately around insecure loads on open deck trailers. In one case a few years back, a driver in Georgia was stopped and heavily ticketed when it was discovered the 90,000 excavator he was hauling was completely unsecured. His excuse was the weight of the machine would hold it to the trailer. The rules for securing loads to a flat deck vary a bit between Canada and the US, with Canadian rules being a bit more restrictive. In general terms, if you secure a load legal for Canada, you should have no problems in the US. There are 2 methods of securing freight to an open deck trailer: Direct securement (chains and binders), and indirect securement (straps). Of the 2, indirect securement is the most common, and this is where most of the insecure load tickets and incident occur, so we’ll go over that one first. So how do you decide when to use chains and when to use straps? Chains are used almost exclusively for vehicles. Cars, trucks, vans, construction equipment, etc. pretty much everything else can be strapped. One exception is rail containers. If you’re hauling an empty rail container on the deck, you can secure...
semi tractor trailer driving on the highway in the evening

E-Bulletin: Upcoming Regulatory Requirements in B.C. – Speed Limiter, In-Cab Warning Device Mandates in Effect this Spring

E-Bulletin March 20/2024 Good afternoon, As you may know, the B.C. Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure recently announced two new regulatory requirements coming into force this spring: By April 5, 2024: Speed Limiters must be activated, set and accurately programmed to a maximum rate of speed of 105 km/h in commercial vehicles manufactured after 1994, with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 11,793 kg, that have an electronically controlled engine. By June 1, 2024: In-cab visual/audio warning devices must be installed in commercial vehicles equipped with a dump box capable of rising above 4.15 meters. More information regarding these requirements can be found in CVSE Bulletin #07-2023, recently updated to include Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), posted online at CVSE.ca/What’s New. Please share this information amongst your colleagues, members of your organization, and stakeholders. If you have questions not answered by the bulletin/FAQ, enquiries can be made to CVSE.modernization@gov.bc.ca and will be responded to by a representative. Thank you, CVSE General Inquiry

PMTC and OTDS announce the release of the 8th Annual Canadian Private Fleet Benchmarking Survey

Ebulletin March 18/2024 Milton, ON:  The Private Motor Truck Council of Canada and Benchmark Sponsor, Ontario Truck Driving School, have announced that the 8th annual PMTC Canadian Private Fleet benchmarking survey instrument is now live! This study is open for completion by all Private Fleets which have a base of operations in Canada. PMTC Membership is not a requirement. “For the last 7 years the PMTC has partnered with the National Private Truck Council and re-introduced the first Canadian specific private benchmarking survey reports since 2011” remarked PMTC President Mike Millian. “The response to these surveys and the quality of the Benchmarking report produced have been gratifying and provide a valuable tool and resource to our membership. As a result, we are once again partnering with the NPTC for the 2024 Survey. The NPTC has been producing a private fleet benchmark survey in the USA annually since 2005, and by partnering with them again, the PMTC feels it is guaranteeing another quality and highly respected report for our members” The PMTC has a benchmarking committee, made up of Canadian operators who review the survey annually. The committee works on shaping the survey and updating it to ensure it is reflective of the current Canadian...
Traffic Safety Act to Protect Roadside Workers

E-Bulletin: Rogers Pass Stopping and Parking Restrictions

E-Bulletin March 15/2024 Stopping and Parking Restrictions for Commercial Truck Drivers in Glacier National Park In early November, Parks Canada proposed  stopping and parking restrictions in the Rogers Pass  summit area of Glacier National Park, BC due to  safety concerns.   Thank you for providing your input. Based on  feedback received, changes were made to the  proposed measures to better address concerns  from both the commercial trucking industry and  Parks Canada.  KEY CHANGES TO NOTE  Short 30-minute or less stops will be allowed in  the Rogers Pass summit area but longer stops to  sleep and overnight parking are prohibited.  The Sir Donald and East Glacier rest areas may  be used, if needed, for longer stops but space is  limited.  It is understood that commercial vehicles may need  to stop unexpectedly, whether to rest or for an  emergency. The goal is to ensure that drivers know  where they can stop safely and what to do if they  must stop in an avalanche area. Safe parking areas  are limited. WHAT COMMERCIAL TRUCK DRIVERS NEED TO KNOW  Parks Canada is responsible for the operation and  maintenance of 43 km of the Trans-Canada Highway  through Glacier National Park. Maintaining the  safety and reliability of this national transportation  corridor for commercial...

Feb 22 is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day in Canada

While the fight against human trafficking is a year-round battle, Canada has designated Feb. 22 as National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, which provides an important opportunity to join a national conversation about the issue and leverage the momentum gained on the topic that day and in the month leading up to it. Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) has developed a menu of external and internal communication tools to help our valued partners become a part of this conversation. Companies can elect to implement any combination of these ideas; TAT will work with you to customize and co-brand materials as needed. Src: https://ontruck.org/feb-22-is-national-human-trafficking-awareness-day-in-canada/

CVSA part 2 (TPV operation)

Testing and verifying the proper operation of the tractor protection valve is very simple, and it should be part of your daily pre-trip inspection. That being said, the number of drivers who actually perform a full and proper pre-trip inspection is few and far between. We have all seen “that” driver who crawls out of bed, starts the truck, and heads for the highway without even getting out of the truck to check lights and tires. It’s probably a safe bet that more than a few drivers don’t even know the reason for the tractor protection valve. The purpose of the TPV is to ensure that in the event of an air leak on the trailer, the air system on the tractor is protected so as to prevent a full system depressurization, thus preventing the activation of the parking brakes on the tractor which could send you into jack knife, or worse. To accomplish this, when the air pressure drops below 100 PSI, your low air pressure warning light and buzzer will activate, and you need to find a safe place to park immediately! When the pressure drops below 60 PSI, the TPV will close the valve stopping the flow...

CVSA 2024 part 1

The focus of this year’s annual CVSA safety blitz, scheduled from May 14-16 should make be extremely easy to pass. The focus this year is on substance abuse and the proper operation of the tractor protection system. Passing the substance abuse criteria shouldn’t be a problem at all, but every year we read about impaired truck drivers. In many cases, it’s accidental. For this reason, we recommend the “24 hours, bottle to throttle”, meaning no alcohol for at least 24 hours before getting behind the wheel. Other intoxicants, however, can make it far more difficult to self-determine intoxication, and in some cases, trace amounts can be detected long after they were last consumed. Cannabis, for example, is fat-soluble and can be detected by a drug test up to 6 weeks after use. By that time, the effects will have long since passed, but the active ingredient is still in your system and when tested, you will fail the drug screen. How long other intoxicants remain in your system depends a lot on how often you consume them and when they were last consumed. Evidence of cocaine use can be flushed out of your system in as little as a day,...

Speed Kills

We’ve all heard the saying “Speed Kills”, and it’s even more relevant with semi-trucks. They take much longer to come to a stop at any speed, upwards of 150 meters from 100 km/h to 0 km/h. If you’re too close to the vehicle in front of you, you won’t be able to stop before running into them in an emergency braking situation. Your safest choice is to pay attention to traffic as far ahead of you as you can see, and to stay at least 6 seconds behind the vehicle ahead of you. To determine if you’re at least 6 seconds back, watch for the back of the vehicle ahead to pass a stationary object such as a power pole, bridge, or billboard and start counting “1 steamboat, 2 steamboat”, etc. if you get to the same point before finishing “6 steamboat”, you’re too close. Keeping the 6-second gap can be a real problem as people will cut in front of you into your “safe space”, so you need to be mindful and adjust your speed and safety gap accordingly. Another place excess speed is a problem is when cornering. Most on and off-ramps have posted speed limits and some corners...

Wheels off

Did you actively prevent losing a set of wheels today, or were you just lucky? Having wheels come off your truck or trailer, though quite rare, is one of the most serious safety violations to be found in trucking. Even out-of-adjustment brakes are somewhat effective, but wheels separating are not only of no use to you, but they pose an extremely dangerous, potentially deadly hazard. There are a few reasons why a set of wheels can separate from the truck or trailer, but the most common reason is improperly tightened lug nuts. Anytime a wheel is removed and re-installed, have the lug nuts retorqued within the first 100 miles. In some jurisdictions, this is a recommendation, while in others like Ontario, it is mandated by law. The reason Ontario is so strict regarding wheels coming off commercial vehicles is that about 20 years ago they had a real epidemic of wheels coming off trucks, and more than a few people were killed. Try to imagine the force of 2 tires and rims weighing close to 700 lbs hitting your car and a combined speed of over 160 km/h. To best prevent a wheel separation, do a thorough check of the...

Speed Kills

We’ve all heard the saying “Speed Kills”, and it’s even more relevant with semi-trucks. They take much longer to come to a stop at any speed, upwards of 150 meters from 100 km/h to 0 km/h. If you’re too close to the vehicle in front of you, you won’t be able to stop before running into them in an emergency braking situation. Your safest choice is to pay attention to traffic as far ahead of you as you can see, and to stay at least 6 seconds behind the vehicle ahead of you. To determine if you’re at least 6 seconds, watch for the back of the vehicle ahead pass a stationary object such as a power pole, bridge, or billboard, and start counting “1 steamboat, 2 steamboat”, etc. i f you get to the same point before finishing “6 steamboat”, you’re too close. Keeping the 6-second gap can be a real problem as people will cut in front of you into r “safe space”, so you need to be mindful and adjust your speed and safety gap accordingly. Another place excess speed is a problem is when cornering. Most on and off-ramps have posted speed limits and some corners on the highway...

The Feds, Provinces & Territories Must Work Together to effectively Monitor Carrier Safety Fitness

The Feds, Provinces & Territories Must Work Together to Effectively Monitor Carrier Safety Fitness The System in place currently has been broken for a long time, and solutions offered by the Industry have yet to be acted upon (the below is an exert of a communication that was sent by the PMTC to the CCMTA, Transport Canada & The Council of Ministers Responsible for Transportation) Currently, Commercial Motor Carriers who wish to operate a trucking fleet in Canada must apply for a Safety Fitness Certificate from the Provincial Authority in which they plan to license their vehicles. If the Provincial Authority of the base jurisdiction approves the application, a National Safety Code (NSC) will be issued to the Carrier. The base jurisdiction is then responsible for monitoring the motor carrier for safety and compliance, based on National Safety Code 14, which is a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) all jurisdictions agreed to several years back. https://www.ccmta.ca/en/national-safety-code While in theory, this process comes across as seamless and consistent, the reality of how carriers are monitored from one Canadian provincial jurisdiction to the other varies significantly. For instance, if you were to run a Safety Fitness Certificate from a carrier based in Ontario and then...

Safe loading / Unloading

Whenever you’re loading at a facility, be it loading a van at a loading dock or loading a flat deck outside, always exercise extreme caution and wear the appropriate personal protective equipment at all times. Most facilities have a minimum requirement for PPE, which is closed-toe shoes and a hi-vis reflective vest. Exceeding the requirements is never a bad thing, as there is no such thing as being too careful. When on a loading dock to count freight being loaded or unloaded, be sure to stay out of the way of moving equipment. This may sound obvious, but every year drivers are injured when struck by moving forklifts. While closed-toed shoes may be a requirement, it’s recommended that instead of running shoes, wear steel-toe boots. If and when you get a forklift running over your foot, or something falls on your foot, you’ll appreciate the steel toes. Before you back into or pull out of a loading dock, visually inspect the dock leveling plate and truck securement system, if they have one, for proper operation. Before pulling away from a loading dock, always ensure your load locks are in place, the dock plate has been removed, the dock lock has been disengaged...
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