Fleet safety laws: make sure you are compliant

Ontario recently standardized the vehicle weights and dimensions limits, also known as SPIF (Safe, Productive, Infrastructure-Friendly), for commercial vehicles. The goal of the standardization was primarily to reduce the damage done to Ontario’s roads, highways and bridges, while also reducing the number of collisions by trucks and trailers. The changes, however, have a direct impact on productivity, as companies now find themselves operating with lower loads, impacting the bottom line.

The change in Ontario’s regulation warrants a deeper look at vehicle weights and dimensions across the country. Standardizing vehicle weights and dimensions limits provides the following benefits:

• Highly productive vehicles which are able to maximize on payload opportunities and productivity for businesses;
• Safer highways due to a higher level of control and stability, resulting in fewer collisions with other vehicles, pedestrians, and roadside objects;
• Less infrastructure damage from avoidable damage to roads and bridges, like pavement rutting or cumulative stress and fatigue.

Businesses unable to switch or standardize their fleets to be compliant might find themselves in a challenging situation. If businesses do not comply with a province’s weights and dimensions limit, they are fined for each extra kilogram under the Highway Traffic Act (HTA).

Furthermore, while most provinces and territories have similar weights and dimensions for classes of different commercial vehicles, there are minor differences. Companies conducting inter-provincial business would have to ensure that their vehicles meet the requirements for all the provinces they are operating in.

Challenged with properly spec’ing your fleet? We Can Help!

Determining the most cost efficient truck specifications can be a challenge for private fleet operators. Canada Cartage offers dedicated fleet outsourcing, giving companies all the benefits of their own fleet of trucks, but eliminating the burden of staying current with regulations, and investing scarce capital into newer vehicles. Since all Canada Cartage vehicles meet the standards and requirements for vehicle weights and dimensions across all provinces, our customers can rest easy knowing their shipments will reach their destinations safely and efficiently.

For more information, visit Transport Canada’s website or contact us to find out if Canada Cartage is right for your business’ needs.