News Release: Ontario Government begins Second Phase of Stakeholder Consultations on Vehicle Weight and Dimension Reforms

Ontario Government begins Second Phase of Stakeholder Consultations on Vehicle Weight and Dimension Reforms

TORONTO - To support the development of a "new generation" of trucks and trailers that will be safer and cause less road and bridge wear, the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) met with trucking industry representatives today to discuss the second phase of the vehicle weight and dimension reforms. The next phase of reforms will deal specifically with alternatives to lift-axle equipped dump semi-trailers.

"The Ontario government is committed to working with the trucking industry to find alternative vehicle designs that are safer and less damaging to our roads and bridges," said Brad Clark, Minister of Transportation. "This is good news for the taxpayers of Ontario."

MTO has identified lift-axle equipped vehicles as a cause of excessive bridge and pavement wear. These are the second group of vehicles to be addressed under MTO's weight and dimension reforms. Reforms will eventually address all heavy trucks and trailers. At the same time, there is a need to ensure that existing equipment can continue to be used over the remainder of its operating life.

"MTO recognizes that operators have a large investment in existing equipment," stated Julia Munro, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Transportation. "We are committed to ensuring that operators will be treated in a fair and reasonable fashion."

The meeting included representatives from the aggregate, agricultural, mining, and recycling/waste sectors, as well as MTO and municipal engineers. Industry representatives included shippers, fleet operators, owner-operators, brokers, and dump trailer manufacturers.

Government and industry consultations are expected to last approximately six months. Proposed reforms to lift-axle equipped dump semi-trailers are expected to emerge from these consultations.