Commercial Vehicle Inspection Requirements

Ontario has updated the daily commercial vehicle inspection requirements based on a new national standard agreed to by all provinces and territories of Canada.  The new Regulation, 199/07 can now be viewed online.  The Highway Traffic Act requirements related to this regulation are found under section 107 of the Act.  These changes have been put in place to address common vehicle defects and to support carrier maintenance efforts.  The daily inspection is the final check to determine if a vehicle is roadworthy. 

The new regulation specifies both major and minor defects that a driver must be able to identify.  It is important that carriers prepare their drivers through training programs to understand the new requirements.  Drivers must identify both minor and major defects, record them on their inspection report and report them to the carrier.  Drivers must also know that they are prohibited from driving a vehicle with a major defect. 

Drivers have an additional responsibility under the new requirements to monitor the condition of the vehicle throughout the day.  Carriers continue to be responsible to ensure that identified defects are repaired and vehicles are adequately maintained to meet the required vehicle safety standards and legal requirements.

Enforcement

The new Ontario regulation takes effect July 1, 2007.  Ontario will be extending an educational enforcement period of six months to allow carriers and drivers sufficient time to transition to the new requirements.  However, full enforcement action will be taken in the case where:

1. No daily inspection was conducted,
2. The driver fails to carry an inspection report, or
3. The vehicle is found to have defects
   

Educational Period

(July 1/07 – Dec 31/07)

Ontario will accept any vehicle inspection report that is compliant with the carriers’ base plate jurisdictional requirements.  Ontario carriers will be required to comply with either the old requirements (Regulation 575) or the new Regulation 199/07 during this transitional period.

Full Enforcement

(Jan 1/08)

Ontario based carriers must comply with all requirements of regulation 199/07.

Canadian carriers, based outside of Ontario, must have an inspection report and the applicable schedule compliant with new daily inspection requirements that provinces have implemented based on the current National Safety Code standard, or comply with Ontario Regulation 199/07.

US carriers may continue to use the previous days post trip inspection until further notice.  Drivers will be charged if found driving with a major defect as identified in an Ontario inspection schedule.

Under the new Regulation, drivers must carry:

1. The applicable inspection schedule (as identified in Regulation 199/07)
   
   
   • Schedule 1 – trucks, tractors and trailers
   • Schedule 2 – buses, including trailers drawn by buses
   • Schedule 3 – motor coaches (as a component of a 2-stage inspection option to Schedule 2)
   • Schedule 5 – school purposes buses
   • Schedule 6 – school purposes vehicles

2. A daily inspection report containing the following items:
   
   
   • The date, time, odometer reading and location of the inspection
   • The number plate and jurisdiction of each commercial motor vehicle driven and each trailer drawn
   • The operator’s name
   • List of defects identified (major and minor) and/or a statement that no defects were found
   • The printed name of the person conducting the inspection
   • A statement, signed by the person who conducted the inspection, that the vehicle was inspected in accordance with the regulation
   • The signature of each driver

3. In the case of a motor coach using the optional two-stage inspection process:
   • A copy of the inspection report conducted by a qualified technician in compliance with Schedule 4 (completed every 12,000km/30 days, whichever comes first)

To view the new regulation please visit: Commercial Motor Vehicle Inspections, O/199/07