Truck Laws and Regulations
Semi-trucks are governed by numerous local, provincial/state, and federal laws. Various legislation in place covers factors including how long an operator can drive without stopping, the size and weight of trucks, the weight distribution of trucks, the weight on each axle and each tire of a truck and the speed at which trucks can travel.
In Ontario, a commercial motor vehicle is:
- a truck or highway tractor with a gross weight or registered gross weight of more than 4,500 kilograms (kg) OR
- a bus with a seating capacity for ten or more passengers
What is an overloaded/overweight vehicle?
For trucking industry professionals, gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) represents the maximum vehicle weight, including chassis, body, auxiliary equipment and payload.
To understand the gross weight several factors must be considered, including the number of axles, the size of the tires, the type of suspension, the distance between the axles, the type of load carried (aggregate or non-aggregate load) and the weight allowed on the steering axle.
You cannot operate a vehicle or combination of vehicles on a highway when its gross weight exceeds the maximum weight permitted under Part VII of the Highway Traffic Act and its regulations.
Overweight trucks pose a serious safety threat because of how much more difficult it becomes to control the truck.
What are the risks associated with overweight trucks?
The potential issues presented by an overweight or overloaded truck include:
- Overheated tires and potential blowout situations
- Overheated or even failed brakes
- Extended stopping distances
- Tipping hazards on corners or during high winds
- Reduced brake efficiency due to weight shifting
- Accelerated deterioration of roadway surfaces and damage to bridges
What happens if a truck is overweight at a truck station?
When a truck is found to be overweight at a truck station, several consequences can occur. First and foremost, it violates transportation regulations and poses safety risks. Typically, the truck will be required to unload excess cargo until it meets the approved weight limits. This process can result in delays, additional costs, and inconvenience for both the truck driver and fleet. Repeated violations can lead to more severe penalties, including the suspension of the trucking company’s operating privileges.
Who is responsible for an overweight truck ticket?
Responsibility for overweight trucks (and tickets) lies with the vehicle operator and, in some cases, the entity that owns the fleet. Large manufacturers using their truck fleets must take responsibility for any weight-related violations, potentially incurring fines, loss of time, and damage to their reputation. Check out our other blog to learn more about this.
Who is required to stop at a weigh station in Ontario?
The first thing is, that the rules for stopping at a weigh station vary according to the region in which the vehicle operates.
As per the Highway Traffic Act in Ontario, any commercial truck that weighs more than 4,500 kg in gross weight must stop at a weigh station. Any truck that exceeds the above-mentioned gross weight limit requires a Commercial Vehicle Operator’s Registration (CVOR) to be able to operate the vehicle.
Carriers must apply for an oversized/overweight permit if the dimensions or weight of their vehicle and/or load exceed the limits set out in the Highway Traffic Act.
If you’re a large manufacturer and use your fleet of trucks to ship products, you are the one who most likely has to take responsibility an overweight vehicles. This means you are responsible for any weight-related violations which can cost thousands of dollars in fines, loss of valuable time, and even your reputation.
What are the specific fines for being overweight?
A police officer is authorized to weigh and measure a vehicle to determine its allowable gross weight and may require the truck to be driven to a scale to weigh.
The officer may detain the vehicle and require the driver to remove or re-distribute load if an axle unit or axle group exceeds its allowable weight or to remove load if the vehicle is overweight as per HTA s124.
If a person violates the weight limit law for a tire, axle unit, axle group or gross weight, under the HTA, is completely liable to a fine according to the amount of overweight.
The schedule of fines is given in the table below. The fine is based on the actual overweight, rounded up to the nearest 100 kg, HTA s125.
Fines for overweight trucks:
What are the consequences of driving an overweight truck?
There are several regions where if your driver gets caught with an overweight truck the law enforcement will give him a free ride straight to the slammer! And not just for a few nights. They could end up there for up to two months.
1. Drivers can go to jail for driving overweight trucks
On top of that, their commercial driver’s license could be revoked. Not only will you be down by a driver, but you will have one angry employee on your hands.
2. Big Fines on Overweight Trucks
You’ll wish you had followed the weight regulations if one of your trucks gets caught hauling a product that weighs more than the maximum amount that it should. There are some regions where you will be charged up to $16,000 in fines for an overweight truck and some repeat offenders pay double and even triple the fines.
3. Late deliveries
There are many weigh stations that force drivers to “shut down” their operation if their truck is overweight. Not only would you have to pay a fine, you would lose a lot of time and money waiting until another truck arrives to unload that excess weight.
4. Damaged customer relationships
When a product shows up late, or not at all, because your truck got held up at a weigh station due to excess weight, you can bet your customer will be pretty angry and may even end your business relationship.
It’s not only risky business to put overweight trucks on the road but it is also unsafe for your drivers and the other vehicles on the road. If you guess the weight of your shipment, the numbers may not always be accurate and this lack of knowledge can have serious consequences as we outlined above.
Want to know, why do truck drivers have to stop at a weigh station? Read our blog!
Who is responsible for an overweight truck?
If a truck is found to be overweight during an inspection by an officer at a truck weigh station or by police, then both the driver as well as the business are held responsible and can be fined depending on the transportation rules of that region. Overweight trucks are bad for business.
What happens if your truck is overweight?
In almost all overweight cases, the weight of the truck has to be legal before you leave, and the driver will get an overweight ticket too. Also, the driver will have to wait for another truck to unload the excess weight.
