The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has extended an invite learn more about International Roadcheck which will take place on May 16, 17, and 18, 2023. With most restrictions lifted (except for physical distancing) the ministry is once again inviting observers to attend an inspection facility. Observer requests are being handled through an online application for available locations and time slots.

International Roadcheck is a three-day period when certified local, state, provincial, territorial and federal inspectors in jurisdictions across North America conduct inspections on large trucks.

The general public often doesn’t realize the steps that are taken to ensure the commercial motor vehicles and drivers on our roadways are safe and compliant with all necessary rules, regulations and safety standards. More than 3.5 million roadside safety inspections are conducted each year throughout North America by specially trained inspectors.

During International Roadcheck, inspectors will be checking critical safety elements on commercial motor vehicles, as well as verifying drivers’ fitness for duty. Although inspectors perform this work every day, the annual three-day International Roadcheck event is designed to highlight commercial motor vehicle and driver safety inspections and other driver safety programs aimed at saving lives on North American highways.

Each year, International Roadcheck places special emphasis on a category of violations. The special emphasis for 2023 is Cargo Securement. While cargo securement is always a part of roadside inspections, CVSA is highlighting cargo securement this year as a reminder of its importance.

If you are interested in observing please download the package below for available locations and instructions. Online booking will be closed at 4:00 pm on May 8th, 2023.

Collisions Happen: Are You Prepared!

The FSC Central Chapter has announced a 3-part seminar series taking place during the April, May and June chapter meetings. These immersive sessions will comprise of short presentations from various industry stakeholders in the collision response life-cycle, along with roleplay from volunteers to highlight the critical aspects of these types of critical events.

This is a unique, interactive and new exploration of critical collision management you won’t want to miss!

The sessions will be provided free to FSC Central Chapter members. Non-members are invited to attend for $10 per session or $20 for all 3. The series will be taking place at the Central Chapters regular meeting location: The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 272 (26 Schofield Drive, Cambridge ON).

Tuesday, April 11th, 9 am – 12:00 pm
Session 1 – The Point of IMPACT: Hear from enforcement on crash scene investigation; Burness Paralegal talks about statements and evidence; insurance Industry representatives on reporting,; dealing with the press; environmental implications of a TDG spill and much more.

Tuesday, May 9th, 9 am – 12:00 pm
Session 2 – The Day after the IMPACT: Next steps in reporting, evidence management, legal strategies, and considerations with subject matter experts including transportation lawyers, insurance Industry representatives , WSIB, ESDC,MOL, and more.

Tuesday, June 13th, 9 am – 12:00 pm
Session 3 – What it Looks Like Going Forward: Panel discussions from our SME’s look at the fall-out, best practices, and answer questions.

Registration:

• Central Chapter Members: Free to attend (pre-registration is required)
• Non-Members: $10 per session or $20 for all 3 (pre-registration is required)

Registration provided by Links Consulting.

The Hamilton/Niagara Chapter of the Fleet Safety Council (FSC) recently announced details for their annual spring seminar. With less than a month to go for the event the chapter is excited to announce that tickets are sold out!

While the event is now sold out a waitlist has been activated on Eventbrite and will be managed on a first come first serve basis.

Thank you to the following organizations that have agreed to sponsor the Spring Seminar. Please take a moment to thank them for their support. To learn more about our sponsors please click on the links below:

• Jones DesLauriers Insurance Management
• Portland Fuel Canada
• The National Recruiting and Retention Symposium (powered by TransRep)
• Zavcor Training Academy

FSC Hamilton/Niagara Spring Seminar Sponsors!

The Big Three

The Hamilton Niagara Chapter of the Fleet Safety Council (FSC) has announced details for annual spring seminar. This year the chapter will be hosting a panel discussion titled The Big Three and will include some of the industry’s best subject matter experts to discuss brakes, tires and lights.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about managing the big three from an insurance perspective, the impacts to your CVOR, inspection requirements and managing all of this from a carrier’s perspective.

The panel will be moderated by John Farquhar (Summit Risk Solutions) and includes the following industry subject matter experts:

• Bonnie Learn: Northbridge Insurance
• Bud Kneller: Frontline Commercial Vehicle Solutions
• Chris Harris: Safety Dawg
• Michael Derry: Summit Risk Solutions

Meeting Details:

• Meeting Date:  Thursday March 30^th, 2023
• Location: Holiday Inn Burlington (3063 S Service Rd, Burlington, ON L7N 3E9)
• Hot Breakfast: 8:00 am
• Seminar: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

Registration Details: (click here to register through Eventbrite)

• Individual Registration: $45
• Table (6 seats) Registration: $200  

Sponsorship Opportunities Available:
Limited sponsorship opportunities are available for $250 and includes 2 registrations. Don’t miss this chance to promote your organization, products and services at the FSC Hamilton/Niagara Chapter Spring Seminar. To sponsor please contract Rick Brown at rickb@fleetsafetycouncil.com.

Not an FSC Member? No problem! The Spring Seminar meeting is open to anyone interested in attending.  For more details on the FSC and the Hamilton/Niagara Chapter please visit https://fleetsafetycouncil.com/category/hamilton-niagara/

Members of the Fleet Safety Council (FSC) are all aware of the value the organization brings to its membership and in an effort to help spread the word more, FSC Joint Executive Chairperson Donna Bisch and IHSA’s Charlie Charalambous were featured on a recent episode of IHSA’s Safety Podcast. For more than 60 years, the Fleet Safety Council has worked to improve health and safety within the transportation, transport, bus, and coach industries. Our eight Ontario chapters meet regularly to share best practices, hear from guest speakers, network and support workers. It plays a vital role in promoting safety in the transportation industry.

In Episode 47 of the IHSA Safety Podcast, Donna Bisch and Charlie Charalambous discuss the Fleet Safety Council’s important work and how you can make a positive impact by joining a local chapter while sharing some of their history with the FSC.

Members are being asked to help promote the value of the FSC by sharing this Safety Podcast with your professional colleagues and encourage them to join the Network in 2023. For more information on the FSC please email admin@fleetsafetycouncil.com.

IHSA Safety Podcast: The IHSA Safety Podcast is a free podcast that seeks to improve the lives of workers in Ontario—one thought-provoking discussion at a time. IHSA engages with professionals and industry influencers to help them implement and improve health and safety solutions for workers and the workplace. Each episode explores best practices, resources, and training to control and eliminate safety hazards in work environments involving high-risk activities in the industries that IHSA serves: construction, transportation, and electric utilities. You can listen to IHSA’s Safety Podcast through any of the following providers:

• Spotify
• Apple Podcasts
• Google Podcasts
• Stitcher
• RSS Feed

The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has released information pamphlets which contain additional information on Ontario’s Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate. The pamphlets include:

• Application and exemption criteria
• Details regarding operator and driver responsibilities
• Exemption details
• Links to web content
• And more…

The pamphlet is intended as an informational resource to promote awareness of Ontario’s ELD mandate and related requirements which were communicated on November 11th, 2021. Although ELD requirements took effect for commercial truck carriers on June 12, 2022, Ontario implemented an education and awareness period for both the provincial and federal ELD mandates through to January 1, 2023 (without penalties). This approach has been taken to support industry in the successful transition to ELDs and align with the enforcement approach of federal ELD mandates as advised by the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators.

Download a copy of the pamphlet in both English and French below.

Get your favorite holiday sweater ready! Now that most of the FSC Chapters have resumed in-person meetings many have decided to return to their annual December celebration meetings. Read more below about what several chapters have planned for December.

Each of the chapters below will be accepting donations for a local food bank at these meetings, more details are included in the individual chapter flyers which are downloadable below.

Remember that if you plan on attending these sessions, pre-registration is required.

FSC Southern Chapter December Lunch Meeting

Date: Wednesday December 14th, 2022

Time: 9:30 am – 12:00 pm (with lunch to follow)

Price: Free

Registration: Email safety@dovecreekme.com to confirm your registration

Overview: The Southern Chapter is proud bring back their annual December Lunch Meeting with special guest speaker Jodi Burness to speak on Defending Provincial Offenses Post-COVID-19. Jodi Burness (Burness Paralegal Services) will provide a summary transportation industry guide for how to defend charges post-COVID. Jodi will be discussing COVID and Provincial Administration in Ontario Courts, Zoom Trials, Your CVOR, Certified Evidence, HTA Changes and More!!!!

FSC Toronto Chapter December Breakfast Meeting

Date: Thursday December 15th, 2022

Time:

• Breakfast: 8:00 – 9:00 am
• Meeting: 9:00 – 12:00 pm

Price:

• Early Bird Registration: $35 (Register before December 1st)
• Registration after December 1st: $40

Registration: Click here to register through Eventbrite

Overview: The Toronto Chapter is excited to announce that the guest speaker this year will be Geoff Wood, Senior Vice President – Policy at the Ontario Trucking Association and Canadian Trucking Alliance. Join us as Geoff will be providing an update on the industry as well as the initiatives that the OTA and CTA are currently working on.

Joint Central and Southwestern Chapter Lunch Meeting

Date: Tuesday December 20th, 2022

Time: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm (with lunch to follow)

Price: $35

Registration: Click here to register (Registration provided by Links Consulting)

Overview: The Central Chapter is proud to host the annual Central/Southwestern December meeting this year. This special meeting includes 2 presentations:

1. Defending Provincial Offenses Post-COVID-19: Join Jodi Burness (Burness Paralegal Services) as she provides a summary transportation industry guide for how to defend charges post-COVID. Jodi will be discussing COVID and Provincial Administration in Ontario Courts, Zoom Trials, Your CVOR, Certified Evidence, HTA Changes and More!!!!
2. Moving to a Digital Driver’s Reference Manual: Join Peter Calvert (Compliant Trucking Inc.) will be sharing his insights on the benefits of moving to a digital driver’s reference manual.

Details of Ontario’s provincial Electronic Logging Device (ELD) mandate were communicated on November 1, 2021. This was done to outline requirements and criteria for commercial truck and bus carriers in Ontario. These changes make it mandatory for commercial motor vehicle drivers who operate within Ontario to use an ELD to record their hours of service.

To simplify operating requirements for Ontario carriers that operate both inside and outside of the province, Ontario’s ELD regulations closely match the federal ELD mandate and took effect for commercial truck carriers on June 12, 2022. Bus carriers who operate in Ontario only will be required to use a certified ELD as of July 1, 2023.

While requirements took effect for commercial truck carriers on June 12, 2022, Ontario has implemented an education and awareness period for both the provincial and federal ELD mandates through to January 1, 2023 (without penalties). This approach has been taken to support industry in the successful transition to ELDs and align with the enforcement approach of federal ELD mandates as advised by the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators.

As the conclusion of the education and awareness period, Ontario carriers continue to be advised:

• The education and awareness period is a temporary measure.
• To prepare and research device options and ensure that any ELD procured is a certified device as approved by Transport Canada.
• To expect education and awareness of ELD requirements to be discussed during interactions with commercial vehicle enforcement (penalties will not be issued)
• To be aware of the regulations and requirements of the provinces or territories where they will be operating (provinces and territories are responsible for enforcing the federal Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulations).
• Enforcement action will be taken following the conclusion of the education and awareness period on January 1, 2023, including charges and penalties for violations of federal and provincial ELD mandates

Helpful Links: As a reminder, amendments to Ontario regulations can be found on e-Laws:

• Highway Traffic Act Regulation 555/06 Hours of Service
• Provincial Offences Act Regulation 950 Proceedings Commenced by Certificate of Offence

Additional Resources:

• Ontario’s ELD webpage
• Transport Canada ELD webpage
• CCMTA website
• Transport Canada’s List of certified ELDs

The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) is proposing to introduce out-of-service declarations for some hours of service violations. An out-of-service declaration prohibits a driver from operating a commercial motor vehicle for a designated period. When implemented, the driver will have a legal obligation to comply with the declaration. A commercial motor vehicle operator will have a legal obligation to ensure that a driver, operating under the operator’s authority, complies with the out of service declaration.

Out-of-service declarations will help to mitigate driver fatigue, which is a leading collision causation factor for commercial drivers. Use of these declarations against non-compliant drivers will contribute to fairness and a level playing field among trucking and bus industry competitors.

This proposal was posted on August 19th, 2022 and will remain open for comment until October 3rd, 2022.

Helpful links:

• Ontario’s Regulatory Registry: Hours of Service Out-Of-Service Declarations
• Summary of Proposed Hours of Services Out-Of-Service Declarations .
• Highway Traffic Act: O. Reg. 555/06: Hours of Service

Effective July 1, 2022, drivers must complete their Class A or Class A restricted (AR) road test in a vehicle with a manual transmission that consists of at least eight forward gears with a high-low range or a restriction will be placed on their license. Drivers with restrictions cannot operate Class A/AR vehicles with a manual transmission in Ontario and will only be permitted to operate automatic, semi-automatic or automated-manual transmission Class A/AR vehicles.

Please note that a motor vehicle is considered to have a manual transmission if it has:

• A driver-operated clutch that is activated by a pedal or lever, or
• A driver operated gear-shift mechanism (operated by hand or foot and does not use the assistance of automation)

The restriction will be placed on the driver record and driver’s license. This restriction does not apply to the operation of lower-class vehicles such as Class G or D.

This restriction does not apply to anyone who completed their Class A/AR road test before July 1, 2022, however if someone is required by the Province to complete a class A road test after July 1^st 2022, for any reason, and the test is completed in an auto shift vehicle, they will receive a restriction on their license, regardless of how long they may have previously had a class A license.

For full details please follow this link: https://www.ontario.ca/page/get-truck-drivers-licence#manual_transmission

On June 14th, 2022 , the Government of Canada announced that, as of June 20th at 00:01 EDT, vaccination will no longer required to board a plane or train in Canada. Additionally, employers in the federally regulated air, rail, and marine sectors will no longer be required to have mandatory vaccination policies in place for employees. They also updated that due to the unique nature of cruise ships vaccination against COVID-19 is still required for passengers and crew on cruise ships operating in Canadian waters.

Crown corporations and separate agencies will also be asked to suspend vaccine requirements. Furthermore, the Government of Canada is no longer moving forward with proposed regulations under Part II (Occupational Health and Safety) of the Canada Labour Code to make vaccination mandatory in all federally regulated workplaces.

Canadian citizens and Canadian permanent residents returning from international destinations who do not qualify for the fully vaccinated traveller exemption continue to be required to provide a valid pre-entry test result, remain subject to Day 1 and Day 8 molecular testing, and quarantine for 14 days. Canadians who leave the country will still be required to adhere to other countries’ vaccination requirements, including those in in the U.S. that keep unvaccinated Canadian truckers from crossing the border and the Canadian border will continue to remain closed to unvaccinated truckers.

The Government of Canada’s decision to suspend the mandatory vaccination requirement for the domestic transportation sector was informed by key indicators, including:

• The evolution of the virus;
• The epidemiologic situation and modelling (stabilization of infection and hospitalizations across the country);
• Vaccine science; and,
• High levels of vaccination in Canada against COVID-19.

Here are some of the updates from the announcement:

Requirement for Vaccinations Suspended for Domestic and Outbound Travel:

• As of June 20, 2022, at 00:01 EDT, vaccination will no longer be a requirement to board a plane or train in Canada.
• This change does not affect border measures that require all travellers entering Canada to continue following entry requirements, including vaccination.
• Other public health measures, such as wearing a mask, continue to apply and will be enforced throughout a traveller’s journey on a plane or train.

Cruise Ship Travel:

Vaccination against COVID-19 is still required for passengers and crew on cruise ships operating in Canadian waters.

Adherence to strict public health requirements on cruise ships will still be required.

Federally Regulated Transportation Sector Workers:

• As of June 20, 2022, at 00:01 EDT, employers in the federally regulated air, rail, and marine sectors will no longer be required to have mandatory vaccination policies in place for employees.
• Employers will be responsible for establishing return-to-work practices.

Masking Requirements

• Travellers on federally regulated planes and trains continue to be required to wear a mask throughout their journey except for brief periods (e.g., eating or drinking).
• Passengers on cruise ships will be expected to follow the masking requirements and other hygiene measures as directed by the ship’s crew, regardless of whether they are foreign or domestic.

Entry Requirements Remain for Travel to Canada from Abroad:

• Vaccine requirements for entry into Canada by foreign nationals remain unchanged at this time.
• Foreign nationals who are not fully vaccinated continue to be prohibited entry into Canada.
• Canadian citizens and Canadian permanent residents returning from international destinations who do not qualify for the fully vaccinated traveller exemption continue to be required to provide a valid pre-entry test result, remain subject to Day 1 and Day 8 molecular testing, and quarantine for 14 days.
• In addition, all travellers entering Canada are required to input their mandatory information in ArriveCAN within 72 hours before their arrival in Canada. Travellers who arrive without completing their ArriveCAN submission may be subject to Day 1, Day 8 molecular testing, quarantine for 14 days, and to fines or other enforcement actions, regardless of their vaccination status.

Please see the links below for additional information on the announcement: :

• News Release: Suspension of the vaccine mandates for domestic travellers, transportation workers and federal employees
• Backgrounder: Suspension of the mandatory vaccination requirement for domestic travellers and federally regulated transportation workers

On April 19th 2022 Truckers Against Trafficking (TAT) held its first Coalition Build in Canada since 2020. The event was a success and helped to build public and private partnerships to combat human trafficking everywhere. The event included key industry stakeholders (in the trucking and bus industries) along with local and provincial law enforcement.

Sponsors for the Coalition Build included Day and Ross, Uber Freight, The Truck Training Schools Association of Ontario, The Infrastructure Health and Safety Association and The Private Motor Truck Council of Canada.

Also included at the Coalition Build was the Freedom Drivers Project (FDP) trailer which made it’s first stop in Canada for the event. Read the full article to learn more about the FDP at Truck News: Trailer Delivers Human Trafficking Message to Canada

For more details on Trucks Against Trafficking Canada please visit: https://truckersagainsttrafficking.org/canada/