Commercial motor vehicle definition (Canada)

Scope

Vehicles or combinations of vehicles that transport cargo on a highway and that exceed a registered gross vehicle weight of 4,500 kilograms are considered to be regulated vehicles. Carriers that operate these vehicles into other jurisdictions are designated as federal and must comply with federal legislation, while also meeting provincial regulations as applicable. 

Regulatory citations

• Motor Carrier Safety Fitness Certificate Regulations
• Commercial Vehicle Driver’s Hours of Service Regulations

Key definitions

• Commercial vehicle:  Trucks, tractors, or trailers, or any combination of them, that have a registered gross vehicle weight exceeding 4,500 kilograms; or buses with a seating capacity of more than 10 persons, including the driver.

Summary of requirements

The safe operation of commercial vehicles is regulated by the Canadian federal government through the provincial governments, which are required to issue National Safety Code numbers (safety fitness certificates) to commercial fleet operators and manage the Carrier Safety Rating (CSR) program.

Commercial vehicle drivers are required to comply with Canadian Hours of Service rules and the Canadian ELD mandate. Drivers that operate across the border into the United States need to comply with U. S. DOT and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, including the U. S. electronic logging device mandate rules.

A commercial class of license is required to drive a commercial vehicle in Canada, such as tractor-trailers, semi-trucks, dump trucks, school buses, or any vehicle certified to carry over 10 people. Commercial drivers licenses are issued and regulated by the provinces.

Transport Canada's Motor Carrier Division is primarily responsible for facilitating the reduction of fatalities, injuries, and crashes involving large commercial trucks and buses in Canada. The Motor Carrier Division works closely with the provinces, territories, and industry on rules and regulations governing the safe operation of commercial vehicles, drivers, and operators.

Provincial and territorial regulations govern the operation of the commercial bus and truck industry except for the rules and regulations Transport Canada's Motor Carrier Division sets in support of the safe operation of federally regulated (interprovincial) motor carriers and commercial vehicle drivers. The federal government only has authority over an interprovincial truck and bus carriers that carry goods or passengers across a provincial or international boundary.

Transport Canada administers the exemptions under section 16. of the Motor Vehicle Transport Act (MVTA) which allows provinces and territories to regulate extra-provincial truck and bus carriers on behalf of the federal government. The MVTA also has two federal regulations that govern Hours of Service for commercial vehicle drivers and the issuance or revocation of Safety Fitness Certificates.