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Application
The load security regulations apply to every vehicle that carries a load on a highway.
A carrier (and its agents and employees) must comply with the load security regulations in connection with any vehicle that is owned, leased, or otherwise the responsibility of the carrier that carries a load on a highway. Drivers are also responsible for complying with the load security regulations for any vehicle they drive on a highway.
An owner or lessee of a vehicle carrying a load for commercial purposes must:
- Provide the load-securing devices; and
- Post the requirements of the regulations in a conspicuous location so that they are readily accessible to all drivers (or take other steps to ensure drivers are aware of the load security requirements).
Requirements
Vehicles over 4,500 kilograms registered gross vehicle weight must comply with National Safety Code (NSC) Standard 10, Cargo Securement. NSC Standard 10 may be obtained from the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators at http://tinyurl.com/nsc10cargo.
NSC Standard 10 was updated effective June 2013 to require friction mats to be marked by the manufacturer with the maximum usable friction resistance (if the mats are to be considered part of a cargo securement system), to add proper securement requirements for transverse rows of metal coils, and to correct a difference between the requirements in the standard and the current designs of integral locking devices on intermodal containers.
Procedure
Prior to departure, the driver must inspect the vehicle to confirm items such as the tailgate, doors, and tarps are secured. The driver must also ensure that the cargo does not prevent the driver from driving safety or obstruct the driver’s exit from the cab.
Drivers are required to reinspect the cargo and securement devices no more than 80 kilometres from the point where the vehicle was loaded. The driver must again reinspect the cargo and securement devices in the following instances, whichever occurs first:
- There is a change in duty status; or
- The vehicle has been driven for three hours or 240 kilometres.
The inspection provisions do not apply to the driver if the cargo is sealed and the driver has been ordered not to open it to inspect the cargo or the vehicle is loaded in a manner that makes inspection impractical.
Law
Motor Vehicle Act, Section 199
Regulation
Securing Loads on Vehicles Regulation, 226/2006