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Each carrier responsible for the operation of one or more commercial vehicles must obtain a safety certificate from the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation, National Safety Code Office. The certificate applies to vehicles used in the course of business for the transportation of persons or freight, that is a:
The requirement to obtain a safety fitness certificate does not apply to:
Carriers can apply for a safety fitness certificate by mail or online at http://tinyurl.com/BCnscapp. A $200 non-refundable fee applies.
If the carrier completes an online application, payment is made by credit card. Alternatively, a carrier may fill out the application online, print a copy of the online application, and submit the application and the required fee through the mail.
To apply for the safety fitness certificate, carriers should be prepared to submit the following along with the application and required fee:
Carriers must place a copy of the valid safety certificate in all commercial motor vehicles covered by the certificate.
Starting April 7, 2021, applicants are required to pass an online knowledge test. A business BCeID is required to access and complete the online test. The test will cover the carrier’s knowledge of the Motor Vehicle Act Regulations.
Carriers applying for a safety certificate in British Columbia must establish and maintain safety plans related to drivers, hours of service, vehicle maintenance, and general safety procedures. Detailed information on creating safety plans is available on British Columbia’s Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement (CVSE) website at www.th.gov.bc.ca/cvse/index.htm.
The carrier profile includes the carrier’s safety rating, comprised of the profile status (overall safety performance) and the carrier’s audit status, whichever is the least satisfactory. The safety ratings categories are satisfactory, conditional, or unsatisfactory. A carrier that has not yet been audited will have a safety rating of satisfactory-unaudited. If a carrier has a safety rating of conditional or unsatisfactory, the carrier will soon be audited (in other words, there isn’t a need for a conditional-unaudited or an unsatisfactory-unaudited rating).
To help educate carriers with their NSC obligations in the province, CVSE has developed five interactive self-training modules. There are five modules that cover the following:
These modules include videos, interactive activities and exercises, and quizzes. According to CVSE, the modules should take a carrier six to eight hours to complete. View the modules at http://tinyurl.com/BCmodules.
Motor Vehicle Act, Section 210.3
Motor Vehicle Act Regulations, Division (37), Safety Code
The safety fitness certificate, which remains valid unless cancelled or suspended for unsafe practices, will contain a unique National Safety Code Number. Contraventions, roadside CVSA inspections, accidents, warnings and other information will be recorded under this number to create a record of compliance with federal and provincial requirements. The record of compliance is referred to as the “carrier profile.” The carrier profile includes the following information:
Many items on the carrier profile cover the past three years; however, the carrier contraventions are on the profile for five years. The carrier profile will identify those carriers having a violation record exceeding reasonable industry standards. Such carriers will be placed on notice that improvements must be made. In some cases, interviews, audits, or hearings may be ordered to promote compliance by the carrier. At the final stage, where significant noncompliance is demonstrated, a carrier may be removed from service.
Carriers can review their Carrier Profile online at www.th.gov.bc.ca/cvse/national_safety_code/carrier_profile.htm.
British Columbia Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement (CVSE) has a dispute resolution process in place that enables motor carriers to challenge out-of-service (OOS) declarations and Notice and Orders (N&O) issued in the province. Drivers may also participate in the dispute resolution process and may request a review of the OOS or N&O at roadside.
The dispute resolution process begins when a carrier or driver wishes to dispute an OOS or N&O. The carrier or the driver will request a review by the issuing officer, which is considered to be a Level 1 review. If the OOS or N&O is still in dispute after a Level 1 review, the issuing officer’s supervisor will review the OOS or N&O, which is considered to be a Level 2 review. CVSE anticipates that most disputes will be handled at Level 1 or Level 2. However, should the dispute remain unresolved after Levels 1 and 2, it will escalate to Level 3 and be reviewed by the local CVSE manager. In the unlikely event the dispute remains unresolved after a Level 3 review, the dispute will move to Level 4 where it will be reviewed by an alternate CVSE manager. A decision made at Level 4 is considered to be a final decision.
If a dispute is decided in a carrier’s favor, the CVSE will remove carrier profile points that were associated with the OOS (N&Os do not carry points).
The dispute resolution process does not apply to violation tickets, vehicle impounds, allegations of officer misconduct, or allegations of human rights violations.
CVSE has issued guidance documents and a list of FAQs surrounding the process. To view more information, see www.th.gov.bc.ca/CVSE/dispute.htm.
The purpose of the Compliance Review Standard is to assist carriers in their awareness of applicable safety standards and their obligations contained therein. The CCMTA-recommended review procedure, which is intended to serve as the basis for future regulation, can be found in the “Carrier Compliance” section under REFERENCE.
Motor Vehicle Act Regulations, Division (37)
All commercial carriers in British Columbia are subject to audits. Carrier audits are intended to educate and monitor carrier compliance with National Safety Code Requirements. Carriers will be selected for facility audits based on their carrier profiles or by random selection.
Carriers who have a high rate of accidents, inspections, or violations will usually first receive a warning letter from British Columbia Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement (CVSE). If the accidents, inspections, or violations continue, CVSE will give the carrier opportunity to meet with a CVSE representative to discuss current safety policies/procedures, why they’re failing, and areas for improvement. This meeting, also referred to as an “interview,” is optional; however, if a carrier refuses the interview it will appear on the carrier profile.
A carrier may not refuse to be audited. Carriers will be given a copy of audit results at the end of the audit.
The following operator documents must be available for an audit and must be available at the carrier’s principle place of business in British Columbia (unless CVSE has approved another location, such as a consultant’s office). Records may be maintained electronically.
Note that not all documents listed here are applicable to every operator.
Driver Information Records:
Staff Training and Development Records (Self Certification):
Drivers’ Hours of Work Records:
Vehicle Maintenance Records:
Motor Carrier Authority Records:
Dangerous Goods Transportation:
Motor Vehicle Act, Section 210.3
Motor Vehicle Act Regulations, Sections 25, 30, 37
British Columbia’s Premium Carrier Program recognizes carriers with exceptional safe transportation practices. Carriers must apply for membership in the program before they can take advantage of its benefits.
Some of the primary benefits of the program include the following:
Carriers wishing to participate in the program must meet certain criteria. The carrier must have operated in British Columbia for at least three years, have at least 20 British Columbia plated vehicles in the fleet (none subject to the Enhanced Licence Plate Removal program over the past year), and must have had a satisfactory/satisfactory-unaudited rating over the past three years. The carrier’s National Safety Code score and other WorkSafeBC criteria will also be taken into consideration. Carriers may also be subject to interviews and site visits by CVSE.
Once premium carrier status is obtained, it will need to be renewed annually.
Carriers can visit www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/vehicle-safety-enforcement/services/premium-carrier for more information and for the form used to enroll in the program.