Carrier profiles and reviews - Nova Scotia

Safety fitness certificates

Nova Scotia requires Nova Scotia-based carriers to register for a safety fitness certificate under the Commercial Carrier Registration Program (CCRP).

In Nova Scotia, the requirement for a safety fitness certificate applies to:

• The following commercial vehicles registered in Nova Scotia or a reciprocating jurisdiction:
  • A truck, truck-tractor, trailer, or a combination thereof that has a registered gross vehicle weight of more than 4,500 kilograms; or
  • A bus designed, constructed, and used for transporting passengers, with a designated seating capacity of more than 10 persons, including the driver; and
• The following drivers:
  • An employee of a carrier who drives a commercial vehicle that a carrier owns, leases, or is otherwise responsible for; or
  • A carrier, while driving a commercial vehicle that the carrier owns, leases, or is otherwise responsible for.

The requirement does not apply to:

• A recreational vehicle or a vehicle towing a recreational vehicle, when not being operated for the purpose of commercial venture for profit or gain;
• An emergency vehicle; or
• A bus, when being operated for personal use.

An application for a safety fitness rating and safety fitness certificate must be submitted to the Registrar along with:

• Proof of the carrier’s insurance;
• Proof of the carrier’s incorporation or partnership registration, if applicable;
• Proof that the carrier, if incorporated, has made all required filings and registrations and is in good standing;
• A declaration, made by a person familiar with the business operations of the carrier and who has the authority to bind the carrier, that contains certification that the information in the application is true, acceptance of responsibility by the carrier for the operation of commercial vehicles imposed by law on the carrier, a statement of whether any principal, director, officer, or partner of the carrier is or has been a member of a carrier that has or has had an unsatisfactory rating in Nova Scotia or an equivalent rating in any reciprocating jurisdiction, and if applicable, details surrounding the revocation of, or refusal to issue, any safety fitness certificate or equivalent issued to the carrier;
• If the carrier has been issued a safety fitness certificate or equivalent in a reciprocating jurisdiction and the carrier is moving its operation to Nova Scotia, a copy of its government operating record from the reciprocating jurisdiction; and
• The application fee.

Carriers must renew their registration annually.

Carrier profiles

The Registrar will maintain a record for each carrier that includes all of the following:

• The National Safety Code number assigned to the carrier;
• The carrier’s current safety fitness rating;
• Warnings, refusals to issue, or revocations of safety fitness certificates, suspensions of number plates, cancellations of vehicle permits, and contraventions of enactments of Nova Scotia, a reciprocating jurisdiction, or the Parliament of Canada relating to motor vehicles that are incurred by the carrier;
• Results of safety inspections, trip inspections, and facility audits;
• Results of carrier intervention interviews, including action plans to be carried out and special operating conditions imposed;
• Convictions, reportable accidents, and inspections of a driver, and including a conviction for an offence committed by a driver while the driver was employed by the carrier whether the driver is employed by the carrier at the time of the conviction; and
• The demerit points assigned to the carrier.

A carrier is required to report to the Registrar all convictions imposed on a driver employed by the carrier in respect of offences in a reciprocating province.

Compliance reviews

Facility audits

The Facility Audit Standard will allow for in-depth inspections by government personnel to ensure that carriers are maintaining the required records, as well as complying with all applicable safety standards. An inspector may contact the carrier to set up a date for the audit. The carrier will be notified of which records to have available for the audit. The carrier will be advised of the audit results within 30 days.

Any of the following documents may be required for an audit

• Driver’s qualification file:
  • Driver’s license class and expiry information;
  • Driving abstract obtained in past year;
  • Convictions reported by driver since last abstract;
  • Medical due date;
  • Application for employment;
  • Dangerous goods training certificate;
  • Air brake endorsement;
  • Driver improvement courses; and
  • Recall system based on expiry dates;
• Driver’s hours of service records:
  • Daily logs;
  • Bills of lading;
  • Shipping documents;
  • Fuel receipts;
  • Accommodation receipts;
  • Other receipts received while driving;
  • Driver dispatch sheets;
  • Payroll records; and
  • Charter trip reports;
• Staff training and development records:
  • Dangerous goods instructor qualifications;
  • Recognized authority certificate;
  • Defensive driving instructor certificate;
  • First aid instructor certificate;
  • Evidence of any other safety courses taken; and
  • Recall system for retraining and retesting dates; and
• Vehicle maintenance records:
  • Vehicle identification records;
  • Vehicle lessor information;
  • Repair and maintenance history;
  • Policy statement on types and frequencies of inspections and maintenance;
  • Axle or suspension modifications that affect gross or axle weight ratings; and
  • Trip inspection reports.