Commercial motor vehicle markings (Canada)

Scope

The vehicle marking requirements, if the jurisdiction establishes them, are typically applicable to carriers operating commercial vehicles.

Regulatory citations

• None

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

If a jurisdiction establishes commercial vehicle marking requirements, the requirements usually aren’t very complex. For example, in British Columbia, a carrier holding a safety certificate must ensure that whenever business vehicles covered by the safety certificate are being operated on a highway, the name of the carrier who holds the safety certificate for the vehicle is displayed on both sides of the vehicle in letters and numbers at least five centimeters high clearly visible to the public. Some jurisdictions, like Nova Scotia and New Brunswick do not establish vehicle marking regulations. See the Provincial information documents for more details by jurisdiction. <<will eventually link to province docs>>

Comparison to United States

The U.S. DOT establishes very specific vehicle marking requirements in 390.21. If a Canada-based carrier operates into the United States, the carrier must comply with the U.S. safety regulations, including the requirement to mark the commercial vehicle according to 390.21.