Pre-trip inspections - Manitoba

Application

The Commercial Vehicle Trip Inspection Regulation requires commercial vehicle drivers to inspect or cause to be inspected the commercial vehicle and any trailer attached to it for mechanical defects prior to commencement of the first trip on each day.

The regulation is applicable to operators of commercial motor vehicles, defined as:

Requirements

Drivers (or in some cases designated inspectors) of commercial vehicles are required to inspect a vehicle, including the trailer, prior to its operation. Drivers are required to have sufficient knowledge and experience of vehicle mechanics to recognize defects. Pre-trip inspections are valid for 24 hours.

Manitoba regulations contain inspection “schedules” that drivers must use when inspecting the vehicles. The inspection schedules list vehicle parts and what defects would be considered minor defects or major defects of those vehicle parts. Carriers are required by the regulation to provide inspection schedules, either hard-copy or electronically, to drivers.

The following inspection schedules are available in Manitoba Regulation 95/2008, Commercial Vehicle Trip Inspection Inspections:

• Schedule A, a motor vehicle other than a bus and trailers towed by these vehicles;
• Schedule B, applicable to motor coaches or buses, and trailers when they are to be towed by motor coaches or other buses that are commercial vehicles;
• Schedule C, applicable to motor coaches equipped with an air ride suspension and/or air brakes;
• Schedule D, applicable to the under-vehicle motor coach 30-day or 12,000 kilometre inspection; and
• Schedule E, applicable to school buses.

Schedule D, Under-Vehicle Inspection of Motor Coaches, applies to the motor coach under-vehicle inspection required every 30 days or 12,000 kilometres (this inspection must be performed by a qualified mechanic who holds a transport mechanic certificate from the Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications Act, or equivalent from another jurisdiction).

A driver is not required to carry Schedule D in the vehicle; however, if a motor coach is inspected according to Schedule C above, then the driver must also be in possession of a valid inspection report, documenting an inspection performed in accordance with Schedule D in Manitoba. If the 30-day or 12,000 kilometre inspection was conducted outside of Manitoba, the inspection must meet Manitoba regulations before it is legal. Refer to Section 8(2)(b) of the regulation for more details.

Inspection Reports

Upon completing the inspection, the driver (or designated inspector) must prepare a written or electronic inspection report that contains the following:

• Licence plate or unit number of the vehicle;
• The vehicle’s odometer reading, if applicable;
• Carrier’s name;
• Date and time of inspection;
• Inspection location (municipality or highway name);
• Printed name of the inspection person;
• Any major and minor defects found;
• A record of the height and width of the vehicle and load (if the vehicle or attached trailer carries a load that is not entirely contained within the vehicle’s body, then the driver must record the height and width of all loads carried by the vehicle since it was last inspected); and
• A statement signed by the person performing the inspection, and the vehicle’s driver, that the vehicle has been inspected according to Manitoba Regulation 95/2008.

A driver who discovers a major or minor defect must report the defect to the carrier before the next required inspection (24 hours) or immediately if the defect is a major defect.

Drivers must carry the inspection report and applicable inspection schedule while operating the vehicle.

Drivers must also monitor the vehicle’s condition during operation and update the inspection report as necessary. If a major defect is found, the driver must not operate the vehicle.

Electronic Inspection Reports

If the report is completed electronically, then the device must be able to record when it is disconnected and reconnected, or otherwise used in preparing the report, and it must keep a record of the date and time of those occurrences. The electronic report must contain the same information that would be in the written report. Drivers using an electronic report must, if requested by an inspector, be able to display the report on the electronic device, produce it in a legible written form, or produce it in any other intelligible form. Drivers must also be able to prepare a handwritten report from the information stored in the electronic device and are required to sign any reports printed from the electronic device. Carriers with drivers using electronic reports must provide blank inspection forms in the vehicle.

Repairing Defects

Carriers must ensure that if the vehicle has a minor defect, the vehicle must be repaired before the next vehicle inspection (within 24 hours). If a minor defect is not repaired before the next inspection, then the vehicle may not be towed or operated; however, the vehicles may be driven or towed to the nearest repair facility if the vehicle is safe to drive or tow.

Major defects must be repaired before the vehicle is operated on the highway.

Recordkeeping

Drivers are required to forward pre-trip inspection reports to the carrier within 20 days after preparation. Carries are required to keep inspection reports for at least six months.

Law

Highway Traffic Act

Regulation

Manitoba Regulation 95/2008, Commercial Vehicle Trip Inspection Regulation