Pre-trip inspections - Newfoundland and Labrador

Application

Effective July 1, 2012, Newfoundland/Labrador’s pre-trip inspection requirements apply to commercial vehicles defined as:

• A truck, tractor, or trailer, or combination of these vehicles, that exceeds a registered gross weight of 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 (not including personal use).

The pre-trip inspection requirements do not apply to:

• Commercial vehicles exempted by the Registrar;
• Emergency vehicles (police vehicles, firefighting vehicles responding to fire, or ambulances);
• Commercial vehicles providing relief during a public emergency;
• Recreational vehicles; or
• Two- or three-axle commercial vehicles used to transport primary products of a farm, forest, sea, or lake, when the driver or his/her employer is the producer of the products.

Requirements

Vehicle and bus/motor coach inspections must be performed at least every 24 hours and carriers must ensure that vehicles are not driven unless inspected.

The regulations include inspection “schedules” that drivers must use when inspecting vehicles. The following schedules are available in Newfoundland/Labrador’s regulations:

• Schedule A, Truck, Tractor, and Trailer
• Schedule B, Bus
• Schedule C, Motor Coach (Daily)

Schedule D, Motor Coach (earlier of 30 days or 12,000 km), applies to motor coach under-vehicle inspections required every 30 days or 12,000 kilometres. Schedule D inspections (or an equivalent maintenance program approved by the Minister) must be:

• Performed while the vehicle is positioned over a pit or raised in a manner that provides access to the vehicle components; and
• Completed by a person that is qualified according to the Official Inspection Station Regulations.

The schedules include a listing of vehicle parts and what defects of those parts would be considered minor defects or major defects. A vehicle cannot be driven, and a carrier cannot permit a person to drive a vehicle, if a major defect is found.

Trucks, tractors, and trailers must be inspected according to Schedule A, while buses must be inspected according to Schedule B. As an alternative to Schedule B, a motor coach may be inspected according to Schedule C and Schedule D every 12,000 kilometres or every 30 days, whichever comes first.

Carriers must provide drivers with copies of the applicable inspection schedules (written or electronic format).

Inspection reports

Daily inspections performed according to Schedules A, B, or C must be documented. The person that performed the inspection must report all defects on the inspection report. Carriers must ensure that inspection reports are completed.

The written daily pre-trip inspection report must include the following:

• The licence plate or unit number of the vehicle(s);
• The carrier’s name;
• Date and time of inspection;
• City, town, local service district, or highway location where the inspection was performed;
• A statement signed by the person conducting the inspection, and the driver (if he/she is not the inspector), stating that the vehicle was inspected according to the applicable regulations;
• Major and/or minor defects found during the inspection;
• Inspection person’s name printed; and
• Odometer reading of the vehicle at the time of inspection.

Drivers must have in their possession the applicable inspection schedules and pre-trip inspection report for the vehicle(s) in operation.

Reporting and repairing defects

Minor defects must be reported to the carrier prior to the next required inspection. Major defects must be reported to the carrier immediately. If no defects were found, the person must record that on the inspection report.

A vehicle cannot be driven if it has a major defect.

Carriers must ensure that a previously reported defect is repaired before the next required inspection. If the jurisdiction in which the driver is travelling specifies a different time period for the repair of defects, a carrier must ensure that all previously reported defects are repaired before the time period specified in the jurisdiction of travel.

Recordkeeping

Drivers must submit the daily inspection reports to the carrier within 20 calendar days.

Carriers must retain daily inspection reports and certifications of repairs for at least six months after the date on the inspection report.

Electronic inspection schedules and reports

Electronic inspection schedules and reports are allowed if:

• The information is the same as it would be if it was in paper format; and
• When asked by enforcement to provide the pre-trip inspection report and inspection schedule, the driver can show it on the screen of the electronic device, in handwritten form, or on a printout (or a combination of these items).

A copy of an inspection report or schedule that is faxed from the driver’s office is acceptable.

Law

Highway Traffic Act

Regulation

Trip Inspection Report Regulations