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Application
Ontario’s pre-trip inspection regulations apply to all commercial motor vehicles with a gross weight or registered gross weight of more than 4,500 kilograms.
The regulations do not apply to commercial motor vehicles with a gross weight or registered gross weight of 4,500 kilograms or less, and vehicles such as, but not limited to, ambulances, motor homes, commercial motor vehicle leased for 30 days or less by an individual for personal use, historic vehicles, pick-up trucks being used for personal purposes, or buses used for personal purposes without compensation. Also exempt from the requirements are vehicles such as emergency vehicles, vehicles providing relief in a flood, drought, etc., two- or three-axle vehicles used to transport farm products, or commercial motor vehicles being road-tested for the purposes of repairs within 30 kilometres of the repair facility (where the vehicle is being repaired by the holder of a qualification certificate that is not suspended in the trade of automotive service technician or truck and coach technician licensed under the Ontario College of Trades and Apprenticeship Act, 2009, or an apprentice under that Act).
Requirements
Drivers (or in some cases designated inspectors) are required to inspect vehicles prior to operating the vehicles. Pre-trip inspections are valid for 24 hours.
Ontario 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. A carrier is free to add items or remove items from the schedules to make the inspection list more applicable to the carrier’s operations and to assist in vehicle inspections. Drivers must carry the applicable schedule in the vehicle during operation.
The following inspection schedules are available in Ontario Regulation 199/07, Commercial Motor Vehicle Inspections:
- Schedule 1, Daily Inspection of Trucks, Tractors and Trailers
- Schedule 2, Daily Inspection of Buses and of Trailers Drawn by Buses
- Schedule 3, Daily Inspection of Motor Coaches
- Schedule 5, Daily Inspection of School Purposes Buses
- Schedule 6, Daily Inspection of School Purposes Vehicles
Schedule 4, Under-Vehicle Inspection of Motor Coaches, applies to the motor coach under-vehicle inspection required. An under-vehicle inspection is valid until the 31st day after it is conducted or until the motor coach has been driven 12,000 kilometres, whichever occurs last (this inspection is only valid in Ontario if it is performed by a truck and coach technician holding a valid certificate of qualification, that is not suspended, issued under the Ontario College of Trades and Apprenticeship Act, 2009).
If a motor coach is inspected according to Schedule 3 above, then the driver must also be in possession of a valid inspection report, documenting an inspection performed in accordance with Schedule 4.
Ontario accepts either the inspection schedules from Ontario Regulation 199/07 or the schedules consistent with National Safety Code, Standard 13, Trip Inspections.
Inspection reports
Carriers are required to provide inspection forms and the applicable inspection schedules to drivers (or designated inspectors).
Upon completing the inspection, the driver must document the inspection on the pre-trip inspection report. An inspection report must contain the following items:
- Vehicle’s licence plate number and plate jurisdiction;
- Operator’s name;
- Inspection date and time;
- City, town, village, or highway location where the inspection was conducted;
- Printed name of the person who conducted the inspection;
- Odometer reading;
- Any major and minor defects found during the inspection or, if none were found, a statement that no major or minor defects were found (a “no defects found” check box will suffice);
- A statement, signed by the person who conducted the inspection, that the vehicle was inspected according to Ontario Regulation 199/07, Commercial Motor Vehicle Inspections; and
- The driver’s signature, if the driver is not the person who conducted the daily inspection of the commercial motor vehicle.
Reporting defects to the carrier
If any defects are found during the pre-trip inspection, a driver must immediately report them to the carrier. Defects must be repaired before a driver can operate the vehicle.
A driver is required to monitor the condition of the vehicle while in operation. If any defects are found during operation of the vehicle, the driver must update the inspection report and notify the carrier of the defects. If major defects are found during operation, the driver must cease operation of the vehicle and report the defects to the carrier immediately.
Recordkeeping
Drivers must submit the completed daily inspection reports to the carrier as soon as possible after the inspection is no longer valid, no later than 20 days after the inspection is no longer valid. Carriers are required to keep the inspection reports for at least six months from the date of the inspection. If the inspection report contains information on vehicle repairs, then the inspection report becomes a maintenance record and must be kept for at least two years. Even if the inspection report contains defects that were later determined to not actually be defects, the report still becomes a maintenance record and must be kept for at least two years.
Any required maintenance record or document may be made, kept, or surrendered in electronic format if it meets the requirements. An electronic record or document must meet every requirement of the trip inspection regulations, except that it is not required to have a signature.
Upon demand of a police officer or officer, a driver who carries a daily inspection report, under-vehicle inspection report, or inspection schedule in electronic format must produce either:
- An electronic display of the report or schedule, that is readable from outside the vehicle;
- A printed copy of the report or schedule, signed by the driver; or
- A handwritten copy of the report or schedule, signed by the driver.
Despite the fact that operators are required to keep records at the operator’s principal place of business (or other terminal or business address), operators may keep a record or document that is in electronic format at any place if it can be readily accessed by the operator from the operator’s principal place of business in a format that would allow a printed copy of the record or document to be generated as required.
Upon demand of a police officer, an operator who has in their possession a record or document in electronic format shall generate a printed copy of the record or document, signed by the person who makes the copy.
Enforcement
Ontario has issued an enforcement policy on its pre-trip inspection requirements:
- Carriers based outside of Ontario in other Canadian jurisdictions must have an inspection report in compliance with the regulations in the carrier’s base province (based on National Safety Code Standard 13) or can comply with Ontario’s pre-trip inspection regulations; and
- U.S.-based carriers must be prepared to show the previous days’ written post-trip inspection report (defects or no defects, a written report is required).
In all cases, Ministry of Transportation-Ontario reserves the right to issue a citation to any driver that fails to produce proof that an inspection was performed or who is driving with a major defect.
Law
Highway Traffic Act
Regulation
Ontario Regulation 199/07, Commercial Motor Vehicle Inspections