Working with Government

The month of November was a particularly interesting month for me. I began to venture into an arena where CTEA has typically not gotten heavily involved in the past. That is, I spent time getting to know and getting known by the policy making side of Transport Canada.

Historically, the Association has had a strong relationship with the bureaucratic or working level of government, be that at the federal or provincial level in Canada. This has allowed CTEA to successfully provide tangible membership benefits that allowed members to comply with regulations, and therefore do business legitimately in the truck and trailer manufacturing industries in Canada.

As the Association grows, and as the economy and the regulatory framework change, the focus of the CTEA must also allow for stronger lobbying capabilities. This means developing strong relationships with not only the civil service that carries out the mandate of the law makers, but also developing relationships with the policy makers themselves.

Last month, I was provided the opportunity to start a relationship with a senior Policy Advisor of the current federal Minister of Transportation. Taking full advantage of this opportunity, I spent over an hour outlining the CTEA, its membership and its focus. This was the first step in ensuring the voice of CTEA is heard at the Policy level of Transport Canada. It should also enhance our already strong relationship with the Road Safety and Transportation of Dangerous Goods Departments.

As usual, further activities in this area will be provided to the membership as they unfold, and if you have a message that you feel the CTEA needs to get to the Policy level of Transport Canada, please pass it along.

Please, let me know what you think.  To comment on this blog please CLICK HERE and comment at the bottom of the page. Alternately you can call or email me.

License Plates on Dollies

Recently we have been asked by some of our members who manufacturer convertor dollies whether or not a dolly must display a license plate.

To begin with, dollies are considered “vehicles” federally and are therefore required to be built with a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). They also must be labelled accordingly, with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and Gross Axle Weight Ratings (GAWR), to meet the requirements of the federal Motor Vehicle Safety Act.
Now, here is the scoop regarding licensing. In many provinces, dollies are not required to be licensed. However, in a number of provinces, if the dolly is being pulled by the lead trailer without a pup trailer connected, the dolly is required to be licensed. In many of these provinces, so long as the pup is connected, the dolly does not require its own license plate.

If the dolly is being used in a Long Combination Vehicle (LCV) in Ontario east, through Quebec, New Brunswick and into Nova Scotia, it will need a license plate. The reason is that the LCV must be split in the areas where four-lane highways do not exist as yet, and therefore the dolly will likely be towed behind the lead and thus needs a license plate.

The advice from the CTEA to manufacturers is: prepare the dolly to be licensed, issue the New Vehicle Information Statement (NVIS) for the dolly, and let your customer make the decision as to whether they need the dolly licensed for their particular operation upon consultation with the jurisdictions they plan to run through. — Eddy Tschirhart

Mid-trailer Turn Lamp Wiring

Another issue that keeps coming up is how a mid-trailer turn signal lamp is wired. Unfortunately, many manufacturers seem to make the mistake of drawing their turn signal power from the rear/stop/turn signal at the back of the tractor, possibly because the tractor OEM has wired the seven pin connector this way. The problem is that this causes the mid-trailer lamp to act as a brake lamp, which of course is inappropriate.

The solution is to ensure that the mid-trailer turn signal is connected to the tractor’s front turn signal circuit, so that it acts only as a turn signal.- – Eddy Tschirhart

Eddy Tschirhart is Director of Technical Programs, CTEA