Quebec Requiring Registration Form

In hopes of improving its truck safety record, Quebec is creating a safety database and requiring all motor carriers that want to get into the province to complete a registration form by April 1.

U.S. motor carriers should have little trouble meeting the form’s requirements, said Jan Balkin, assistant director of state laws for American Trucking Associations. "The fees are fairly nominal and the information required is consistent with what the U.S. Department of Transportation and some states ask for," she said.

The form asks for general information about the company, including the type of freight hauled, details about the kinds of safety programs that are in place, the number of trucks and trailers and what percentage of overall kilometers those trucks travel in Quebec. There is also a filing fee of $50 Canadian for companies with fewer than three vehicles (tractors or trailers) and $100 for larger fleets. All motor carriers that operate commercial vehicles of 3000 kilograms (roughly 6000 pounds) in Quebec must register.

Almer Peabody, the fleet safety manager for Dysarts’ Transportation of Bangor, Maine, said he was able to complete the form, but it was time consuming and a little confusing. He said instructions were provided for filling it out in English, but they were ambiguous and he had to call for clarification on them. "It’s like all Canadian regulations and restrictions, they are confusing at times, especially Quebec," said Mr. Peabody.

Mr. Peabody said he was unsure from reading the form whether each of his company’s owner operators would have to register and pay the fees, but the authorities in Quebec assured him that for U.S. companies they did not.

The application form is part of a larger safety regulation program going on in Quebec. Last year, the province completed its deregulation of trucking. It eliminated many of its economic regulations, but in exchange has placed a greater emphasis on safety standards and performance.

For the full story, see the Jan. 11 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.