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Nov 1, 2004 12:00 PM

David Bradley, chief executive officer of the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA), has responded to the announcement by Transport Canada that the Motor Vehicle Safety Regulations will be amended to require new manufacturing standards for trailer underride guards.

“While Canada's new requirements may provide drivers of small vehicles with the best level of protection anywhere in North America, any safety benefit from the new standards will be diluted unless it is adopted concurrently by Canada and the United States,” said Bradley.

The new requirements announced by Transport Canada will apply to newly manufactured trailers with a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds) or more. Trailers with a low chassis or those whose wheels or structure prevent or limit underride will not be affected. The rear under-ride called for in the Canadian rule is heavier and more robust than the protection required on US trailers.

In recent years, CTA had participated in the consultations with Transport Canada that took place before the initial publication of the proposed regulation. The alliance had hoped that before the regulation came into force that Transport Canada would have reached agreement with US Department of Transportation representatives upon a common standard and implementation schedule.

The new Canadian regulation will impact US trucking companies that have trailers domiciled in Canada. However, the Canadian rule does not apply to US-based trailers; and US officials have taken no steps to adopt the Canadian regulation for US trailers.