News

Manitoba Motor Carrier Enforcement (MMCE) tracks data on types of violations by year and have noticed that the top five issues are consistent. They are also completely preventable, costing companies time and money that they could be using in other ways. These are:
1. Overweight Vehicles
2. Mechanical Fitness
3. Driver Licensing
4. Hours of Service
5. Overdimensional Vehicles

Overweight Vehicles 
Whether due to overloading or driving on a route with a lower weight limit than the load, this is by far the highest violation we see. Companies, Dispatchers and Drivers can plan routes by consulting the “Manitoba Truck Weight Limit Map” (available free online) to ensure they do not exceed road limits. This resource also includes information on Spring Road Restrictions, temporary lower limits put in place to protect roads during thaw conditions. Training drivers to ensure that loads are distributed evenly across axle groups and not exceeding maximum weights is also a simple fix. Loading within allowable weights also reduces vehicle wear and tear but not forcing components to work outside its abilities, saving money on maintenance in the long run.

Mechanical Fitness
While there is always the chance that “It must’ve just happened” is true, most of the things we find show clear evidence of existing for extended periods. The easiest way to avoid these tickets is to ensure that drivers are performing the mandatory Pre-Trip Inspection every time and that problems are fixed before the vehicle goes out. No vehicle should start their day with minor or major defects. Pre-Trips, as a component of a routine preventative maintenance program, can reduce or eliminate fines, ensure well-maintained vehicles on the road and dramatically increase road safety. Ensuring records are kept of both the Pre-Trips and associate repairs are also an important component, both for service life cost forecasting as well as for audits.

Driver Licensing

This includes a number of violations which are seen in all commercial sectors, from the wrong class of license to driving while lapsed/suspended/disqualified. Having a company system that tracks driver’s licenses can help ensure that only drivers with a valid license of the correct type are assigned to operate company vehicles, keeping the business running and not exposing it to liability. For companies that operate pickup & trailer combos, it is important to remember that in Manitoba a Class 3 license is required if the trailer has a registered gross vehicle weight of more than 4,540kg.

Hours of Service
Sadly, we are still encountering some drivers/dispatchers/companies that try to push hours of service beyond safe levels, even with all the evidence about the dangers. Drowsiness is identified in research as a primary cause in an average of 20% of all crashes due to the effects on a driver’s attention, decision-making, coordination, and reaction time. Whether it is lack of Records of Duty, falsification, or manipulation of ELDs we see (and catch) it all. Assessing Hours of Service is also part of Post Crash Investigations, so if the driver is over their hours and has a crash, they (and potentially the company) may face additional charges because of it. These limits exist for the safety of all road users and are the responsibility of both driver and company.

Overdimensional
There are set limits on what can move in the province, both for the safety of road users and to protect infrastructure. The news often has stories about this issue and the damage, both short term inconvenience and long-term closures for repair, that the failure to follow those limits causes. Permits plan out routes and times to ensure that these loads can safely be on our roads. We see violations for overheight, overwidth, overlength, failure to stay on permitted route, and failure to abide by permit conditions. Getting and following a permit can completely avoid these violations, making this a completely avoidable ticket.

Conclusion
We hope that the above information is beneficial to your organization and look forward to more opportunities to speak on topics of interest to the industry. While we did not have time to cover it in this article, we can imagine that the topic of “Who gets the ticket, and why?” would be of interest to many. If you have any questions, comments or article ideas please reach out to the MTA and they will pass them on to us for future MTA newsletter articles.

Safe travels!

Manitoba Motor Carrier Enforcement (MMCE) works to promote safe and sustainable truck and coach operations on Manitoba’s highways. One of our Core Values is “Industry Focused”, and we appreciate this opportunity to reach out to the industry via the Manitoba Trucking Association (MTA).

(this article was previously published in the September 2024 MTA member newsletter)