People or companies that have registered a heavy vehicle under their name as owner, or as lessee for more than a year, or have acquired such a vehicle through a lease contract.
Responsibilities
Registration of their vehicles;
Maintenance of their vehicles in good mechanical condition;
Compliance with dimensions authorized for vehicles (excluding load);
Repair of defects noted during pre-departure inspection;
Ensuring preventive maintenance;
Having their vehicles undergo periodic mechanical inspections;
Doing business with an operator registered with the Commission des transports.
Heavy Vehicle Operators
People or companies that use heavy vehicles for commercial or professional purposes by:
offering transportation services for persons or goods;
offering vehicle assistance;
operating a heavy vehicle for their own purposes;
operating a heavy vehicle as equipment.
Operators may own the heavy vehicle or vehicles they use or use it or them pursuant to a lease contract, regardless of whether the lessor provides the services of a driver.
Responsibilities
To ensure:
the competence and proper conduct of the driver;
pre-departure inspection of the vehicle;
compliance with the standards governing the use of the vehicle: vehicle load and size limits, driving time, load securing, dangerous substances, special permits, number of passengers, etc.;
that the owners in their employ (brokers) are registered with the Commission des transports.
Transport Service Intermediaries
Any person or company who, for remuneration, acts directly or indirectly as an intermediary in a transaction between third persons the object of which is the transportation of persons or property by a heavy vehicle.
Responsibilities
Provide complete and accurate information regarding transportation needs;
comply with the total authorized loads in the case of full loads.
Joint Responsibility
Service users and providers of driver services. These people are not, however, required to register with the Commission des transports.
Responsibilities
Comply with total authorized loads in the case of full loads.
Supply complete and accurate information concerning:
transportation needs;
driver's licences and driving and duty time of the drivers supplied;
data on the transportation of dangerous substances.
Drivers
Responsibilities
Even though drivers are not directly mentioned in the Act respecting owners and operators of heavy vehicles, they are covered in the Highway Safety Code and the Criminal Code. Given that a driver's conduct can affect the objectives of the Act, any offences committed by a heavy vehicle driver will be noted in the operator's file and taken into consideration in his assessment.
In certain situations drivers are also required to have in the vehicle the shipping documents for the merchandise transported.
