TORONTO, (May 9, 2005) — A rule requiring Ontario heavy haulers to declare Gross Axle Weight Ratings (GAWR) when applying for single trip permits, is now being strongly enforced by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.

Also, the Ontario Trucking Association has been told by the MTO that for liability reasons the ministry will not issue a permit that would require an axle weight to exceed the manufacturer’s GAWR. Although, adds the OTA’s vice-president Barrie Montague, such situations mainly occur in rare circumstances involving the transportation of large, older pieces of equipment (like “crushers” and related road building equipment) that can’t be hooked on to any acceptable configurations.

Robert Barsalou, weight and load engineer for the MTO’s Carrier Safety and Enforcement Branch, confirmed to TodaysTrucking.com that permit rules that prohibit “exceeding the manufacturer’s rated capacity of any vehicle component” have always been on the books, However, it seems some loads previously allowed may not be compatible with the manufacturer’s GAWR.

“It has become evident that the allowable weights normally assigned to vehicle combinations on the basis of pavement and bridge strengths, may exceed the manufacturer’s rated capacities on a number of components, and overweight permits must be adjusted accordingly,” he said.

He added that the MTO will not issue permits for heavy hauls exceeding the GAWR.

OTA member carriers can contact Geoffrey Wood at Geoffrey.wood@ontruck.org for more information.

Other carriers are eligible to contact ministry personnel in an attempt to address any permit related problem. “There may be alternative vehicle configurations that could address an overloading situation,” Barsalou says.