TORONTO, (May 24, 2005) — The Ontario Trucking Association will offer a seminar in five Ontario cities to help the province’s carriers comply with Ontario’s new Load Securement Regulations that will be fully enforced July 1, 2005.

Seminars will be held in Toronto, Kingston, London, Sudbury, and Thunder Bay during the month of June. The seminar is open to both OTA members and non-members. Registration information will be announced next week by OTA.

Attendees will receive lunch during the all day seminar (9 am – 4 pm) plus a copy of the New Cargo Securement Standard and relevant regulations.

Cities and dates are as follows: Toronto — June 3 and 30; London — June 6 ; Kingston — June 8; Thunder Bay — June 14; Sudbury – – June 22 .

The new Regulation 363/04 that adopts in part the CCMTA National Load Securement Standard came into effect in January of this year. Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation (MTO) enforcement staff has since been operating in a period of educational enforcement. Carriers must comply with the new regulation no later than July, at which time MTO will begin to enforce the Load Securement Regulations with particular emphasis initially on flat bed operations and prescribed commodities listed in Part 2 of the National Load Securement Standard.

This seminar, a joint OTA-MTO effort, will give carriers a perspective on how the Ministry will be enforcing the regulations related to the national standard on all flat deck vehicles and other prescribed commodities in Part 2 (i.e. crushed cars. logs) regardless of cargo type; and on van trailers carrying cargo that have specific securement requirements under Part 2 of the National Standard (e.g. Paper rolls, metal coils).

To ensure the seminar provides maximum benefit to all attendees, carriers are asked to provide information on their specific concerns prior to the seminar. Submit this information separately to the OTA’s Geoffrey Wood, Not with your registration form. A registration form can be downloaded from the OTA’s website.

Carriers involved in dry van and refrigerated operations should note that an educational program aimed at these types of operations will be held at later dates.