Quebec puts tanker tech rule on hold

QUEBEC CITY, (Feb. 16, 2004) — In an attempt to curb tankers rolling over, The Quebec Ministry of Transport has announced a legislative clause requiring tanker trucks transporting dangerous goods to be equipped with a speed recording system that records data and time of vehicles.

While Clause 40 was originally set for enactment in August 2004, a ministry spokesperson told Today’s Trucking’s sister publication Transport Routier that the law will probably be postponed until 2006.

“We are considering postponement of the clause in order to help develop recording systems that will better suit the needs of the industry,” said MTQ manager Gervais Corbin, adding the ministry is looking to create a taskforce between government, industry, and the developers of such systems. The MTQ will decide if the clause will be postponed.”

René Rouillard, who represents the Quebec Trucking Association’s tanker carriers, says common GPS or black boxes can already give such information, and current technology doesn’t help determine how a roll-over occurred.

“We told the MTO that (current technology) doesn’t indicate what conditions a roll-over happened,” say Rouillard. “The recorder can say the roll-over happened at 70 km/h on a curve, but does not say that curve should have been taken at 55 km/h. The system should allow the fleet to tell his drivers that ‘this time you were lucky, but just a little more bending and it would have resulted in a roll-over.'”

Every carrier hauling in Quebec would have to comply with Clause 40. “Other jurisdictions have been informed already about Quebec’s intentions,” Corbin said.


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