Trucking industry information sessions

The Motor Registration Division of the Department of Government Services released today the schedule for information sessions on new regulations affecting the province�s trucking industry.

These sessions will be about 90 minutes long and include a briefing on the new cargo securement regulations, the revised hours of service regulations and a question and answer period.

All members of the trucking industry are encouraged to attend to learn more about the changes affecting the industry.

The hours of service regulations for commercial vehicles and buses have been under review for over a decade. These regulations govern the number of hours a truck driver can work to ensure safety on our highways. This fall, the province will adopt the National Safety Code Standard for hours of service which was approved by federal, provincial and territorial ministers in 2002.

The new cargo securement regulations are in response to calls from the trucking industry for consistent standards for load securement across North America. This means a vehicle loaded in St. John�s can drive across Canada and into the United States encountering few differences in jurisdictional laws for load securement. The province will adopt this North American standard this summer.

The dates and locations of the general information sessions are as follows:

          March 8 � St. John�s, Admirals Green, Pippy Park Golf Club, 7:00 p.m.
          March 17 � Labrador City, Two Seasons Hotel, 7:00 p.m.
          March 18 � Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Hotel North, 3:30 p.m.
          March 22 � Clarenville, St. Jude Hotel, 1:00 p.m.
          March 23 � Grand Falls-Windsor, Mount Peyton Hotel, 1:00 p.m.
          March 25 � Corner Brook, Glynmill Inn, 7:00 p.m.

Media contact: Tracy Barron, Communications, (709) 729-4860 or (709) 690-6157

2004 03 05                                        9:45 a.m.