Final Phase of SPIF grandfathering came to an end on December 31, 2020.

As reported in previous issues of Rock Talk, the Ministry of Transportation announced that under the Safe, Productive, Infrastructure-Friendly (SPIF) regulations, the grandfathering period for Phase 4 vehicles established on July 1, 2011 came to an end on December 31, 2020.

Non-SPIF Vehicles that are less than 15 years old may apply for a one-time permit to extend the grandfathering.  Vehicles that are older than 15 years may operate as a non-SPIF vehicle – subject to lower weights.  Vehicles may also be upgraded to become SPIF compliant.  Fleet or individual truck owners are encouraged to visit MTO for more information.

OSSGA has received a number of questions from members who hire trucks about this issue and how they are to know if a truck is in compliance or not.  Some white sheets have SPIF compliance indicated on the sheet – but others do not.  Yesterday we learned that in some areas of Ontario MTO is issuing overweight tickets to Non-SPIF compliant trucks.

The OSSGA Transportation Committee is looking at developing some guidance for the scale house, but in the meantime we suggest that effectively immediately, as part of your scale house procedures, that all incoming drivers be asked to verbally confirm that their trucks are in fact SPIF compliant, or that they have the appropriate permit if they are not. 

MTO has suggested the producers could also ask the driver the age of the vehicle:

• • A vehicle that is 2005 or older would have had to have been upgraded to be SPIF compliant, or have a permit (for example, non-dump semi trailers (live bottoms and hoppers) have a grandfather life of 20 years, thus can operate until they reach a life of 20 years so long as they have a permit.)
  • A vehicle manufactured between 2006 and 2011 could have been upgraded and/or applied for a permit.

The producer could ask the driver to show a picture of the VIN (for each component) – which would indicate that it is SPIF.

If a vehicle is not SPIF compliant – it is subject to much lower weight maximums.  Please see the VWD Guidebook for the tables (Chapter 8) and grandfathering chart (page 95).

It is important for Aggregate Producers to understand that it is possible for them to be held responsible if a non-SPIF vehicle (or any vehicle) is overloaded.  The following is the relevant section of the Highway Traffic Act:

Overloading by consignor

126 Every consignor of goods, or the consignor’s agent or employee, who causes a vehicle or combination of vehicles not owned by the consignor to be loaded so that when operated on a highway,

(a)  the weight on any millimetre in the width of the tire exceeds a limit set out in subsection 115 (1) or in the regulations;

(b)  the axle unit weight on an axle unit exceeds a limit set out in section 116 or 119 or in the regulations;

(c)  an axle group weight exceeds a limit set out in section 117 or 119 or in the regulations;

(d)  the gross vehicle weight exceeds a limit set out in section 118 or 119 or in the regulations; or

(e)  the gross vehicle weight exceeds the gross vehicle weight specified in a permit referred to in section 121,

is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to a fine as if the consignor had been convicted under section 125.  1994, c. 29, s. 1; 2015, c. 27, Sched. 7, s. 23.

The OSSGA Transportation committee is meeting to provide further suggestions on this issue and we will report back shortly.