Action Plan – a document that outlines what actions a carrier intends to take to correct issues of non-compliance. The document should identify: issue(s), proposed solutions, who is responsible for those solutions, when those solutions will be implemented, and how you will determine if the solutions worked.
Administrative Penalties (issued under the Traffic Safety Act) – a carrier may be given an administrative penalty by the Alberta Transportation where issues of non-compliance have been identified. The amount of a penalty will reflect the seriousness of the contravention, but does not impact the R-Factor score.
Administrative Penalties (issued under the Provincial Administrative Penalties Act) – a carrier or driver may be issued an administrative penalty for impaired driving, as issued by enforcement roadside. Administrative penalties for impaired driving are issued under the Provincial Administrative Penalties Act (PAPA), and appear on the profile in Part 3, and impact the R-Factor score.
Compliance – an individual or organization’s adherence to laws, regulations, and guidelines. If a carrier is found to be non-compliant with transportation safety laws, they may be subject to intervention action.
Carrier Profile – a record of a carrier’s on-road compliance. It includes conviction, administrative penalties for impaired driving, collision, and inspection information gathered from enforcement agencies from across North America.
Collision Review – carriers may request that a collision be reviewed to determine if points can be removed from the carrier profile. Collisions reviewed and deemed supported to have points removed will not contribute to a carrier’s risk factor score.
Commercial Driver Abstract – similar in nature to a standard driver abstract, but also includes specific information relating to a commercial driver including CVSA inspection results and convictions relating to the National Safety Code program (e.g. cargo securement, hours of service convictions).
Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) – an organization that promotes commercial vehicle safety across North America by providing inspection standards and education to enforcement, industry and policy makers. The CVSA provides guidelines for eight levels of commercial vehicle inspections that must be completed by certified inspectors.
Commercial Vehicle Inspection Program (CVIP) – refers to a mandatory safety inspection program for commercial vehicles. Carriers are required to get annual inspections conducted on commercial trucks and semi-annual inspections on commercial buses. CVIP inspections in Alberta must be conducted at a government licensed facility by a licensed technician.
Convictions – a traffic ticket that resulted in a conviction being registered in court. Convictions are displayed on a Carrier Profile as Traffic Violation Tickets (TVTs), Out of Province (OPC) tickets, or Long Form Information (NLF).
Deferral – under the federal Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulations a driver may reduce their off-duty requirement of 10 hours in a day by deferring up to 2 hours to another day.
Driver records – according to section 41 of the Commercial Vehicle Certificate and Insurance Regulation the registered owner of a regulated commercial vehicle must maintain a driver record file for each of their drivers. These records must be maintained for the current year in which they are created, established or received and the 4 calendar years immediately following.
Driver Status – Duties performed by a driver that are classified into four categories or ‘duty statuses’, including: off-duty time, sleeper berth time, driving time and on-duty time (other than driving time). In the Alberta hours of service regulations, “on-duty time” means the period that begins when a driver begins work or is required by the motor carrier to be available to work. This period ends when the driver stops work. In the federal drivers’ hours of service regulations, “on-duty time” means the period that begins when a driver begins work or is required by the motor carrier to be available to work. This period ends when the driver stops working.
Electronic Logging Device (ELD) – an electronic device that tracks a driver’s hours of service compliance. An ELD may be used in place of a paper logbook.
Endorsements – an endorsement code on a driver’s licence shows that the person has had specific education or training (e.g. training in how to operate a school bus). An endorsement may also indicate that the person is permitted to drive a vehicle that has a specific feature, like a vehicle with air brakes.
Home terminal – in respect of a driver, means the place of business of a carrier at which a driver normally reports for work.
Hours of Service Records – records required to be kept under the hours of service regulations, such as logbooks, radius records, and supporting documents.
Hours of Service Rules – provincial Drivers’ Hours of Service Regulation and the federal Commercial Vehicle Drivers’ Hours of Service Regulations.
Intervention and Discipline Policy – if a carrier does not follow safety laws, the government may intervene with their operations in accordance with the Intervention and Discipline Policy to reduce the risk the carrier poses to the public. The Policy provides guidelines to ensure that carriers demonstrating non-compliance are approached in a consistent, fair and objective manner.
Licence Class – there are five classes of driver’s licences that apply to commercial carriers in Alberta. Each licence allows a driver to operate a different kind of vehicle.
Monitoring – Alberta Transportation monitors Alberta’s carriers using their history of convictions, administrative penalties for impaired driving, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) inspections, and collisions. Carriers who pose the greatest risk to the public appear on the Alberta Transportation monitoring report and are compared with others that have a similar fleet type and range.
National Safety Code – a set of 16 minimum performance standards for the safe operation of commercial vehicles in Canada. Commercial carriers regulated under the NSC program in Alberta are required to follow commercial vehicle safety requirements under the provincial Traffic Safety Act and the federal Motor Vehicle Transport Act.
Odometer / Hubometer – device that measures the distance traveled by a vehicle.
Other Safety Records – any other records required to be maintained under Alberta’s Traffic Safety Act or the federal Motor Vehicle Transport Act.
Out of Service – failed inspection result. Where a vehicle or driver has been placed “out of service”, critical safety violations have been identified. This inspection result prohibits a carrier or driver from operating a commercial vehicle for a specified period of time or until the violation is corrected.
Principle Place of Business – place or location designated by a carrier where all required records are maintained.This address is shown on a carrier’s Safety Fitness Certificate.
Reportable Collision – in Alberta, this includes collisions which result in fatality, injury, or property damage of $2,000 or more. The standards for reportable collisions in other jurisdictions may be different.
Risk Factor Score – convictions, administrative penalties for impaired driving, CVSA inspection results, and collision information are used to calculate a carrier’s Risk Factor score. The lower the number, the better the score. If a carrier’s Risk Factor score gets too high, Alberta Transportation may intervene with the carrier.
Safety and Maintenance Program –commercial carriers are required by law to have written safety and maintenance programs in place. The minimum criteria for safety programs are listed in section 40 of the Commercial Vehicle Certificate and Insurance Regulation. The criteria for a maintenance program are in section 6 of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Regulation.
Standard Driver Abstract – provides the current status of a driver’s licence and lists conviction information, administrative penalties for impaired driving, applicable demerit points, and suspensions.
Transportation of Dangerous Goods Certificate – a person who handles, offers for transport or transports dangerous goods must be adequately trained and hold a training certificate, or must perform those activities in the presence and under the direct supervision of a person who is adequately trained and who holds a training certificate.
Trip Inspection – means an inspection of a commercial vehicle or combination of commercial vehicles conducted by inspecting the specified items identified in Schedule 1 of the NSC Standard 13, Part 2. Persons authorized by the carrier (this could be the driver or any other personnel), must complete a trip inspection on each commercial vehicle prior to its use and if any defects are found, the defects must immediately be reported to the registered owner. All defects must be repaired or dealt with according to regulation before the vehicle is operated again.
Vehicle Records - according to section 37 of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Regulation the registered owner of a regulated commercial vehicle must maintain a vehicle record file for each of their vehicles.