TREMBLANT, Que. – Quebec is planning key changes to its weights and dimensions regulations that will allow automatic lift axles on semi-trailers, and the use of Long Combination Vehicles (LCVs) on Sundays and during winter.

Special permits issued since 2011 have allowed LCVs to run from December to February as part of a pilot project. And the updated rules regarding automatic lift axles would align with regulations in Ontario.

Both commitments were announced by Claude Reid, parliamentary assistant to Quebec Transport Minister Francois Bonnardel, during the annual meeting of the Quebec Trucking Association.

“The use of automatic lift axles and the circulation of LCVs on Sunday and winter were longstanding claims for the industry that the former government had left behind. Once again, our government announces its intentions quickly, less than seven months after its election. I am pleased that my parliamentary assistant, Claude Reid, made the announcement,” said Bonnardel said in a press release.

“The ACQ [Quebec Trucking Association] has made representations to the government for several years on both the issues of automatic lift axles and circulation of LCVs on Sunday and during winter. We are pleased to see that the government is taking action to enable these technologies, which are important for the industry and which allow for fuel savings and GHG reduction. The ACQ will monitor the cases closely to ensure that these regulations come into force in the near future.”

The rollout dates for the amendments have yet to be announced.