TORONTO, Ont. – The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) has voted to approve definitions for a Level 8 inspection, and Alberta will launch a pilot project, paving the way for additional Canadian programs.

Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA) president Lorraine Card said they fully supported the initiative, and were excited to be the first out of the gate.

“This innovative approach from enforcement and industry provides a made-in-Canada solution to the longstanding issue of accurately reflecting the level of safety in the trucking industry,” said Card.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) said it believes whenever a commercial truck is required to enter an inspection station, is stopped by mobile enforcement, or is given an electronic inspection, it should be recognized as having undergone an inspection.

“The outcome for reporting the status of truck safety (e.g. out-of-service rate), as well as accurately reflecting the scope of enforcement activities (for both government and industry) is important,” said Geoff Wood, vice-president of operations and safety for the CTA. “We believe the Level 8 initiative is the key to resolving this longstanding issue.”

The CTA said accounting for such inspections provides a better indication of truck safety and the level of enforcement government allocates to commercial vehicles.

“From day one, we have been encouraged by the receptiveness of CVSA Region V (on road enforcement from Canadian jurisdictions) and the Canadian Council for Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA),” said Wood. “Now that we have a placeholder within the CVSA inspection framework, we expect many positives to come from it.”

The CTA will provide feedback to CVSA for the development of Level 8 criteria.