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Regulation respecting vehicle load and size limits

The main objectives of the Regulation respecting load and size limits for trucks and combination vehicles are to ensure the safety of road users and protect infrastructure (roads and bridges). This regulation provides for different standards limiting, among other things, the size, load per group of axles and total loaded mass of trucks travelling on public roads.

In the following pages you will find the main vehicle load and size limits. However, the transitional provisions and certain special limits are not presented here. For legal interpretation, it may be necessary to refer to the wording of the regulation.

During spring thaw, load restrictions apply depending on the zone.

All information concerning the allowable load limits can also be found in the Vehicle Load and Size Limits Guide.

For more information, please contact Transports Québec's Information service.

Method of determining the load per axle

 

The maximum load authorized for an axle class is the lowest of the three following values :

• The total capacity of all tires in the same axle class,
• The front-axle capacity (PNBE),
• The load limit of the axle class, depending on the time of the year (normal or spring thaw).

Method of determining the total loaded mass

 

The authorized total loaded mass for a truck or a combination vehicle is the lower of the two following values :

• The sum of the maximum loads authorized for each axle class, depending on the time of the year (normal or spring thaw),
• The maximum total loaded mass limit for the class of vehicle or combination vehicle.

Responsibilities of the operator and the shipper when an overweight vehicle is intercepted

In April 2004, the National Assembly enacted an amendment to the Highway Safety Code that allows for a more equitable sharing of responsibilities among the parties when a vehicle that is overweight in terms of its authorized total loaded mass is intercepted.

This new section will come into effect in the near future.

The section applies to heavy vehicles that do not conform to their authorized total loaded mass whether they have or not a special permit when they are considered to be fully loaded.

Based on a comparison of the loaded mass that is detected by the scales and the loaded mass that is declared by the shipper, this section describes three ways in which responsibility can be shared between the operator and the shipper, and specifies the documents that must be carried aboard the vehicle.

For information concerning this new approach, see the following files :

• Awareness document (173 Ko)
• Training document (381 Ko) (in French)
• Calculation of the amount and allocation of fines (in French)