Commercial Vehicle Operators’ Safety Manual

The Ministry of Transportation of Ontario is responsible for the province’s highways, and is committed to making them safe, efficient and high quality. In support of that goal, the Carrier Safety and Enforcement Branch of the ministry has prepared this guide to assist commercial truck and bus operators in understanding the legislative requirements they are to meet in order to be safe and compliant on Ontario’s highways.

The use of this guide should increase knowledge of the provincial safety requirements resulting in a more efficient and safe operation of truck and bus operators.

This guide is also the STUDY GUIDE for the Commercial Vehicle Operator’s Registration (CVOR) written test. The CVOR test must be completed prior to obtaining a CVOR certificate. See details in Module 4 – CVOR.

The test is based on information included in this manual. Even if some sections do not apply to specific operators, it is important to read all materials in the manual prior to taking the test.

When preparing for the CVOR test the following modules are recommended to be reviewed. Additionally, the appendices of this manual are intended for future reference and are not included in the test questions.

1. Module 4 – CVOR
2. Module 5 – Ontario Specific Enforcement Issues
3. Module 7 – Safety Programs, Record Keeping and Driver Files
4. Module 8 – Preventive Maintenance, Record Keeping and Vehicle Files
5. Module 9 – Hours of Service

Please note: the CVOR test is not only based on these modules however it may assist with focusing your study time.

Commercial Vehicle Operators’ Safety Manual (PDF - 7.86 MB)

Table of Contents

Module 1 - Introduction
Module 2 - Getting Started
Module 3 - National Safety Code
Module 4 - Commercial Vehicle Operator’s Registration
Module 5 - Ontario Specific Enforcement Issues
Module 6 - Facility Audit and Operator Monitoring and Intervention
Module 7 - Safety Programs, Record Keeping and Driver Files
Module 8 - Preventive Maintenance, Record Keeping and Vehicle Files
Module 9 - Hours of Service
Module 10 - Dangerous Goods
Module 11 - Vehicle Weights and Dimensions
Module 12 - Driver and Vehicle Licensing
Module 13 - Passenger Transportation Services
Module 14 - Cargo Securement
Module 15 - Terms of Reference