http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source...J04u1X2W6cqKlg

The far left column is the MOU amount, which is basically what all provinces agreed to honor. If the row and column show an asterisk, the MOU amount applies. If not, the number applies. Certain places like Ontario and Quebec are more American friendly. They allow almost 40,000 lbs on spread axles for example. Ontario has extremely complex rules.

NP means not permitted, but I do know provinces will allow spread axles at extremely reduced weights. I believe in the west a spread is considered a single axle, which allows 9100 kgs (right at 20,000 lbs).

One quirk is the triaxle allowable weights. Above 4.0m you're allowed more weight in the east then a smaller triaxle. Yet in the west above 4.0m isn't even allowed.

Unfortunately this inhibits Canadian trade, even with ourselves! I do wish we could come up with a workable standard. There's many thousands of trailers that are legal in one province, but completely illegal in others. You also have increased costs due to specialized lift axles for one province, etc...

 

It is confusing when provinces have different restrictions, or some enforce and others don't.
We stopped going through Quebec, which sucks, because I use to like to cut over to Maine from Michigan that way. They started to frown on spreads east of Ontario.

Coming out of N.Michigan, we like to cross at Port Huron to Buffalo. Saves time and money from having to swing south around Toledo. The tractors we run are Pete's and KW's.
Way over the 244" limit, and we don't permit. The way things are going, who knows if that luck will continue.

One thing they won't compromise on are the frost laws.

Here are a couple helpful sites for Ontario.
Trucks and Buses
Highway Traffic Act - O. Reg. 413/05

 

This is one thing I don't understand about Alberta and BC regulations. Check out this link:

http://www.trans.gov.ab.ca:81/docTyp...mi-trailer.pdf

"Tandem axle spread: minimum - 1.2 m; maximum - 1.85 m"

B U T

"Interaxle spacing is 3 m minimum (118")"

A N D

"Single axle with dual tires: maximum axle weight is 9100 kg (20,020 lbs)"

Which to me means that if you have a tandem flatbed or stepdeck trailer with a 10'1" spread, you still qualify for 40,000 lbs: 9100 kg x 2 = 18,200 kg or 40,040 lbs.

Why do people say you can't go to Alberta with 10'1" spread? And why in heck did I spec my step with a 61" axle spread

 

Interaxle is one axle set to another. It's to prevent massively short trucks. Each axle set is "defined" unlike the US.

 

A few days ago I emailed this message to Alberta Ministry of Transportation.

"Hi

I'm a commercial driver from Ontario .I have my own stepdeck trailer and I spec'ed it with 2 closed axles, spaced 1.54 m apart (61"). I did that because my Dispatch said we might have trips to Alberta. Howerver, I've been studying closely your axle weight regulations and I don't see any direct prohibition aimed at the popular 10'1" spread on tandem trailers. The way I can see it, if two single axles (dual tires) are spaced at least 3 meters apart, they still allow 9,000 kg per each which is more than the 17,000 kg you allow on my 1.54 m axle spread. So, my question is this: is the long axle spread legal in Alberta after all and if yes, then what is the allowable weight per axle, if they're spaced 3.07 m apart?"

There was no answer for a week or so, and I thought it was a wasted effort but then I opened my Gmail mail this morning and found this:


"Reference the Commercial Vehicle Dimension and Weight regulation, section 4(c)(vii) which does not allow a semi-trailer to have more than one single axle or more than one axle group.

Two axles spaced not more than 1.85 metres are considered a tandem axle and could get up to 17,000 kg subject to tire size and number of tires, and provided that neither axle can be lifted.

Two axles spaced more than 1.85 metres are:
(a) not allowed as per section 4(c)(vii) or
(b) considered to be a quantum axle group which is limited to a combined weight of 9100 kg for all of the axles. 2 x 4550 kg = 9100 kg.

You can view the regulation at:

Alberta Queen's Printer:

Alvin Moroz
Transport Engineering Branch
Alberta Transportation"


So, basically you CANNOT go to Alberta with a fixed 10'1" spread axle period: they only allow one single axle per trailer. Hope this'll clear things up for people who want to be able to go to Western Canada.

 

That's why there's so many front sliders. I also find it interesting how Ontario and Quebec allow ~40,000 lbs on spreads.