OTTAWA, Ontario (June 23, 2008) — Canada's Council of Ministers Responsible for Transportation and Highway Safety has cleared the way for truckers across Canada to use wide-base single tires.
The changes to weight limit and track width requirements are scheduled to take effect July 1, according to Michelin North America (Canada) Inc. The change also means U.S. and Canadian truckers can move freely between the two countries.
The new rules apply to tires on drive axles with a width of 445 mm or more, Michelin said. The new weight allowances call for loads not to exceed 16,940 pounds (7,700 kg) for single-axle vehicles and 33,800 pounds (15,400 kg) for tandem-axle groups.
To allow trailers to be retrofitted safely with wide single tires, the minimum track width requirement of 8.25 feet (2.5 meters) has been reduced to 7.54 feet (2.3 meters) for trailers built in 2007 or earlier.
“In the wake of soaring fuel costs, this news is welcome relief to truckers and fleets operating between the two countries,” said Marc Laferriere, vice president of marketing, Michelin Americas Truck Tires. “This revised (rule) offers a boost to fleet profitability and helps control rising transportation costs for the goods each of us buys each day.”
Laferriere said Michelin's X One wide-base tires can improve fuel efficiency by up to 10 percent and allow for larger payloads.
The new rules will be in effect for all Canadian provinces, with three regional exceptions, Michelin said: roads in the Northwest Territories, secondary roads in Newfoundland and Labrador, and roads in New Brunswick, depending on their highway classification.