Glossary

To find out definitions and more information, please click on the letters below.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P
Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

At-fault Accidents
At-fault Accidents are accidents that result in injury, or that result in at least $1,000 in damages. The motor carrier is given points depending on the seriousness of the At-fault Accident.

B

C

CVSA Inspections
CVSA (roadside) inspections are done at random, and are based on a system of five levels, ranging from complete driver and vehicle inspection (Level 1) to vehicle inspection only (Level 5). Anyone recognized as a CVSA inspector can randomly inspect a vehicle at roadside.

Canada Labour Code
This is a federal act that is designed to ensure the health and safety of labourers.

Carrier Safety Officer
A designated authority that visits Motor Carriers in the Atlantic provinces to ensure that the business is properly carrying out the operation and management procedures.

Commercial Vehicle
A truck, tractor, or trailer (or combination of these three) that is operated by a motor carrier is considered to be a commercial vehicle. The vehicle must weigh at least 4,500kg.

Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulations
These regulations require that the commercial vehicle driver must keep a record of all daily driving and other work activities. The main objective of the regulation is to reduce the risk of fatigue-related commercial vehicle accidents by providing drivers with enough rest.

D

Driver
This refers to a person who operates a commercial vehicle, such as a truck, tractor, or trailer.

Driver Record
This is a document that notes all information about a driver, including license information and driving history. A Motor Carrier must have a copy of a driver record before hiring a driver.

Driver Violations
A driver violation includes tickets, faulty inspections, and suspensions.

E

F

Facility Audit
These audits are done to ensure that motor carriers and drivers are following the regulations of the highway safety acts, the Motor Vehicle Transport Act, and the NSC. A facility audit looks at a motor carrier's safety records.

G

H

Hours of Service
The amount of driving time allowed while on duty. As a commercial vehicle driver, you are allowed 13 hours.

I

Inter-Provincial Record Exchange (IRE)
An organization that reports driver and carrier information back to the driver's home province. If the IRE finds that a province rates in the top 5% of NSC violations, a Facility Audit is conducted by provincial enforcement agents.

Inspection Item
A part of your commercial vehicle that needs to be checked during each pre-trip inspection

J

K

L

Log Book
Commercial vehicle drivers must carry a log book at all times and fill it out daily. The log book holds information about driver hours-of-work and the commercial vehicle that is being driven.

M

Motor Carrier/Supervisor
This is a person who is responsible for the operation of a commercial vehicle.

Motor Vehicle Act
This is an act that governs the registration and use of motor vehicles and the use of public highways by motorists.

N

National Safety Code (NSC)
This code is designed to encourage trucking safety and to ensure the safety of drivers and motor carriers. The NSC consists of 16 standards that guide carriers and drivers in complying with the rules for owning and operating commercial vehicles.

O

Odometer
This is the tool that indicates the distance travelled by your commercial vehicle.

Operator's Manual
This is the guide that corresponds to each commercial vehicle. An operator's manual should be kept in your vehicle's glove compartment for easy access.

Out-of-Service Declaration
A driver may be declared out-of-service (not allowed to drive) if he or she does not comply with the NSC.

P

Periodic Mandatory Vehicle Inspection
This is Standard 11 of the NSC that says commercial vehicles must be regularly inspected and that written reports must accompany these inspections on completion.

Pre-Trip Inspections
This refers to the commercial vehicle inspections that employees must do before each driving trip. An inspection checklist is provided and will be discussed in more detail later in the training program.

Q

R

Regulation
This is a government order or law that the public must obey.

S

Sleeper Berth
This is a built-in bed or bunk in your commercial vehicle. If you typically drive long distances, your truck should have a sleeper berth.

T

Tampering
Tampering refers to the mistreatment of your log book. You may be penalized if you keep more than one daily log, enter inaccurate information into a daily log, or mutilate or deface a daily log or any supporting documents.

U

V

Vehicle Unit Number
This is the 7 digit number that identifies your commercial vehicle.

W

X

Y

Z

Last Modified: July 29, 2010