Carrier intervention and discipline

Overview

Commercial bus and truck carriers are monitored to ensure they operate safely and comply with transportation laws and requirements.

Provinces and territories in Canada are responsible for the oversight, monitoring, and intervention for National Safety Code (NSC) carriers in their jurisdiction. The Government of Alberta monitors carriers’ safety using their history of on-road events, convictions, contraventions, immediate roadside sanctions, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) inspections and reportable collisions. These details are recorded on the carrier’s profile.

If a carrier does not follow transportation safety laws, the Government of Alberta may intervene to ensure compliance and keep our roads safe.

Risk-factor monitoring

Several methods are used to ensure the safety and compliance of commercial motor carriers on Alberta’s highways.

The Carrier Risk-Factor Monitoring Program captures on-road event data for the carrier profile and provides a risk-factor score to help identify carriers with the greatest risk of not complying with transportation safety laws.

Risk-factor scoring ensures the highest-risk carriers operating in Alberta are identified and intervention action is taken. Based on the carrier’s risk-factor score, the Government of Alberta strives to intervene with the top 5% of problematic carriers that pose the greatest safety risk to other highway users.

Risk-factor score

A risk-factor score represents a carrier's potential safety risk to their drivers and to the general public. The risk-factor score is based on on-road event data.

There are 4 levels of risk monitoring, from Stage 1 to Stage 4. A higher score indicates that the carrier poses a higher safety risk to other highway users. Stage 4 represents the greatest safety risk to other highway users.

5% performance metric

The 5% performance monitoring metric means that the top 5% of commercial motor carriers that pose the highest potential safety risk will be monitored to ensure they are operating within legislated requirements.

• If a carrier is identified on Stage 1 or 2 of monitoring, a warning letter is sent. However, no enforcement action is taken.
• If a carrier is identified on Stage 3 or 4 of monitoring, a condition is placed on the carrier's Safety Fitness Certificate requiring a facility audit.

Instructions and other important information are provided in the warning letter, including information on how to request a Registrar’s reconsideration.

Why carriers may be put on monitoring for past infractions

The risk-factor score is a dynamic measurement that adapts to changes in the number of active participants in Alberta’s National Safety Code (NSC). The score takes into account all carriers’ on-road event history each month, over a rolling 12-month period.

Monitoring thresholds can change on a monthly basis due to the carrier data in Alberta.

Due to the reduction in active NSC carriers in Alberta and smaller data groupings (based on fleet size and type), carriers with on-road event data on their carrier profile from the past 12 months who were operating narrowly beyond the stage of monitoring thresholds, may now fall within the 5% performance monitoring threshold.

Carrier profiles

See Carrier profiles and monitoring for information on how to access your carrier profile.

Carrier intervention

We follow guidelines in the Intervention and Discipline Policy. This policy provides direction on oversight and timely interaction with commercial carriers to ensure compliance. It also ensures carriers demonstrating non-compliance are approached in a consistent, fair and objective manner.

Here is an overview of the carrier intervention process: 

Step 1. Carrier is identified

A carrier is identified as being a potential risk through on-road incidents, complaints, monitoring and/or audit results.

Step 2. A review is conducted

A review of the carrier’s compliance history is conducted.

Step 3. Disciplinary action

Once the review is completed, disciplinary action may be taken, such as:

• the carrier is issued a penalty with payment due date
• the carrier is assigned a condition with submission due date
• the carrier’s safety rating is downgraded

Step 4. Safety Fitness Certificate suspended

Safety Fitness Certificate suspended

• If the carrier fails to meet the due date of condition, their Safety Fitness Certificate is suspended on the next business day after the due date and their National Safety Code vehicles are not authorized to operate.
• If the carrier fails to pay a penalty by the assigned due date, their services at Alberta registries are restricted on the next business day after the due date.

Safety Fitness Certificate cancelled

If the carrier remains suspended for 6 months, then:

• their Safety Fitness Certificate (SFC) is cancelled
• their safety rating is downgraded to “Unsatisfactory”
• they cannot apply for a new SFC for another 6 months

Step 5. Suspension lifted

Once the required documents have been received/reviewed, the suspension of the SFC may be lifted.

The restriction will be lifted once the payment has been received.

• For more information see Carrier Profiles and Monitoring.

Payment of penalties

Learn how to pay a Notice of Administrative Penalty.

Contact

Connect with Monitoring and Compliance:
Email: [email protected]