Expect to see more of this on Ontario highways
Ontario has changed its LCV program. The program has been in place since 2009 and has been growing in popularity. Now, carriers can further take advantage of the larger vehicle sizes in Ontario to increase their payloads and efficiencies. Changes to the program include:
- Lifting permit and carrier limits (only 100 carriers could each have a maximum of 16 permits)
- Addition of 2 new combinations, 40’ container doubles and auto carriers
- Expansion of the access to highway distance from 2 to 5 kilometers.
Weight restrictions on Ontario LCVs are 63,500 kgs, for the A and B train LCVs. For Auto Carrier Stinger-steered LCVs, gross weights are capped at 55,000 kgs.
These changes will mean that a much larger number of LCVs will be taking to the roads in Ontario and the program is no longer just a ‘trial’. With Quebec, and eastern provinces also having their own LCV programs, the stage is set for a continuous LCV network from Halifax to Windsor. Only the completion of autoroute 85 in Quebec is holding this network back from being complete. This highway may be finished by 2025.