INPUT SOUGHT ON SASKATCHEWAN SHIPPER/CARRIER RESPONSIBILITY LEGISLATION

Released on December 22, 1998

Highways and Transportation Minister Judy Bradley announced today that

an information package and questionnaire on shipper/carrier

legislation is being mailed out to industry representatives operating

in Saskatchewan.



"We are proposing changes to address the issue of shipper

responsibility and liability for overweight and over-dimensional

vehicles and loads and the problem of shippers who knowingly cause

carriers to operate illegally," Bradley said. "While we have

increased the traditional enforcement levels, these new provisions

will provide us with another effective way of mitigating damage to our

roads.



"We estimate there is $10 million road damage every year on provincial

highways in Saskatchewan from overweight trucks. A truck overweight

by just 10 per cent can cause as much as 50 per cent more damage to

the road. By proclaiming these sections of the Act we can move to

help prevent such damage. We are dealing with overloading at the

source."



The proclaimed sections of the Act will:



Assign joint liability for overweight and over dimensional loads

to both the carrier and the shipper;



Allow the Department to enforce the Act; and



Exempt shipments using two and three axle trucks from these

provisions of the Act, (vehicle weight and dimension restrictions

for two and three axle trucks remain unchanged).



This latter point will exclude the small shippers and the bulk of

farmers from record keeping purposes.



Ontario, Alberta and Quebec also have found it necessary to

implement similar legislation. The information package would

also identify other exemptions that are being considered.



The department is circulating the questionnaires to 628 carriers,

shippers and associations. The extensive mail out also will

include a wide variety of manufacturers, distributors,

grain-handlers, dealers, suppliers, local governments and

affected associations.



The information package addresses the shippers' role and

responsibility; carriers' role and responsibility; the issues of

access to and examination of records; exemptions; record keeping

and record retention and enforcement practices and procedures.



The questionnaires will solicit replies from all surveyed so that

opinions can be addressed before regulations are put into place.

The questionnaires are to be returned to the department by

February 1, 1999.



"Once we have feedback, we can then address possible concerns by

drafting policy and regulations that are acceptable to all

affected parties before the legislation is proclaimed," Bradley

said.

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For more information, contact:



Brian Johnson

Transport Compliance

Highways and Transportation

Saskatoon

Phone: (306)933-5293



Ron Blackburn

Transportation and Policy

Branch

Highways and Transportation

Regina

Phone: (306)787-4779