Driving around half-loaded or being a few bricks short of a load are usually bad things, but this time of year, having half a load in that truck or wagon is a good thing. In fact, it’s the law.
Half-load season is now in effect on most municipal and county roads across the United Counties of Prescott and Russell (UCPR), the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry, and across Ontario. The load limit is legally set at five metric tonnes per axle and remains in effect as long as conditions warrant.
Those conditions are soft ground due to ground frost melting, snow and ice above ground melting, and the rain that often accompanies late winter and early spring. Heavy vehicles can damage road surfaces and grades significantly when the ground is soft, so public works and roads departments try to lessen the severity by requiring heavy haulers to lighten their loads.
Special signage marks load restrictions on local roads. Newer signs show an illustration of a truck with arrows pointing to the ground with “5 tonnes per axle” written below. Older signs read “LOAD RESTRICTION IN EFFECT, 5 tonnes per axle.”
Police and Ministry of Transportation commercial vehicle enforcement personnel monitor roads for loads exceeding the temporary limit and will issue fines to drivers violating the law.
In Québec, reduced load limits will soon take effect for the spring thaw season. The southern Laurentides and Outaouais regions, and all of the Montérégie region of Québec are part of Zone 1 for load reductions. Reduced load season in Zone 1 begins on March 13 and ends on May 12. During this period, most loads are reduced by half.
To see the complete schedule of load reductions for roads in Québec, the regulation may be consulted online at https://www.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca/fr/document/rc/C-24.2,%20r.%2031 .
