INTRODUCTION

Canada’s National Safety Code (NSC) for commercial vehicles consists of 16 individual standards developed in collaboration with public and industry stakeholders. The standards were built upon existing safety standards and practices in response to de-regulation of the trucking industry in the 1980s to ensure road safety. The main objective of the code is to adopt uniform national safety standards across Canada in the form of legislation passed by each government. These standards were first introduced to Alberta carriers in 1988, and are contained within Alberta regulations and legislation, such as the Traffic Safety Act. The majority of the standards were already contained within Alberta regulations prior to 1988, with the exception of medical and record retention standards.

All bus and truck carriers, as defined below, must comply with NSC standards.

• A bus is defined as a motor vehicle that is designed for carrying 11 or more persons, including the person driving the vehicle, and used or intended to be used for the transportation of persons.
• A truck is defined for "Provincial" NSC operators as a commercial vehicle or combination of vehicles registered for a combined weight of 11,794 kg or more. "Provincial" carriers operate only in Alberta.

Alberta carriers that operate into other jurisdictions are designated as "Federal" and must comply with federal legislation. Under federal legislation, trucks or truck/trailer combinations registered for a combined weight of more than 4,500 kg must comply with NSC standards as implemented in Alberta. This includes farm plated vehicles that travel outside Alberta.

Safety Fitness Certificate
Change of Operating Status
Name Change
Safety Fitness Certificate Renewal