Sharing the Road Safely
If you spend much time driving around Alberta, you may have seen our log transport vehicles on the road.
They’re hard to miss – log haul vehicles are normally longer, wider, higher and heavier than other trucks. Alberta’s forest industry depends on the safe and efficient movement of logs to mills throughout the province.
A great deal of planning, frequent inspections and a host of other measures are in place to ensure that we share the road safely with all public road users.
Safety Measures
Resource Roads
Most log haul occurs during the winter months when frozen conditions exist, and much of the log haul utilizes off-highway ‘resource’ roads funded by industry. Resource roads are often shared with other resource industries to maximize efficiency, and minimize public interaction. Some resource roads are open to the public, creating access to forests for activities like fishing and hunting. Resource roads are not built or maintained to public roadway standards. All resource road users are encouraged to exercise caution and follow posted guidelines.
Configurations and Efficiency
The Alberta Forest Products Association works to improve the safety and efficiency of forestry-related transportation in Alberta. By improving unit load efficiency, we can lower green house gas emissions and reduce public interaction by having fewer vehicles on the road.
NSC Standards and Compliance
In Canada, regulations governing commercial vehicles, drivers and motor carriers are based on the Canadian National Safety Code (NSC) standards. The NSC is a code of minimum performance standards, applying to all persons responsible for the safe operation of commercial vehicles. There are 15 NSC standards, ranging from commercial driver licence requirements to carrier facility audits.
Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Branch (CVEB) is responsible for ensuring commercial vehicle compliance while promoting safety for all highway users. Officers monitor mechanical fitness by performing various Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) inspections.
Industrial Rail
In addition to the trucks you might see on the roads, the forest industry uses industrial rail to transport materials and products. Some sites, that own or operate spur lines within the site, are classified as Industrial Railways. To assist them to operate in accordance with the Railway (Alberta) Act, AFPA developed a number of resources including a Safety Management System (SMS) template, an Exception Request template, training resources and auditing tools for member use.
Afpa’s Role/Collaboration
Alberta’s forest industry depends on the safe and efficient movement of forest products and continues to make a significant contribution to the provincial economy.
AFPA fosters a collaborative approach to transportation and facilitates opportunities for members to dialogue with government and other key stakeholders advising on important issues and giving a voice to our members. Whether it’s shaping legislation, new regulations or operating practices, AFPA ensures the voice of the forest products industry is heard.
Alberta Forest Products Association
AFPA is a non-profit association that represents Alberta’s forest industry. We support our members in reaching new heights of sustainability, safety, efficiency and innovation, and we give Albertans opportunities to learn about our forests and the forest industry.
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