According to Canadian Agricultural Injury Reporting data, traffic collisions accounted for about five per cent of all agriculture-related fatalities from 2011 to 2020.

Here are some tips to help ensure everyone’s safety while on the road:

Motorists

• Tractors and other farm equipment travel significantly slower than typical traffic, meaning a motor vehicle driving at the speed limit can close the distance on farm machinery much faster than anticipated. Always reduce your speed when approaching any farm equipment.

• Keep in mind that spring seeding and fall harvest seasons are when more agricultural equipment is travelling on public roads, especially in rural areas.

• Always keep a distance behind farm machinery, which provides a better view to determine when it’s safe to pass and helps the equipment operator see you.

• Although it may be frustrating when behind a slow-moving vehicle, it’s important to only pass when it’s safe to do so.

• Be aware that some farm equipment is very wide and may take up more than one lane.

• Tractors and other farm vehicles often make wide left turns. If you see a tractor veer to the right, there is a good chance it is about to turn left — this is not a signal for motorists to pass!

Equipment operators

• Whenever possible, use side roads rather than highways due to the size and slower speeds of farm machinery. Take the time to plan your route before hitting the road.

• Ensure your equipment it outfitted with reflective materials and a slow-moving vehicle (SMV) sign that is in good condition and visible.

• Before going out on any road, check that all lights, beacons and turn signals are clean and working properly.

• Double-check that all loads are secure and that your equipment won’t leave debris on the road or send any projectiles toward motorists.

• Understand the width and height of your equipment and adjust mirrors accordingly. This will help ensure safe travel and clearance from potential obstacles such as road signs, overhead wires or bridges.

• When transporting oversized loads or operating on high-speed roadways, it’s best practice to use a pilot vehicle whenever possible. (Note: Some provinces have specific requirements regarding pilot vehicles, while others do not. Be sure to check your provincial highway traffic legislation to confirm requirements in your area.)

Remember: We all share the same public roads, which means we all have a role to play in making sure everyone gets home safely.

The post Road safety a shared responsibility appeared first on Grainews.

Every year authorities organize pop-up roadside inspections to check heavy trucks for safety violations. And although farm trucks and drivers get a variety of exemptions from some regulations commercial carriers must follow, passing a roadside safety inspection isn’t typically one of them.

So how do you get through a spot check and avoid a ticket — or worse?

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) was set up several years ago to standardize equipment requirements and inspection procedures across Canada and the U.S. Most officers checking trucks will be certified by CVSA. Inspections will be carried out in a similar way no matter the province where they occur, although exact regulations and some exemptions vary a little.

“We have level one, two and three inspections,” CVSA roadside inspection specialist Jeremy Disbrow said during an information webinar in May. “A level one is we’re looking at driver credentials, their hours-of-service status, and it’s a complete vehicle inspection. It includes all the components underneath the vehicle as well. And it focuses also on cargo securement.

“A level two inspection involves everything except going underneath the vehicle. It’s called a walk-around inspection, basically. A level three is just a driver-only inspection.”

Farm truck drivers will usually be exempt from the hours-of-service regulation.

First impressions

The first step in acing a spot check inspection is to do a thorough daily pre-trip inspection on the truck before starting work. That ensures you find any defects before heading out onto the road — and repair them.

Officers doing inspections get an overall impression of a driver and truck pretty quickly. And first impressions are important, so having a clean, well-maintained truck will help.

“If you have your vehicle in order and you’re ready for the day, you’re likely to get a clean inspection,” Disbrow says. “Quite frankly, you can tell a lot within the first 30 seconds of interaction. A driver that seems to be prepared shows a level of professionalism.”

READ MORE: Driving a loaded grain truck

Drivers must make a written record of daily pre-trip inspections, but some farm truck drivers are exempt from needing to create a written report. For example, in Manitoba, the Commercial Vehicle Trip Inspection Regulation exempts a “two-axle or three-axle commercial vehicle or any trailer attached to it while being used primarily for the transportation of primary farm, forest or aquatic products if the driver or driver’s employer is the producer of the products.”

In Saskatchewan, only two- and three-axle farm trucks are exempt. Drivers of a farm semi will have to produce a written inspection report and show it to police when requested, according to the Saskatchewan Highway Patrol.

Them’s the brakes

One of the defects most commonly found at inspections is brake problems. Though nearly all modern heavy trucks with air brakes use automatic slack adjusters, some may not realize a driver still has a procedure to follow to ensure they are set correctly.

Making six full brake applications and holding them momentarily with system air pressure above 90 pounds per square inch is required for automatic slack adjusters to set up correctly. Failure to do this at the start of each day may mean push rod travel will exceed the maximum limit, putting brakes out of adjustment.

Making a full-service brake application and holding it for one minute to measure air loss is a key pre-trip test. Single-unit trucks cannot lose more than three p.s.i. in that time. Semi-trailer trucks with one trailer cannot lose more than four.

READ MORE: Truck is key piece in transport puzzle

There are other tests as well, such as ensuring the tractor protection valve closes at no less than 20 p.s.i. when the trailer lines are disconnected.

Farmers who’ve never had to take additional training to drive a Class 3 truck with air brakes may want to pick up a copy of their provincial air brake manual to ensure they understand the full test procedure, and make sure they know how the system works. Pre-trip regulations typically require a driver to have a reasonable working knowledge of the systems they’re checking.

“Last year the top out-of-service violation we had was for brakes,” Disbrow says. “Some of the other common violations were tires and lighting devices, things like that.”

Finally, even if you’re in a hurry and annoyed at the delay, curb your attitude when pulled into a roadside inspection. Being rude and abrasive won’t help you in the least.

“Something we look for is the professionalism of the driver and their attitude,” Matthew Austin of the Saskatchewan Highway Patrol said during the webinar. “That’s immediately noticeable as soon as we walk up and say hello. Things we’re looking for — do they have their proper documentation; do they know what documentation they’re giving us? Do they understand the expectations of the inspection? That all builds up to a good interaction during the inspection.

“The more organized the driver is, the smoother the inspection goes. It speeds it up.”

To find out more about CVSA inspections, visit the alliance website.

The post How to ace a roadside heavy truck inspection appeared first on Grainews.

Annual spring road restrictions set axle weight limits for vehicles moving on certain roads, in an effort to reduce the damage heavier loads can cause during the spring thaw period.

Grain and equipment movement can both be affected by the spring road bans, as drivers may need to find alternate routes or haul smaller loads. The duration of the restrictions will depend on the local weather conditions, but typically last through April and into May.

“At various times of the year, weight restrictions are put in place on some highways as a measure to prevent damage to the surface and roadbeds,” Saskatchewan Highways Minister Fred Bradshaw said in a release announcing the province’s road restrictions that came into effect on Tuesday.

“As the warmer weather rolls in, some roads can become susceptible to soft spots and surface cracks,” he added.

In Manitoba, spring road bans are set to come into effect on Friday across the province, according to an update from Manitoba Infrastructure.

The restrictions vary depending on the road, with level one restrictions consisting of 90 per cent of normal loading and 65 per cent of normal on level two affected roads.

Spring road restrictions went into effect across the southern half of Alberta on Monday, with other areas expected to be added to the list as the thaw progresses, according to Alberta Transportation.

— Phil Franz-Warkentin reports for MarketsFarm from Winnipeg.

The post Spring road bans coming into effect across Prairies appeared first on Grainews.

The order, first issued on Nov. 19, limits vehicles deemed “non-essential” by the government to 30 litres of gasoline or diesel fuel per trip to a filling station.

The restrictions will be extended through Dec. 14 as part of a state of emergency in the flood-hit province, provincial Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth told a news conference.

“Essential vehicles” will continue to have unrestricted access to fuel as required, using mainly commercial trucking cardlock stations, the province reiterated Monday.

Vehicles deemed “essential” under the order still include “agricultural and farm-use vehicles, including vehicles supporting flood response” as well as “veterinarians supporting flood response.”

Commercial transport trucks for critical goods and services such as food and beverages, as well as refrigerated trucks and grocery delivery vehicles, are also still deemed essential.

“The fuel conservation measures are working but with another storm on its way, we are extending the order to ensure that we prioritize emergency services for another two weeks,” Farnworth said Monday. “This recovery will take time.”

Officials have restricted travel on several major routes in the area and another, Highway 1, remains closed.

Four people were killed and the province is facing billions of dollars of damages after an atmospheric river dumped a month’s worth of rain in two days on southern B.C, triggering mudslides and washouts that destroyed road and rail routes between the mountainous interior and the coast.

Evacuations have been ordered after weather forecasters predicted that the third in a series of strong storms would pummel British Columbia on Tuesday.

— Reporting for Reuters by Dan Whitcomb; includes files from Glacier FarmMedia Network staff.

The post B.C. extends fuel restrictions following flooding appeared first on Grainews.

In the wake of the Nov. 14-16 storm, with trucks unable to reach farms, the B.C. Milk Marketing Board on Nov. 16 asked that affected dairy farmers dispose of raw milk into their manure pits, in line with their usual pickup schedules — a request which still stands for some.

As of Monday, pickups continue as usual for dairy producers on Vancouver Island with “limited disruption” — as well as for producers in the Creston and Kootenays regions, whose product can be trucked to Alberta for processing, the board said in a notice to farmers.

Normal pickup has also resumed for dairy farmers in the B.C. Interior — but with a few exceptions who’ve been informed to dispose of their milk. Organic producers in that region will also have to continue disposal “until further notice.”

At Chilliwack and in the Agassiz region east of the Woodside mudslide, “most” producers are back on their normal schedules for pickup “although there may be delays,” the board said Monday.

If pickups don’t occur, farmers in those regions are still asked to dump their milk every other day at intervals corresponding to their “normal” pickup schedules, just prior to the milking after their “normal” pickup timing. Farmers running out of manure storage are asked to contact the B.C. Milk transport department.

In the Prince George, Bulkley Valley and Smithers areas, milk still will not be picked up until further notice, the board said — with a few exceptions who can expect pickups “based on limited resources,” given the limited roads available to enter the Lower Mainland for milk delivery, and limited access to Alberta.

Many dairy farms at Abbotsford, in the Sumas Prairie area, have been subject to a boil water advisory since Thursday, meaning “we cannot pickup your milk until after the… advisory is lifted,” the board said.

Once the advisory is lifted, farmers in that area are asked to dispose of all milk in their bulk tanks, “immediately” clean and sanitize those tanks using potable water, and then start filling again before pickups can resume. Then, pickups will still be “determined by accessibility” to the farms.

That said, the board added Monday that in consultation with the provincial agriculture ministry, the use of home test kits to check water potability — specifically, to test for E. coli and coliform — will be accepted.

“It is a good option to have, especially for farms on the boundary of the boil water advisory area map,” the board said Monday.

Also, in any cases where a dairy farm was flooded and the farmers are returning to the property, “make sure you are co-ordinating with your equipment dealers,” the board said, as the provincial ag ministry “will need the sign-off from your equipment dealers before they will approve the shipment of milk again.”

‘Combination of problems’

The effects of the storm have also been felt at the processing level. Dairy co-operative Agropur, in a statement Monday, said it’s “working all-out to maintain operations” at its Burnaby and Victoria processing plants.

Agropur said it’s “coping with a combination of problems with raw milk supply, the availability of refrigerated transport equipment, and of course the state of the roads,” but “overall production and delivery levels of high-volume products have been maintained, with the support of the production team at our Edmonton plant.”

“Our teams are fully committed to maintaining operations, meeting the demand and finding ongoing solutions to get our products to the shelves at all retailers and institutional customers,” Agropur CEO Emile Cordeau said in the company’s statement.

In a separate notice last Wednesday, the milk marketing board also warned that while some farmers may “want to provide aid to the public and help their community during the current crisis and may be tempted to distribute raw unpasteurized milk directly to the public,” producers who do so are at risk of having their production licenses cancelled or suspended.

Directly distributing raw unpasteurized milk “may compromise safe consumption and the standard of high-quality milk for the industry, while adding other implications,” the board said.

Also, in a separate notice Friday, the board said it “understand(s) the challenge of the unknown many producers are feeling while we attempt to recover” and truckers and board staff “are working at all hours to get your milk picked up, but we cannot yet feasibly pickup all farms due to flooding, roadways, and resource constraints.”

For that reason, the board said, “we cannot tolerate any abuse towards any staff of the board or our transporters and ask that all producers remain respectful in all communications.” — Glacier FarmMedia Network

The post Some B.C. milk runs resume as roads reopen appeared first on Grainews.

Both railways, along with several major B.C. highways, have been shut this week due to damage from flooding and landslides spurred by a major multi-day storm over the region, cutting access to and from Canada’s busiest port at Vancouver. Floodwaters have receded in some affected areas as rainfall ended later in the week.

Canadian Pacific Railway, in an emailed statement Friday, said work continues “around the clock” on its Kamloops-to-Vancouver corridor, with about 20 separate sections of track already cleared or repaired.

“Work will continue through the weekend and, barring any unforeseen issues, we currently estimate service will be restored mid-week,” CP said.

CN, in a separate statement via email Friday, said traffic through southern B.C., northbound and eastbound traffic from Vancouver and inbound traffic to Vancouver from east and north of Kamloops are “still affected by the situation and we expect the repair work to continue at least into next week.”

That said, traffic to and from another West Coast bulk port, Prince Rupert, is “not directly impacted,” and CN said it’s “working with customers and the Port of Prince Rupert to utilize the available capacity.”

The Prince Rupert Port Authority, in a separate statement Wednesday, said a “number of terminals” at the CN-served port “currently have the ability to handle additional cargo and are actively engaged with shippers and CN to assist in facilitating the movement of critical goods, supplies and trade.”

Facilities at Prince Rupert include Prince Rupert Grain, a 202,000-tonne capacity bulk grain terminal, and Fairview Container Terminal, a 74-acre intermodal container site.

‘Somewhat in flux’

The Ag Transport Coalition, in its weekly update Friday on the big two railways’ grain handling performance up to week 15 (Nov. 7-13) of the shipping year, projected lower demand for rail service ahead in week 17, due specifically to the rail mainline outages that hit at the beginning of week 16.

The ATC said its projections are still “somewhat in flux at this time, recognizing that CN has yet to identify a timeline for service resumption and some CN-served shippers are evaluating opportunities for diverting traffic to the Port of Prince Rupert.”

Rail service demand from the grain sector was already lower before the storm, the two railways said separately. Neither mentioned a specific reason, but Prairie grain and oilseed production is expected to be well down in 2021 due to prolonged drought in several areas.

CN, in its own report on grain handling in week 15, said terminals at Prince Rupert and Vancouver had already seen reduced unloads and out-of-car time due to “light inbound orders as a result of reduced demand.”

Specific Vancouver terminals in week 15, before the storm, were also impacted by “storage space issues due to the inability to load vessels in rain,” CN said.

CP, in its grain supply chain scorecard for week 14, said rail car demand to date had been “well below capacity. As a result, CP has begun placing hopper cars into storage.”

‘Essential goods’

Meanwhile, highway repair crews have also worked “around the clock” and a route into the province’s southern Interior, via Highways 7 and 3, is now open for movement of goods and people travelling, but for “essential purposes only,” the province said Friday.

That said, parts of several major highways including 1, 3, 5, 7, 8 and 99 are still affected by flooding, washouts, mudslides and/or other obstructions and remained closed to traffic as of Friday.

Among the types of vehicles deemed “essential” along the Highway 7 and 3 route are agricultural and farm-use vehicles, including those “supporting flood response,” as well as vehicles of veterinarians “supporting flood response.”

Under the provincial Emergency Program Act, essential vehicles will still have unrestricted access to fuel, mainly using cardlock stations — whereas the general public will still be able to buy fuel for “non-essential” vehicles at retail stations, but purchases will be limited to 30 litres per trip to the station.

As part of the provincial order, gas retailers will be required to make sure remaining gasoline reserves last until Dec. 1.

Allowable reasons for essential travel on the designated route include “transporting livestock, agricultural or seafood products and supplies,” “livestock producers returning to a farm to provide care for animals” and transport of “food, water and other beverages.”

Checkpoints will be in place and travel restrictions will be enforced, the province said.

Drivers using that route should expect sections of single-lane alternating traffic on Highway 7 and three sections of single-lane alternating traffic on Highway 3 east of Hope, the province added.

“Delays will be significant, given the amount of essential goods to be delivered and the many people eager to complete their trips home.”

To “help the movement of essential goods” along that route, drivers are nevertheless “strongly encouraged” to wait an extra day or two to travel if possible.

Non-essential travel is specifically prohibited on:

• Highway 99, from its junction at Lillooet River Road to the BC Hydro Seton Lake Campsite access at Lillooet, and only passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles up to 14,500 kg will be allowed;
• Highway 3, from its junction with Highway 5 at Hope to the west entrance to Princeton; and
• Highway 7, from its junction with Highway 9 at Agassiz to its junction with Highway 1 at Hope.

The province said its order on fuel sales applies to all fuel suppliers in the Lower Mainland-to-Hope region, the Sea-to-Sky region, Sunshine Coast, the Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island.

“These steps will keep commercial traffic moving, stabilize our supply chains and make sure everyone gets home safely,” provincial Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said in a release.

“We are asking people not to travel through severely affected areas — for their own well-being, but also to make sure the fuel we do have goes toward the services people need in this time of crisis.” — Glacier FarmMedia Network

The post Repair work on B.C. rail lines expected for days yet appeared first on Grainews.

Canadian National Railway said Tuesday that heavy rainfalls in the region have led to mudslides and washouts on its network.

Crews are inspecting affected areas and “carrying out repairs which are critical to the passage of railway traffic through southern B.C.,” the company said in a statement.

That repair work is “progressing safely,” CN said — but “northbound and eastbound traffic from Vancouver, as well as inbound to Vancouver from east/north of Kamloops, continue to be impacted.”

Canadian Pacific Railway, in a separate statement, said it’s “experiencing a track outage” on its mainline between Yale and Agassiz, B.C., north of Hope, affecting rail service in the region.

In effect, “all rail service coming to and from the Port of Vancouver is halted because of flooding in the British Columbia Interior,” the Reuters news service quoted port spokesperson Matti Polychronis as saying Tuesday.

The provincial government on Monday said Highway 1 through the Fraser Valley would be closed in both directions effective 7 p.m. that evening.

A flood warning on the Sumas River led to the decision to close the highway between Highway 11 and No. 3 Road, the province said.

Highway 7, the main alternative to Highway 1 through B.C.’s Lower Mainland region, “also remains closed due to flooding and debris,” the province said Monday.

Highways 1 and 7 remained closed as of Tuesday morning, part of a long list of provincial highways closed due to flooding, washouts and mudslides.

The provincial transportation and infrastructure ministry said Tuesday the Malahat section of Highway 1 between West Shore Parkway and Tunnel Hill will be closed in both directions from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. each night until Monday next week.

“The full overnight closure is required to repair the highway at Tunnel Hill from damage caused by the recent weather conditions,” the province said.

During the daytime, that stretch of the highway will be open only to single-lane alternating traffic for 30-minute intervals; drivers should consider limiting travel for essential purposes only, the province added.

Flood risks and infrastructure damage have so far led to partial evacuations in B.C. communities including Abbotsford and Chilliwack and a full evacuation for the community of Merritt. — Glacier FarmMedia Network

The post B.C. rains shut CN, CP mainlines and Highways 1, 7 appeared first on Grainews.

The rainstorms that started on Sunday triggered landslides, shut roads, prompted the evacuation of an entire community, forced an oil pipeline to close and delayed flights.

About 275 people including 50 children were stranded, some 100 vehicles near the mountain town of Agassiz about 120 km east of Vancouver, which prompted evacuation flights.

Video footage showed Canadian Forces Cormorant helicopters ferrying evacuees to safety.

Authorities in Merritt, some 200 km northeast of Vancouver, ordered all 8,000 citizens to leave after rising waters cut off bridges and forced its wastewater treatment plant to close.

“Continued habitation of the community without sanitary services presents risk of mass sewage backup and personal health risk,” the city said in an official notice.

Some areas received eight inches (200 mm) of rain on Sunday — the amount they usually see in a month — and the deluge continued Monday, with roads covered by mud or up to 10 inches of water.

The landslides and floods come less than six months after an out-of-control wildfire gutted an entire town, as temperatures in the province soared.

The storms forced the closure of the Trans Mountain pipeline, which takes crude from Alberta to the West Coast. The line has a capacity of 300,000 barrels per day.

Work on a proposed expansion project has also been halted, the operating company said.

Around 30 km further east, footage posted to Facebook showed parts of a road had been washed away near the town of Hope.

“The situation is dynamic … it is very difficult weather,” provincial public safety minister Mike Farnworth told reporters.

Gales are due to hit the area later, most likely causing power outages, officials said.

The storm is the second weather-related calamity to hit the Pacific province in just a few months. In late June, temperatures hit a record high, prompting blazes that destroyed one town.

— Reporting for Reuters by David Ljunggren.

The post Severe B.C. rainstorms spur landslides, shut roads appeared first on Grainews.

The annual spring road restrictions set axle weight limits for vehicles moving on certain roads in an effort to reduce the damage heavier loads can cause during the spring thaw period.

Grain and equipment movement can both be affected by the spring road bans, as drivers may need to find alternate routes or haul smaller loads. The duration of the restrictions will depend on local weather conditions, but typically last through April and into May.

In Manitoba, spring road bans are set to come into effect on Saturday (March 6) in the southern part of the province (climate zone 1a), with other zones following over the next few days, according to an update from Manitoba Infrastructure.

The restrictions vary depending on the road, with level one restrictions consisting of 90 per cent of normal loading and 65 per cent of normal on level two affected roads.

Winter weight allowances were still in place across most of Saskatchewan as of Friday, according to the provincial ministry of highways and infrastructure.

Spring road restrictions typically come into effect in mid-March in the province and have already been imposed over the past week for highways south of Highway 1 and a few others in the province’s southwest, according to the provincial Highway Hotline map. Winter weights are set to be lifted Monday on a few more roads in the province’s southeast.

Spring road restrictions are set to go into effect across the southern half of Alberta, south of Camrose, on March 8, with other areas expected to be added to the list as the thaw progresses, according to Alberta Transportation.

Current details are available online for Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

— Phil Franz-Warkentin reports for MarketsFarm from Winnipeg.

The post Spring road bans coming into effect across Prairies appeared first on Grainews.

Provincial Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler announced Tuesday that certain essential goods may be trucked at “normal loading” axle weights on highways usually subject to Level 1 road restrictions during spring thaw.

Essential commodities can also be trucked at normal loading on roads subject to Level 2 load limits, if the highway links two points on the truck’s itinerary that are less than 10 kilometres apart — or in any other case if the highway is the most direct route between a point on the itinerary and the nearest highway not subject to Level 2 limits.

Normal loading will also be allowed if the “essential” goods in question are being trucked between midnight and noon during the first 14 days of the province’s restriction order, or at any time of day after the 14th day.

For the purposes of the province’s order, “essential” goods include groceries, medical supplies, fuel, fertilizer, bulk milk, potable water for non-industrial use, emergency equipment and materials, and Canada Post-related mail delivery, as well as livestock, feed in transit, and hay for feed in transit within Manitoba.

Transporting grain to satisfy grain quotas or contracts — or transporting potatoes or vegetables from producer to processor — at normal loading weights during the load limit period usually requires a permit, but will not require one for the 2020 spring season.

The exemptions announced Tuesday won’t allow vehicles to travel over any bridges or other structures at weights beyond those structures’ posted limits, the province noted.

For other commodities and goods, spring load limits took effect Friday (March 27) in Zone 1A (all of southern Manitoba, the Interlake and western Manitoba up to Dauphin and Russell) and Monday (March 30) in Zone 1B (western Manitoba around Swan River, Roblin and Ethelbert).

Further north, spring load limits take effect Friday (April 3) in Zone 2, which includes The Pas, Flin Flon, Cross Lake, Grand Rapids and Norway House, and on Monday (April 6) in Zone 3, which includes Thompson, Gillam, Lynn Lake, Leaf Rapids and Churchill.

“In order to allow vehicles to more easily transport essential goods during the current COVID-19 pandemic, we are easing spring road restrictions in certain circumstances,” Schuler said Tuesday in a release.

“This will help ensure communities continue to have access to items such as medical supplies, groceries and emergency equipment at this crucial time.” — Glacier FarmMedia Network

The post Manitoba eases load limits for grains, livestock, vegetables, fertilizer appeared first on Grainews.