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Ontario Class A (AZ) overview

Ontario Class A (AZ): Size, weight, CVOR and documents

Legal width, height and length limits for semi-trailers and combinations, CVOR registration, documents a driver must carry, inspection stations, weigh scales, impoundment and dangerous goods.

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Size, weight, CVOR and documents · Question 1Score 0/0

How long do convictions and inspections stay on an operator's CVOR record?

Study reference: MTO Truck Handbook (online edition, 2026), Ch. 1 Getting your licence — Size and weight limits, CVOR, inspection stations

All 24 questions in this test

Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.

  1. How long do convictions and inspections stay on an operator's CVOR record?

    1. Five years
    2. One year
    3. Two years
    4. Ten years

  2. What is the maximum width of a commercial motor vehicle in Ontario?

    1. 3.0 m (10 ft)
    2. 3.5 m (11.5 ft)
    3. 2.6 m (8.5 ft)
    4. 2.4 m (8 ft)

  3. An operator's CVOR record keeps getting worse. What can the ministry eventually do?

    1. Only send a reminder each year
    2. Transfer the record to another carrier
    3. Suspend or cancel the certificate
    4. Nothing; records are kept for statistics only

  4. When may a semi-trailer be as long as 16.2 m (53 ft)?

    1. Any time it is under 4.15 m high
    2. When trailer and tractor meet special rules
    3. Only when it carries farm produce
    4. Only during daylight hours on 400-series roads

  5. Which insurance document must a commercial driver carry?

    1. The insurance company's annual report
    2. A note from the operator's office
    3. The original insurance certificate
    4. A photocopy faxed by the broker

  6. Where is a vehicle's MGVWR usually found?

    1. On a decal or plate on the cab
    2. In the daily inspection schedule
    3. On the driver's licence card
    4. On the CVOR certificate only

  7. A local driver may be exempt from carrying a daily log if they stay within what radius?

    1. 160 km of the starting point
    2. 250 km of the operator's office
    3. 80 km of the nearest weigh scale
    4. 50 km of the provincial border

  8. You approach a truck inspection station whose signs show it is open. What must you do?

    1. Slow down and pass in the left lane
    2. Continue unless an officer waves you in
    3. Enter and stop for inspection
    4. Enter only if you are overweight

  9. What is a vehicle's gross weight?

    1. The vehicle plus its load
    2. The empty weight of the tractor alone
    3. The weight printed on the licence plate
    4. The manufacturer's rated axle capacity

  10. What is the standard maximum length of a semi-trailer?

    1. 12.5 m (41 ft)
    2. 14.65 m (48 ft)
    3. 23.0 m (75.5 ft)
    4. 18.0 m (59 ft)

  11. How many classes of dangerous goods are there?

    1. Seven
    2. Twelve
    3. Nine
    4. Five

  12. A CVOR certificate is required for trucks above what registered or actual weight?

    1. 14,000 kg
    2. 2,500 kg
    3. 4,500 kg
    4. 11,000 kg

  13. Who trains a driver to carry dangerous goods and issues the certificate?

    1. Transport Canada inspectors only
    2. The driver's current employer
    3. Any community college of the driver's choice
    4. DriveTest at a road test

  14. Who can be charged when a commercial vehicle is overweight?

    1. Only the company that owns the trailer
    2. Only the shipper who loaded the goods
    3. The driver, operator and shipper
    4. Only the driver behind the wheel

  15. What is the maximum height for a vehicle and its load in Ontario?

    1. 5.0 m (16.4 ft)
    2. 4.5 m (14.8 ft)
    3. 4.15 m (13.6 ft)
    4. 3.9 m (12.8 ft)

  16. What is the maximum overall length of a single tractor-semi-trailer combination?

    1. 18 m (59 ft)
    2. 23 m (75.5 ft)
    3. 40 m (131 ft)
    4. 25 m (82 ft)

  17. Mirrors are left out of the width measurement if they stick out no more than what on each side?

    1. 1 m
    2. 50 cm
    3. 10 cm
    4. 30 cm

  18. What is the maximum fine for failing to go to a weigh scale when directed?

    1. $5,000
    2. $20,000
    3. $2,000
    4. $500

  19. How many previous days of daily logs must a driver carry, besides today's?

    1. 30 days
    2. 7 days
    3. 3 days
    4. 14 days

  20. Where can police or ministry officers carry out a safety inspection of your truck?

    1. Only at a permanent inspection station
    2. Only during daylight hours
    3. Only at the operator's terminal
    4. At any time and place

  21. The same truck is caught a third time within two years with critical defects. What impoundment applies?

    1. 60 days
    2. 90 days
    3. 15 days
    4. 30 days

  22. How long can a long commercial vehicle (LCV) double-trailer combination be?

    1. Up to 23 m
    2. Up to 53 m
    3. Up to 30 m
    4. Up to 40 m

  23. A tractor is found with a critical brake defect for the first time. How long can it be impounded?

    1. 15 days
    2. 30 days
    3. 60 days
    4. 5 days

  24. Several weight formulas apply to your truck. Which result is the maximum gross allowable weight?

    1. The lowest of them
    2. The highest of them
    3. The registered weight plus 10%
    4. Their average

Size, weight, CVOR and documents: key rules to remember

Our summary of what the official handbook says on this topic, in our own words. Read it before or after the practice questions above, then check the original chapter. Read the official chapter ↗

Definitions

  • Gross weight is the vehicle plus its load.
  • Registered gross weight is the weight a permit has been issued for under the Highway Traffic Act; the permit fee is based on it.
  • MGVWR (manufacturer's gross vehicle weight rating) is the gross weight set by the manufacturer, usually shown on a decal or plate on the cab.
  • A semi-trailer rests its front end on the towing vehicle; any trailer counts as a separate vehicle from the vehicle drawing it.
  • A commercial motor vehicle has a permanently attached truck or delivery body; buses and tractors used to haul loads also count.

Size and weight limits

  • Maximum width of a commercial motor vehicle: 2.6 m (8.5 ft); mirrors are not counted if they stick out no more than 30 cm on each side.
  • Auxiliary equipment is not counted in the width if it sticks out no more than 10 cm and is not used to carry a load.
  • Semi-trailers are limited to 14.65 m (48 ft), or 16.2 m (53 ft) when the trailer and tractor meet special requirements.
  • No combination may be longer than 23 m (75.5 ft), except double-trailer combinations that meet special requirements.
  • Maximum height of any vehicle and load: 4.15 m (13.6 ft), to keep clearance at bridges and overpasses.
  • Gross allowable weight depends on number of axles, tire size, suspension, axle spacing, aggregate or non-aggregate load and steering-axle weight; the lowest of the calculated limits applies.
  • Drivers, operators and shippers can all be charged for an overweight commercial vehicle.

CVOR

  • CVOR (Commercial Vehicle Operator's Registration) tracks the safety performance of truck and bus operators in Ontario.
  • A CVOR certificate is needed for trucks with a registered or actual weight over 4,500 kg and buses designed for 10 or more passengers, including Ontario, US and Mexican plated vehicles.
  • The original CVOR certificate application fee is $255.
  • Items such as collisions, convictions and inspections stay on the operator's CVOR record for five years from the date of the offence.
  • A poor CVOR record can lead to a warning letter, audit, interview and then sanctions up to suspension or cancellation of the certificate, plates and permits.

Documents to carry

  • Carry and surrender on demand: a licence of the right class, the registration (or true copy) for truck and trailer, the CVOR certificate (or true copy), the original insurance certificate, a daily inspection report completed within 24 hours with its schedule, and a daily log for today and the previous 14 days.
  • Supporting documents such as fuel, bridge, toll and accommodation receipts must also be carried.
  • A driver who stays within 160 km of the starting point and returns there the same day may not need a daily log, but hours-of-service limits still apply.

Inspection stations

  • If a truck inspection station is open, trucks must enter and stop; signs show whether it is open.
  • Vehicles are checked for weight, height, length, width and axle spacing, and the driver's licence class is checked.
  • Police or ministry officers can inspect a commercial vehicle at any time and place and may direct you to the nearest station; you must help with the inspection if asked.
  • Failing to go to a weigh scale when told: fine up to $20,000 and a possible licence suspension of up to 30 days.
  • Refusing to redistribute or remove part of a load, or obstructing a weighing: fine of $200 to $20,000.

Commercial Vehicle Impoundment Program

  • The Registrar can impound a commercial vehicle found with critical defects in brakes, steering, wheels and rims, tires, or frame and suspension.
  • Impoundment: 15 days for a first offence, 30 days for a second within two years, 60 days for a third or later within two years.
  • Fines for driving with critical defects can reach $20,000.

Dangerous goods

  • There are nine classes of dangerous goods.
  • The current employer trains drivers who carry dangerous goods and issues a certificate that must be carried while transporting them.
  • Safety marks, placards and labels identify the class and danger of the goods on trucks, cargo and pallets.

Long commercial vehicles

  • A long commercial vehicle (LCV) is a double-trailer combination up to 40 m long, identified by a placard on the rear; expect extra length and limited speed when passing one.

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