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Information & Resources - Traffic Control

Truck Regulations

PREAMBLE

The movement of trucks on streets in Winnipeg is regulated by:


• The Highway Traffic Act of the Province of Manitoba The Vehicle Weights and Dimensions on Classes of Highways Regulation (Manitoba Regulation 575/88) and,
• The City of Winnipeg Traffic By-Law No. 1573/77

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS (The City of Winnipeg Traffic By-Law No. 1573/77)

A Driver means a person who drives or is in actual physical control of a vehicle and includes any body corporate in respect of vehicles driven by its officers, employees, or agents in the course of their employment, and the expressions "drive" and "driving" have a corresponding meaning. A Regional Street means a street designated as such by Council on May 2, 1973 and as may be amended from time to time.

The City of Winnipeg Traffic By-Law No. 1481/77 - Page 28

A Truck means a motor vehicle or semi-trailer truck, that is constructed or adapted to carry goods, wares and merchandise, freight or commodities, but not passengers or baggage, and that has more than four tires.

A Truck Tractor means a motor vehicle designed and used primarily for towing other vehicles, and not so constructed as to carry a load other than the driver thereof and part of the weight of any vehicle so towed including the load thereon, and that has more than four tires.

ROUTE OF TRUCK TRAVEL (Sections 39 and 39.1 of The City of Winnipeg Traffic By-Law No. 1573/77)

All trucks, truck tractors or combinations of either one of them with a trailer or trailers within The City of Winnipeg shall be operated only over and along the streets or sections of streets set forth as Truck Routes in Schedules 1 and 2 ( Truck Route Map), but any truck or truck tractor or combination of either one of them with a trailer or trailers may operate upon any street where necessary to conduct business at a destination point, provided that Truck Routes are used until reaching the intersection nearest the destination point. Upon leaving the destination point, a truck or truck tractor or combination of either one of them with a trailer or trailers shall return by the shortest routing to a Truck Route.

Notwithstanding the above, to minimize truck travel on non-truck routes when a truck or truck tractor or combination of either one of them with a trailer or trailers has multiple deliveries in an area bounded by Truck Routes, it may proceed to conduct such business without returning to the nearest Truck Route and only after the completion of all business return by the shortest routing to a Truck Route.

TRUCK ROUTE MAP

In accordance with Section 44 of The City of Winnipeg Traffic By-Law, the Public Works Department maintains, on an ongoing basis, a  Truck Route Map for The City of Winnipeg which includes:

• Excerpts from The City of Winnipeg Traffic By-Law No. 1573/77 related to truck activities on City streets including all relevant schedules.
• A display showing the Truck Routes listed in the schedules to the By-Law, as well as the location and identity of structures with restricted gross vehicle weight limits, the locations with limited vertical clearances, and the locations of industrial areas and weigh scales.
• The 4.15 m maximum vehicle height permitted as per the Manitoba Highway Traffic Act.
• A listing of limited vertical clearances above roadways on City/Provincial Truck Routes. Limited vertical clearances on other City streets are posted in the field.
• Truck Route and other relevant signing.

TRUCK PARKING ON CITY STREETS (Section 30 of The City of Winnipeg Traffic By-Law No. 1573/77)

No person shall park a truck; a truck tractor; a trailer; a motor home; or a bus, having more than four tires; on a street for a period of time longer than one hour unless the vehicle in question is parked for use by a tradesman working on premises in the immediate area.

SPRING WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS (Section 17 (1) and (3) of The City of Winnipeg Traffic By-Law No. 1573/77)

The Director of Public Works may restrict the maximum weight of vehicles operated on those streets that do not have concrete pavement to the extent and for such period of time as is reasonably required to protect the streets from damage and deterioration during spring thaw conditions.

The Director of Public Works shall cause to be placed and maintained traffic control devices to make known weight limits of vehicles operated upon streets that do not have concrete pavements. The weight limitation referred to herein shall be imposed during the period March 23 to May 31, both inclusive, of each year, unless the Director declares otherwise.

Spring Weight Restricted Streets

The Director of Public Works may issue a special permit permitting the operation of an overweight and/or overdimension vehicle on streets within The City of Winnipeg where the Director of Public Works is satisfied that the operation of the vehicle will not:

• damage the streets over which it passes;
• disrupt traffic or pose a threat to vehicular traffic or pedestrians;
• damage properties adjacent to the right-of-way.

To obtain a special permit, contact a Permit Clerk at (204) 986-6006. Note that this special permit is only applicable in The City of Winnipeg.

A special permit is subject to such conditions and/or limitations as may be imposed by the Director of Public Works and the payment of a fee established by Council.

Current Permit Fees:

For the latest information on fees, call the Permit Office at (204) 986-6006.

You may also need a special permit to operate on Provincial Highways in Manitoba. Contact Manitoba Infrastructure and Transportation at (204) 945-3961 (or toll-free at 1-877-812-0009) to inquire about commercial operation permits on Provincial Highways.

Trucks Prohibited

From time to time, the Public Works Department receives requests for installation of “Not A Truck Route” signs.

There is a network of streets in the City of Winnipeg forming the City’s Truck Route system. All other streets are “Not a Truck Route”. Truck Routes, as specified in The City of Winnipeg Traffic By-law #1573/77, and as shown in the 2001 City of Winnipeg Truck Route Map, are all identified with appropriate signing such as Route Number signs (e.g. Route 85) and/or a sign with a silhouette of a truck with a green ring on a white background. Such a system of signing only those streets that are "Truck Routes" minimizes the cost of installation and maintenance of signs, is readily understandable by truck operators, and is enforceable by the Police. "Not a Truck Route" signs are reserved for use at intersections where a Truck Route ends.

Streets such as Portage Avenue, Main Street, Lagimodiere Boulevard, Kenaston Boulevard, Keewatin Street, McPhillips Street, Erin Street and Wall Street, etc. and many streets in the Central Business District, are Truck Routes. These established Truck Routes are intended to minimize the intrusion of truck traffic onto residential streets. In general, the Truck Route system in Winnipeg has provided an effective system of regulating truck traffic for over three decades.

According to the Traffic By-law, operators of trucks may use a portion of street that is not a Truck Route, provided that it is the shortest distance to and from the point of origin/destination and the nearest Truck Route. If trucks are destined from a Truck Route and travel on streets not identified as a Truck Route without a destination on that street, the driver is traveling illegally.

Posting "Not a Truck Route" signs may leave truck operators with the impression that any other streets not signed as "Not a Truck Route" are Truck Routes. Such a system of dual signing would be confusing and may compromise the ability of the Police to obtain a conviction for the illegal use of a street by a truck operator under the Traffic By-law. For these reasons, posting "Not a Truck Route" signs is not only unnecessary, but also inappropriate, and therefore, is not recommended.