Area dump-truck owners protest costly upgrade
Mandated lift axle requirement to set operators back thousands
Dozens of dumptrucks were driven to the WFCU Centre and formed a convoy in Windsor on Monday, Dec. 28 to protest a new requirement by Ontario's Ministry of Transportation that — according to the protesters — will cost certain truck owners thousands of dollars.
“A tri-axle has a lift axle that goes up and down,” explained Jacob Awss, owner of Windsor-based Rhino Construction and the organizer of the demonstration.
“In the older trucks, it's manual.... In the newer trucks, it comes down by itself. That's what they want us to have.”
After joining up at the WFCU Centre, the vehicles travelled together on Windsor streets, eventually heading onto Highway 401 and occupying an MTO truck inspection and weighing station in an act of civil disobedience.
“We closed it,” Awss said. “OPP showed up.”
Awss said he was given contact information for MTO representatives and elected officials. The convoy then dispersed.
The point of the protest, Awss said, was an email from the MTO that he and other dump truck owners received earlier this month, informing them that updated lift axles will be required on all dump trucks from 2005 and older.
According to Awss, replacing the lift axle to meet the government's specifications costs around $20,000 per truck.
Awss said he was told that the new requirement goes into effect Dec. 31, and that it has been deemed necessary for road safety reasons.
But Awss said permits can be obtained for dumptrucks from 2006 and newer that have the old lift axle configuration.
“It doesn't make sense to me,” Awss said.
“If you have a truck from 2005 or before, you have to change it. But if you have a 2006 truck that has the same lift axle, you can keep it.”
“They were talking about (making the requirement) for the past 10 years. But they never said they were going to do it on this date.”
Awss said he owns six vehicles that are subject to the new MTO requirement — and he's not alone.
“There are over 100 trucks in just Windsor that have the same situation. Maybe more, actually.”
Awss said he has pending contracts, and he was expecting his trucks to be on jobs on Jan. 4.
“But now we can't go to work,” he complained.
“You can't even get the lift axles done.
“I've called so many places.... I'm losing the business.”