Quote:
Originally Posted by Jon Skagfeld
ps...Rob, surely you don't allude to the MLVW in your last sentence!  |
Not the MLVW in particular. As a vehicle tech we had to regularly sign inspection forms, and there was a block you checked that stated that the vehicle met the applicable provincial safety standards. But in the CFTO regarding vehicle inspections, it made it clear that the DND was exempt from the provincial regs. We were to try to meet them but were not bound by them. As an example, while posted to Saskatchewan, we somehow had become involved in the provincial propane vehicle inspection certification because of our fleet of propane vehicles. When that inspection system became too cumbersome, my WO had the provincial inspector come in, showed him the regulations, and gave him back all his decals and manuals. The DND had it's own propane inspection system in place, along with it's own criteria and decals.
The MLVW is a good example though of a vehicle which took advantage of that exemption. The noise levels in the cab exceeded federal limits, the seatbelts were installed backwards from the factory, the plate glass windshields usually did not have the required AS1 watermarks, and of course there was that single master cylinder system. Oh yeah, don't forget the inadequate heater/defroster/wiper system.
One early complaint on the MLVW was that the spare tire carrier was on the highway side of the truck. Ottawa's response was that the MLVW was primarily an off road vehicle, so the danger of having to manipulate the spare tire onto and off of the goofy bracket were therefore negated.
Another clear example of our exemptions were our tractor trailers which did not have to stop into the weigh scales or inspection stations.