Victory! Pumpers Win Battle for Road Licensing Equality

In the Canadian province of Ontario, both sewage truck operators and the trucking industry are declaring victory after years of petitioning the province to apply road licensing fees equally to all vehicles, including road-building machines (RBMs). This category of vehicles may include gravel trucks, mobile cranes — and unlicensed hydroexcavators, which some operators say have been competing unfairly with their licensed pumpers.While most vehicles pay road licensing fees, others are historically exempted from license fees and inspections as RBMs under the province’s Highway Traffic Act (HTA) and also use untaxed colored diesel fuel. A recently passed provincial budget promises to