Trucking network

​​The trucking network supports the mission of the Ministère, as it targets the protection of roadway heritage and the safety of all road users.

The specific objectives of the trucking network—both in terms of the highway network and in terms of municipal network—are to:

  • direct heavy vehicles to a more appropriate road network (protection of the network and road safety);
  • facilitate traffic control;
  • make it easier to plan heavy vehicle traffic on their territory;
  • enable the application of a global vision of heavy vehicle traffic management on Québec’s road network.

Policy on heavy vehicle traffic on the municipal road network

Municipalities are responsible for managing traffic in their territory. A municipality can therefore adopt a regulation or order to restrict, with or without exception, any road vehicle from travelling in its territory.

To ensure the standardization of such management, the Ministère has adopted a policy entitled La circulation des véhicules lourds sur le réseau ro​utier municipal (in French only). This policy enables municipal road network managers who want to prohibit trucks from using roads in their municipality to harmonize their regulation with the restrictions in place on the neighbouring road network to ensure the movement of goods across Québec.

The policy was implemented in 1991 and updated in 2011. The update allowed the integration of recent regulatory changes. As such, the policy is now compliant with the statutes and regulations in force.

Objectives of this policy

  • Make municipalities aware of:
    • road vehicles targeted by driving restrictions and the exceptions authorized for local deliveries, in accordance with the Regulation respecting road signs;
    • the administrative rules they must comply with to submit traffic restriction regulations to the Minister for approval;
    • the criteria under which the Minister authorizes them to restrict the access of certain road vehicle categories to sections of the municipal road network.
  • Remind the municipalities of:
    • the necessary use of the signs prescribed in the Regulation respecting road signs for restricting traffic on a public road;
    • the importance for the Ministère to ensure access to a road network allowing the free movement of goods and the development of Québec’s economic activities, while considering public safety and public peace;
    • the importance for the Ministère to preserve the functional and safe aspect of the road network.

Itinerary planning

In order to help the owners, operators and drivers of heavy vehicles to consider the provincial and Municipal Network network when planning their itinerary, the Ministère has created tools, such as:

These tools are available on the website of Québec 511.