Transport Topics / CVOR Safety Rating

CVOR Safety Rating

Excellent Safety Rating
A carrier would normally be eligible for an Excellent Safety Rating if it meets all of the following conditions:

​- The carrier has at least 24 months of demonstrated operation in Ontario and currently holds a valid CVOR certificate,
- The carrier has an overall violation rate of 15% or less of overall threshold,
- The carrier also has a collision violation rate of 10% or less of the collision threshold, an

The carrier has been audited and achieved an excellent score.

​Note: Once an Excellent rating is assigned, the operator must maintain both an overall violation rate no greater than 20% of overall CVOR threshold and a collision violation rate no greater than 15% of collision threshold. Failure to maintain these low violation rates will result in a safety rating downgrade.

Satisfactory Safety Rating

A carrier would normally be eligible for a Satisfactory Safety Rating if it meets all of the following conditions:

- The carrier has at least six months of demonstrated operation in Ontario and currently holds a valid CVOR certificate,
- The carrier maintains an on-road performance level of 70% or less of its overall CVOR threshold
- The carrier has been audited and received a passing score.

Satisfactory-Unaudited Safety Rating

A carrier that has not been audited would normally receive a Satisfactory-Unaudited Safety Rating provided it maintains an on-road performance level of 70% or less of its overall CVOR threshold.

Conditional Safety Rating

A carrier may be considered for a Conditional Safety Rating if any of the following circumstances occur:

- If the carrier’s on-road performance level exceeds 70% of its overall CVOR threshold.
- If the carrier fails the facility audit.
- Upon the expiry of a suspension or plate seizure.

If a person or company related to or affiliated with the carrier has an on-road performance level that exceeds 70% of its overall CVOR threshold or fails a facility audit.

Note: To be upgraded from a Conditional rating to a higher rating (i.e. Satisfactory-Unaudited or Satisfactory), the operator must maintain an on-road performance level of 60% or less of its overall CVOR threshold.

All Conditional ratings are in effect for a minimum of six months, except when a carrier rating is proposed for a rating downgrade from Conditional to Unsatisfactory. When such a rating downgrade is proposed, there are no minimum time requirements. During the six-month conditional period, the carrier is expected to identify and improve the components of its safety performance which resulted in the assignment of the Conditional rating. Following the six months, the Registrar may propose a rating based on the performance of the carrier at that time.

A carrier may be assigned a Conditional rating as the result of a failed audit. In this case, the carrier cannot improve its rating until six months after the date of the Conditional rating assignment. The carrier must pass a second audit in order to receive a new rating.

Carriers that exceed their overall CVOR threshold

When a carrier’s overall violation rate exceeds its overall threshold level (over 100%), the system brings it to the Registrar’s attention. In most cases, the carrier will be considered for sanction such as plate seizure, suspension or cancellation.

The carrier will also be considered for an Unsatisfactory Safety Rating. The Registrar may propose that the carrier’s rating be Conditional until the sanction takes effect. The carrier will remain Unsatisfactory for the duration of the sanction.
Upon the completion of the sanction period, a Conditional rating will automatically apply. No rating higher than Conditional will be assigned following the sanction until at least 6 months has elapsed. The Registrar may, however, during the Conditional period following sanction, propose an Unsatisfactory rating where applicable, even though 6 months has not yet passed.

Safety Ratings for new carriers

When a carrier applies for a CVOR Certificate, a Satisfactory-Unaudited rating is usually proposed. The new carrier is unrated for the first 40 days of operation while the rating is proposed and until the rating comes into effect.
Most carriers will remain Satisfactory-Unaudited for the first six months of operation. However, if a carrier accumulates points on the CVOR record or fails an audit, the rating may drop to Conditional or Unsatisfactory.

Disputing proposed Carrier Safety Ratings

A carrier has the right to send to the Registrar a written dispute of its proposed Safety Rating. The written dispute may include records as well as written submissions. The carrier must submit the written dispute to the Registrar at the address indicated on the Safety Rating letter within 30 days of being notified of the proposed Safety Rating.
After considering all submissions and records contained in the written dispute, the Registrar will assign a Safety Rating. The assigned Safety Rating may be the one that was originally proposed or may be a different rating than the one proposed. There is no further appeal from this assignment of a rating.

Deferred Safety Rating Status

A carrier may wish to upgrade its Safety Rating to Satisfactory or Excellent by volunteering for and passing an audit. If a carrier does not pass the audit, the Registrar will propose a Conditional Safety Rating.

Carriers that have volunteered for an audit and failed the audit but have an overall violation rate of 50% or less may apply for deferred Safety Rating status by disputing their proposed conditional rating. The Registrar may defer the proposed conditional Safety Rating for up to one year if the carrier meets the following conditions:

- The carrier must submit a dispute and include a written undertaking to address the deficiencies found during the audit
- The carrier must agree to submit to a subsequent audit within one year of the notification of the proposed conditional rating.

If the carrier meets these conditions, the Registrar may defer assigning the conditional rating for up to one year.

The conditional rating will be assigned immediately if any one or more of the following conditions occur:

- The carrier’s overall violation rate exceeds 50% of its Overall CVOR Threshold,
- Six months have passed and the carrier has not yet requested a re-audit,
- The carrier fails the re-audit, or
- A year has passed and the carrier has not been re-audited or is not awaiting a scheduled re-audit. 

A satisfactory or excellent rating, as applicable, will be assigned immediately if the carrier passes the audit or receives an excellent audit score.