Insights from Inside
An Officer's guide to CVSA Inspections, Truck Maintenance and Fleet Management
by Alan W. Wintermute

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The laws governing commercial motor vehicles are not easy to understand and it can take hours wading through them to find anything. Passing inspection requires a roadmap to which one must commit faithful execution over time. Insights from Inside, written courtesy of the experience of a transportation enforcement officer/CVSA inspector with a background as a licensed mechanic, provides that roadmap, along with tips and cost-saving suggestions for heavy truck drivers, owner/operators, and fleet managers. It also offers maintenance suggestions, insider insight, and strategies on how to pass CVSA Level 1 inspection during roadside stops with a commercial motor vehicle. While the book’s focus is Ontario laws, there’s some policy standardization throughout North America and the same inspection procedure and training for enforcement officers tasked with inspecting commercial motor vehicles, trailers, and buses reigns continent-wide—so its data points are wide ranging. Armed with this book, drivers and fleet operators can know what to expect no matter in what jurisdiction an inspection is performed.

www.alanwwintermute.ca

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"Sending drivers on their way with the resources they need to succeed, Insights from Inside can serve as either an industry primer or a helpful reference for experienced truckers. It covers the inspections, maintenance, and requirements that are relevant to day-to-day operations in the trucking industry." —Foreword Clarion Reviews, 4/5 stars "I ordered your book at 5 pm Saturday and it was at my door 11am Sunday. Good choice going with Amazon. I was 27 yrs in the truck and now I’m in the office a lot of what I do is common sense but your book has already come in handy it’s a great read thanks for writing it." —Chris Carriere "I just started reading the book. I am always in discussions about what you can and cannot do. What is exempt for personal use and what isn’t. I am especially interested in exemption section regarding Pick-up trucks. It is very good, lots of information." —Dale Hatch

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Inspector Alan Wintermute earned his license as a motor vehicle mechanic after having completed an apprenticeship in Ontario. The license was later divided into a few designations as the trade became more complex and servicing motor vehicles increasingly required specialized training and experience. Inspector Wintermute was grandfathered into two of those categories: truck/coach technician and automotive service technician. In Ontario, as in other provinces, an interprovincial seal—now called the Red Seal Endorsement, or RSE, as per a recent College of Trades adjustment—is awarded to the candidate for licensing in a trade if they reach a specified mark on their qualification examination. Alan Wintermute was awarded this seal on his certificate of qualification—significant because it extends its recognition across all the provinces of Canada—immediately following the completion of his apprenticeship. Alan Wintermute has long been fascinated with both the way laws are written and the atmosphere of a courtroom. He practised as a paralegal in Toronto for about sixteen years, and earned a fellowship certificate in the law of evidence from the Institute of Law Clerks of Ontario. Seeking a steady income, benefits, and a pension during a time of economic downturn, he sought an appointment as a transportation enforcement officer and was given a berth with Ontario’s elite enforcement agency, one of six licensed motor vehicle mechanics hired to this role (at its peak, the Ontario transportation enforcement agency had about 365 officers, thirty-five of whom were licensed motor vehicle mechanics). He held it from April 2003 until his retirement in October of 2020. During his tenure in enforcement, Inspector Wintermute worked as a patrol officer in Toronto and at truck inspection stations on Highways 401, 400, and the Queen Elizabeth Way, in Ontario. He also taught new recruits at basic training for eleven years. Alan Wintermute lives with his wife in Ontario, some thirty kilometres from the American border.

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Contributors

Author

Alan W. Wintermute

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