Overview

Ontario has launched a pilot program for the testing of specific truck configurations that weigh more than 4,500 kg and are equipped with automated driving systems that meet the SAE International standard for Level 3, 4, or 5 autonomy.

The ten-year pilot program runs from August 1, 2025 to August 1, 2035 and will allow approved participants to safely test automated commercial motor vehicle (ACMV) technologies on Ontario roads to:

  • evaluate their performance
  • assess opportunities to improve road safety and support the trucking sector

The pilot has two different streams:

  1. Driver-supervised stream: a driver must be present in the driver’s seat and be prepared to engage and take control of the vehicle as necessary.
  2. Driverless stream: no driver is present in the vehicle’s driver seat. An assistant, located either inside the vehicle or at a different location in Ontario, must be ready to provide oversight of the ACMV.

To participate in the pilot program, you must:

  • submit an application package and receive approval from the Ministry of Transportation
  • work with the Ministry of Transportation to develop an approved testing approach
  • meet specific requirements related to safety, minimum insurance coverage, driver and carrier qualifications, and other conditions

How to qualify

Carriers must meet one of these 3 criteria to qualify for the pilot:

  1. have at least 2 years of experience with a “Satisfactory-unaudited” carrier safety rating and be partnered with another carrier that has at least 5 years of experience and a similar carrier safety rating
  2. have at least 3 years of experience with an “Excellent-audited” carrier safety rating
  3. have at least 5 years of experience with a “Satisfactory-unaudited” carrier safety rating

How to apply

Participating in Ontario’s pilot program is the only way to operate ACMVs on Ontario’s roads.

To apply for the pilot program:

  1. download and complete the ACMV application package
  2. submit the completed package by email, fax or mail to:

Email: ACMVpilot@ontario.ca

Fax: 905-704-2545

Address: 

Commercial Safety and Compliance Branch,
Carrier Sanctions and Investigations Office
301 St. Paul Street, 3rd Floor 
St. Catharines ON 
L2R 7R4

We will review your application and contact you to discuss next steps. This includes working with you to develop a testing approach with relevant performance milestones tailored to your technology and operational use case.

Once a testing approach has been established and approved, you will receive a signed copy of the approval package. You must keep a copy of the signed approval package in all vehicles participating in the pilot program at all times.

Program conditions

Read the full program conditions.

To participate in the pilot, you must comply with all program conditions, including but not limited to:

  • following all Highway Traffic Act rules and regulations for commercial motor vehicles
  • maintaining a minimum of $10 million in public liability insurance coverage
  • notifying the Ministry of Transportation via email within 24 hours following any safety incident or collision
  • getting approval in advance from the Ministry of Transportation for specific testing times, routes, and locations
  • displaying specific signage on the front and rear of all vehicles participating in the pilot

For testing on municipally controlled infrastructure, you must inform the municipality or local road authority in advance. You can find detailed requirements in the Program Conditions.

Signage

A yellow sign with an image of an automated commercial vehicle and text in black reading "Test vehicle - stay back" in English and "Véhicule d'essai - maintenez vos distances" in French

Automated commercial motor vehicles must clearly display signs with the text “TEST VEHICLE – STAY BACK” on both the front and rear of all vehicles.

These signs must meet the specifications outlined in the program conditions so that they are highly visible on the road during both day and night.

When testing under Stream 2 (Driverless Stream), vehicles must display signage or a sticker on the driver’s side door to inform first responders how to contact the remote assistant overseeing the vehicle. The signage must include a phone number, along with any other information required under the Highway Traffic Act.

Pilot evaluation and reporting

Approved participants must complete reporting forms as part of the pilot program. The Ministry of Transportation may also periodically request feedback or additional information from participants to support the evaluation of the pilot program.

The information we collect will be used to:

  • evaluate the use and performance of automated commercial motor vehicles in the pilot program
  • evaluate potential opportunities to improve road safety and support goods movement
  • understand how these vehicles operate with minimal driver intervention
  • compare the safety, efficiency and reliability of these vehicles to conventional commercial motor vehicles
  • update and enhance pilot program requirements as needed, based on collected data, feedback, and research