Apply for an Oil Well Service Permit

Permits may be issued to oil well service vehicle motor carriers who fall under the federal hours of service legislation (Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulation, (SOR/205-313)). This permit will exempt qualified carriers from the cycle requirements.

An exemption may occur if they are considered eligible. This exemption allows a transportation service to be provided directly to or from a well and doesn’t apply when travelling between any other locations that do not include a well site.

To qualify, a motor carrier must operate vehicles that meet the regulatory definition of an oil well service vehicle and provide at least one of the eligible services. The list of eligible services covered and not covered for a permit are listed below.

Services Covered

• Moving a rig and its components directly to or from an oil/gas well site.
• Transportation of camp shacks and well-site trailers that are being moved in conjunction with a rig move to or from an oil/gas well site.
• Transporting materials or personnel directly to or from a well site necessary for the day-to-day operation of the well (e.g. drilling mud, drill pipe, compressed/liquefied gases, etc.).
• Transporting materials directly to or from a well site and needed in the day-to-day operation of the oil well (e.g. drilling mud, drill pipe, compressed/liquefied gases, etc.).
• Directly servicing or drilling of the well head or of equipment directly associated with the drilling of the oil/gas well site such as testing, mud filling, cementing, hydraulic fracturing, data logging, servicing done with a water truck or vacuum truck, etc.
• Transportation of raw petroleum products (e.g. crude oil, produced water, petroleum condensate, waste sand, tailings) being moved from a well head (or a temporary storage tank located at the well head) directly to a storage/battery/upgrader site for processing or directly to another well head, or other location for disposal.
• Driving a vehicle operated under this permit directly between an oil/gas well site or a home terminal of the permit holders and either:
• A repair facility (for maintenance or for a PMVI inspection), or
• A cleaning/washing facility (equipped with a specialized wastewater capture/disposal system).
• Non-driving work (e.g. in a shop, warehouse, office, etc.) and operating a vehicle registered for 4,500 kg or less at one or more locations.
• Conducting driver evaluations/re-certifications in a vehicle as long as the duration does not exceed 3 hours. A copy of the evaluation is to be retained in the driver’s file and the time must be noted in both the drivers’ and examiners’ daily logs.
• The use of this permit can include providing allowed services regardless of whether cargo/goods/persons are being transported in/on the vehicle. This permit cannot be used for any services or trips other than those listed above.

Services Not Covered

• Transporting materials to or from an oil/gas well site that are used to prepare/develop the site itself or the road leading to the site (e.g. lumber, gravel, etc.).
• Transport equipment to or from well site that is used to prepare/develop a site (e.g. dozers, backhoes).
• Transporting supplies, food, or personnel to support the operation of a camp.
• Transporting mixed shipments, some to a well site and the rest to another location not covered by the permit.
• Pipeline construction, maintenance or servicing.
• Maintenance of vehicles at a well site.
• Moving any materials, goods or equipment between two shops, storage yards, or other facilities, none of which are an oil well site.
• Exploration activities (e.g. seismic work, explosives transport/storage, etc.).

Transportation of petroleum products from a battery site or from a temporary storage facility site to any other location (e.g. cleaned crude oil, slop oil, waste sand, etc.).

To qualify for a permit exemption, you must meet the regulatory definition of an oil well service vehicle.

Oil Well service vehicle drivers typically need to work for longer periods than the cycle limits imposed by the federal Commercial Vehicle Drivers Hours of Service Regulations. Annual permits may be issued to oil well service vehicle carriers/drivers exempting them from some regulations.

Submit completed application by email to Trucking.

This permit is intended to help balance the risks associated with allowing drivers to take a minimum of three 24-hour periods off duty every 24 days instead of following Cycle 1 or 2 under Section 63 of the regulations.

Because of the serious nature of this permit, it is expected that all permit holders will take all steps necessary to ensure they are meeting the requirement. The driver must complete training directly related to safety requirements associated with operating within the field services sector of the oil or natural gas industry. The training is to include, but not limited to the following:

• Carrier Fatigue Management Program;
• Federal Hours of Service Regulation; and one of the following:
  a) Oilfield Driver Awareness Program
  b) Resource Industry Driver Enhancement
  c) Integrated Transportation Training
  d) Other approved alternate training (certified by a safety consultant)

Permit holders must train all drivers prior to operating under the permit; however, drivers may be on the Driver's List and not yet have completed the training, as long as they do not operate under the permit until they are fully trained.

Holders need to successfully develop and operate a fatigue management program.

They must have policies written into their safety program regarding compliance to the permit and have an active and effective "monitoring" program in place to ensure all drivers are complying to Federal Hours of Service Regulations.