Imagine driving through the snow with a moving truck without winter tires. This is what several users who did business with the U-Haul company experienced, who say they experienced quite a scare when they realized that their vehicle was not suitable for road conditions. Registered in the United States, the trucks in question benefit from an exception to Quebec law.
What there is to know
- Users complain of not having been informed that trucks rented from U-Haul did not have winter tires.
- Some used the vehicles in full broadside, which made their experience particularly difficult.
- It’s an exception to the law that allows U-Haul and other companies to operate certain trucks without winter tires.
“It really took everything to finish my ride, honestly. I even almost took the field several times and I was going in all directions. The vehicle was constantly skidding,” says Alex Lauxon, who rented a truck from the American company last week in Montreal to pick up a piece of furniture in Richmond, in Estrie. A bout of snow then fell on Quebec.
When he returned to the branch, he said he complained to the on-site staff, who admitted to him that this type of truck “simply does not have winter tires, but rather the equivalent of all-season tires” .
I couldn’t believe it. All I was told was that since the vehicles were plated in Arizona, the requirement was not there. But we roll with it in Quebec. It’s infuriating and above all extremely dangerous. I don’t understand why the government is letting this go.
Alex Lauxon, U-Haul customer
Mr. Lauzon is not the only one to express concern. Dany Croussette, who rented a cube truck at the beginning of February to transport equipment to Sainte-Adèle, in the Laurentians, had a similar experience. “With just a fresh, heavy snow, the truck just wouldn’t move,” he recalls.
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, THE PRESS
Heavy-duty vehicles offered by U-Haul are equipped with summer tires, even in winter.
“I had to correct myself several times and ultimately, we had to pull with the chains of another vehicle to get the truck to move. It was really ridiculous. I have since filed a complaint at the company’s headquarters in Arizona, but I have never heard back,” says Mr. Croussette, who still has difficulty explaining today why people’s safety is thus “put at risk.” stake “.
An exception in the law
Individual concerns in this regard are not new. In fact, social networks have been full of publications for several years now expressing concern about the absence of winter tires on certain rental trucks. Companies other than U-Haul also rent rental trucks without winter tires. In the majority, if not all, cases, however, customers are not notified.
Catherine, who purchased a rental vehicle in Laval in February, claims to have been traumatized by her experience. “I was scared of my life, even though I know how to drive very well in winter. »
It’s serious that the law does not impose itself on them, while we are constantly told to have our winter tires for storms, for broadsides and more complex days.
Catherine, who rented a vehicle in February
In reality, it is an exception in the law which allows trucks to travel without winter tires. In Quebec, the Automobile Insurance Company (SAAQ) requires winter tires from 1er December to March 15 inclusive for the vast majority of road vehicles in the province, for obvious safety reasons.
This obligation also applies to passenger vehicles offered for rental in Quebec as well as mopeds and motorcycles, adds the company on its website, which specifies that penalties ranging from $200 to $300 can be given. in the event of a violation.
However, several “exceptional cases” exist, we read on the website of the Ministry of Transport. Trailers and vehicles registered outside Quebec, for example, are not covered by this obligation. Heavy vehicles weighing 4,500 kg or more, tool vehicles and motorcycles used as emergency vehicles are also exempt from the obligation, as is agricultural machinery, moreover.
At the Ministry of Transport, this exception is explained by the fact that “winter tires are rarely available in the dimensions required for heavy vehicles”.
“Also, heavy vehicles are often equipped with traction tires whose rubber composition ensures that they offer good grip on different surfaces,” says its spokesperson, Sarah Bensadoun, who did not wish to specify whether changes could be made.
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, THE PRESS
U-Haul branch in Montreal
Tires where needed
In short, despite users’ fears, everything indicates that U-Haul is within its rights. The company does not intend to change its policies in this area. “The regulation does not apply to trailers or heavy vehicles. Our large box trucks fall into the category of heavy vehicles,” specifies its spokesperson Jeff Lockridge, by email.
The spokesperson assures, however, that for the rest, “all U-Haul pickup trucks and vans operating in Quebec are equipped with winter tires that meet provincial standards.”
These tires normally remain in place “all year round as an additional safety measure for our customers,” adds the public relations officer.
“If one of our Quebec customers has rented a pickup truck or van and they believe the winter tires were not on the vehicle, ask them to contact us with the name on the rental contract , the contract number or the vehicle number. Our local teams will be happy to locate the vehicle and check that it is fitted with the correct tyres,” concludes Mr Lockridge.