Six years on the CCRA board, and a hard-won shift on all-terrain axle weights
Tadano’s Canadian regional business manager Justin Andrews has stepped down from the Canadian Crane Rental Association board after two terms, leaving behind measurable progress on the axle-weight rules that govern all-terrain crane movements in western Canada.
Weights and dimensions, not applause
The Canadian Crane Rental Association marked the end of Justin Andrews’ second and final term on its board of directors at the 2026 annual conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Andrews, who is Tadano’s regional business manager for Canada, served six years on the board and spent much of that time co-chairing the association’s weights and dimensions committee.
That committee is where the practical work sits for anyone running all-terrain cranes in Canada. Axle-load limits and permit rules decide how much counterweight and boom a crane can carry between jobs, how many support loads a fleet has to send, and ultimately what a lift costs. Andrews’ committee work concentrated on moving the western provinces towards more workable axle-weight policies for all-terrain machines.
A Talking Stick rather than a plaque
Instead of the usual conference trophy, the CCRA presented Andrews with a Talking Stick Award — a First Nations sculpture by a Vancouver artist, carrying a wolf motif chosen to represent family unity and togetherness. The association said those were the qualities Andrews brought to the board table.
“It was a pleasure working with you over the last 5 years. You played a huge part in our success on the weights and dimensions committee, and helping advance the western provinces on axle weights for All Terrain Cranes! I look forward to what we can achieve in the future. Thank you for everything you’ve done, your contributions and engagement in the association.”
— Mike Lavoie, incoming CCRA chair, Myshak Crane & Rigging Ltd.
Outgoing chair Ryan Long of A.W. Leil Cranes & Equipment struck a similar note, describing Andrews as “a selfless ambassador for ALL manufacturers when it comes to improving industry regulations surrounding the safe movement of all-terrain cranes in Western Canada”. CCRA executive administrator Claire Bélanger-Parker credited him with teaching her “everything I know about cranes”.
Why a manufacturer sits on a rental board
The CCRA is a mixed-membership body: crane rental firms, crane owners, manufacturers and suppliers all sit under the same roof, with a remit covering safety and professional development across the Canadian crane industry. That structure is what allowed a manufacturer representative to work on regulation that affects every brand on the road, not just his own.
Tadano says Andrews will continue to advocate for crane stakeholders across Canada, although he no longer holds a board seat.
Source: Tadano — Photos: Tadano