B.C. trucking company involved in overpass strike denies skirting licence suspension

There are questions about B.C.’s move to suspend the safety certificate for a trucking company involved in an overpass crash on Dec. 28, 2023, after vehicles with the same name and logo were seen operating on provincial highways.

The Ministry of Transportation grounded Chohan Freight Forwarders’ fleet in December after one of the company’s trucks was involved in a sixth overpass strike in two years.

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Since then, social media users have posted photos of Chohan trucks operating in B.C., accused the company of bringing in vehicles from Alberta to skirt the suspension.

Carly Hunter, director for the B.C.-based company, told Global News the vehicles are operated by a separate company owned by a relative in Alberta.

“They are a separate entity altogether with Alberta jurisdiction,” Hunter told Global News on Tuesday.

“Chohan Freight Forwarders is totally separate here in British Columbia … Same name but totally different fleet altogether.”

Hunter could not say whether the Alberta company was moving Chohan’s B.C. cargo, but said the company’s full fleet of more than 65 trucks remained grounded as it faces an investigation from B.C. regulators.

“There is a lot of families that rely on their family member to support them and there’s everybody just sitting,” she said.

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“And it’s really unnerving, because there are company drivers, owner operators, and a lot of people that have families back home, people in the Lower Mainland relaying on single income, it’s not good for anybody.”

In a statement, the Ministry of Transportation confirmed that Chohan operates in Alberta as a separate entity, with a fleet of Alberta-registered vehicles regulated in that jurisdiction.

“Generally speaking, carriers from one province may operate in other jurisdictions provided they carry the appropriate insurance,” the ministry said.

“(Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement) is looking into this further, and is communicating with regulators in Alberta who are aware of the B.C. company’s suspension here.”

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The B.C. Trucking Association said the B.C. government’s ability to enforce safety regulations is limited to this province.

Association president and CEO Dave Earle said he has been pushing for coordinated registration across Canada for years, but that it is a complicated issue and that companies are free to structure themselves in a variety of ways.

“What we want to make sure of is that the ministry is doing everything they possibly can to ensure that their orders are being followed and as far as we know, they are,” he said.

The ministry said it continues to investigate Chohan’s Dec. 28 crash, and that the outcome of that investigation could lead to further action.

Last month, the province announced a suite of new measures aimed at cracking down on overpass strikes, including stiffer fines, licence suspensions and new technological requirements for commercial operators.