Burnaby truck inspection blitz returns 50% fail rate, pulls 147 vehicles from the road

B.C. police say a recent coordinated truck inspection blitz has led to the removal of hundreds of commercial vehicles from the road.

Burnaby RCMP said its members working in coordination with other agencies, including the Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement branch, conducted 297 inspections last week, resulting in 147 vehicles being pulled from the road.

Police said they discovered 440 total violations and 347 mechanical defects during the inspections.

Const. Kevin Connolley with Burnaby RCMP’s traffic enforcement unit said while many of the drivers were following the rules, an alarming number were not.

“There were, of course, trucks that we inspected that had nothing wrong,” he said.

“However, with that, there was still 50 per cent of the trucks we found that we couldn’t let go, that needed to either fix something on the site or they were so grievous that they had to be towed.”

1:55 Troubling results during truck inspection blitz

One of those trucks included a vehicle with an “L” licensed driver and no supervisor in the vehicle, and which had more than 50 per cent of its turn signals, brake lights and headlights not working.

The operation included representatives from 14 different jurisdictions, inspecting vehicles over a four-day period.

Connolley said having that coordinated effort is crucial, as truck drivers move between municipal and provincial boundaries, often several times a day.

He said fines for drivers could range from $109 to $600 per infraction.

Asked about the high number of roadside fails, Transportation Minister Claire Trevena said finding infractions was the point of the inspections.

“It’s obviously concerning when you see a large number that don’t pass,” said Trevena.

“But generally, the trucking industry is professional, it’s trying to build up a standard, and we’re working with them through our Commercial Vehicle Safety Enforcement branch.”

Trevena said the inspections and fines serve as a deterrent, but also as an opportunity for education where transportation officials can ensure drivers are aware of all regulations.