B.C. Ministry of Transportation publishes list of truck carriers ‘cancelled for cause’

Questions are being raised about trucks hitting overpasses in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley after another truck hit the Glover Road overpass in Langley Monday, snarling traffic for hours.

The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said over the last 12 months there have been eight incidents in those regions of overheight trucks hitting overhead bridges.

It has now published a list of carriers that have been “cancelled for cause” under section 118.96 (2)(a) of the Motor Vehicle Act.

The carrier has been given an unsatisfactory safety rating, meaning it is not allowed to operate any commercial motor vehicle.

The list will be updated monthly.

“In response to the recent spate of overpass collisions, the ministry has increased its Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement patrols with an emphasis on enforcing height restrictions,” the ministry said in a statement.

“Overall, we find that the trucking industry is extremely professional and safety conscious. However, there are some who fail to take the proper precautions with loads that may be potentially overheight.”

4:08 Calls for change after a spate of overpass collisions involving large trucks

Commercial vehicle operators are responsible to ensure their loads are meeting the terms and conditions of the permit they have been issued.

They can be fined for violating the conditions of a permit or for operating without the appropriate over-height permit, the ministry said.

Each of those violations is subject to a $115 fine.

The ministry also has a minimum height standard that is used in building all new infrastructure, which is five metres.

The Glover Road overpass in Langley is 4.46 metres high.

2:03 Eighth incident of a Metro Vancouver overpass hit in the last year

Last week, a dump truck hauling a flatbed trailer with an excavator struck the westbound side of the 192nd Street overpass on Highway 1 in Surrey during the morning commute.

The equipment believed to be an excavator was being pulled by the truck with its bucket not completely collapsed when it hit the overpass.

Two SUVs were also caught up in the mess. One was badly smashed up after debris may have flown through the sunroof, leaving a woman with a cut on her head.

Another SUV also suffered some damage.

0:28 Heavy traffic congestion in Langley after overheight truck smashes into Highway 1 overpass

A similar incident on the 232nd Street overpass at the end of June is estimated to come with a $1 million repair bill.

At the beginning of June in Richmond, the Cambie Road overpass was also struck and the road was closed for hours.