By Canadian Press

Truckers in B.C. call for more training after latest highway overpass strike

Dec 29, 2023 | 10:32 AM

SURREY, B.C. — A truckers’ group in British Columbia is calling on the province to strengthen drivers’ training after the latest case of a semi-trailer slamming into a highway overpass in Metro Vancouver.

Gagan Singh with the United Truckers Association says his group will send a letter to the provincial government, asking for better support for drivers who have to handle oversized loads.

Singh says many truck drivers do not have the proper tools to measure the height of their loads, while others do not know how to determine the clearance they need on B.C.’s highways.

He says the province’s approach of stiffening fines and penalties should be complemented by more support for truckers.

On Thursday, a truck operated by Chohan Freight Forwarders Ltd. struck an overpass on Highway 99 in the Metro Vancouver municipality of Delta, disrupting traffic for hours.

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Transport Minister Rob Fleming said it was the sixth such crash involving Chohan in the past two years, and the province has suspended the company’s safety certificate to operate effective this afternoon.

Chohan has not responded to emailed requests for comment and could not be contacted by phone.

A Transport Ministry spokesman said the crash had caused significant damage to the 112 Street overpass.

Photos shared on social media showed metal girders embedded in the concrete overpass, strewn on the highway, and strapped onto the flat bed of the Chohan semi.

A recent rash of overpass collisions prompted the province to unveil harsher penalties for companies and drivers with repeat offences on Dec. 14.

Provincial statistics say as many as 30 bridge strikes have happened on B.C.’s highways since 2021, with 16 of them reported last year alone.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 29, 2023.

The Canadian Press