Another B.C. trucking company suspended after highway sign damaged

The B.C. government has suspended another trucking company after a highway sign was damaged on the Gilmore overpass in Burnaby this week.

The incident happened Monday afternoon while an over-height semi was transporting a wrapped helicopter on Highway 1, according to the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.

"Minor damage to a sign attached to the overpass was observed, however there is no visible damage to the bridge," the ministry told CTV News in a statement.

"The driver had received an oversized permit. However, the height exceeded what was stated on the permit."

In the aftermath, the semi could be seen parked on the shoulder of the highway in neighbouring Coquitlam, with apparent damage to the top of the helicopter's wrapping.

Officials said the carrier involved, International Machine Transport Inc., was issued an immediate suspension of the company's entire 20-vehicle fleet, pending the results of an investigation by the Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement branch.

CTV News has reached out to the company for comment.

Monday's incident follows days after another semi truck's load scraped the top of the Massey Tunnel on Jan. 10.

Officials identified the company responsible as T S D Holdings Ltd., and said it was also served an immediate suspension grounding its entire fleet.

"This sends a strong message to drivers and carriers that there is no excuse for these crashes, and we are taking every incident seriously," the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said in a statement last week.

There have been more than 30 overpass strikes across B.C. since December 2021, the majority of which were recorded last year, leading to increasing frustration among drivers.

The crashes have been occurring despite resources such as DriveBC's height clearance tool, which allows drivers to input their vehicle's height and width to plot a useable route.

In its statement, the ministry asserted it has "never been easier" to avoid unnecessary crashes with infrastructure on the province's highways.

Last month, officials announced increasingly severe penalties intended to curb the ongoing problem of overpass strikes, including a steeper fine of $575 for over-height vehicles, making B.C.'s penalty the largest of its kind in Canada.

The previous fine was $115.

Repeat offenders also face escalating consequences up to and including the cancellation of their carrier safety certificate, which would prevent them from operating in the province.

Later this year, the government will begin requiring dump trucks to be equipped with warning devices that alert drivers if their vehicle's box is raised while in motion.

That requirement comes into effect on June 1, 2024, after which drivers will face a $598 fine for non-compliance.