Trucking company suspended for scraping Massey Tunnel ceiling resumes operation

The north end of the George Massey Tunnel is seen in a CTV News file image.

A trucking company that had its entire fleet suspended after one of its vehicles scraped the top of the Massey Tunnel earlier this month has been allowed to resume operation, according to B.C.'s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.

In a statement shared with CTV News Wednesday, the ministry said T S D Holdings Ltd. had made "the necessary changes that could be made" while it was suspended.

The ministry said its Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement branch "will be monitoring the carrier to ensure their on-road behaviour follows the company's commitment and the relevant regulations."

The company was issued violation tickets totalling $2,371 following the CVSE investigation into the incident, the ministry said.

T S D Holdings was served an immediate suspension, grounding its entire fleet, after one of its semi trucks scraped the top of the Massey Tunnel on Jan. 10.

According to the ministry, the company "was asked to submit an action plan to address all areas of non-compliance" the CVSE found during its investigation, along with a plan to ensure future oversized loads will be transported safely.

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.

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.

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Andrew Weichel