‘This needs to stop’: B.C. suspends trucking company’s right to operate following overpass collision

Photo: Government of BC

British Columbia has suspended a trucking company’s ability to operate in the province following a collision with an overpass on Dec. 28.

“This needs to stop. We know that the vast majority of commercial drivers in B.C. operate safely and responsibly. However, some operators are not getting the message,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure.

B.C.’s Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement branch (CVSE) has used its new powers, as outlined in Dec. 15 article in OHS Canada, to suspend the safety certificate for Chohan Freight Forwarders Ltd.

That means the company’s entire fleet of 65 commercial vehicles are no longer able to operate in B.C., and Fleming said the driver and carrier responsible will face the “toughest fines in the country” and an investigation is underway that could lead to further action.

“This suspension is a result of the company’s unwillingness or inability to operate safely within the province, following its sixth infrastructure crash in two years,” said Fleming.

“We recently announced increased fines and the ability to ground fleets through suspensions like this, so highway traffic keeps moving safely and reliably for travellers and commercial vehicles, and people can count on their commute.”