An “overweight, under-secured and unsafe” transport truck was taken off the highway in northern BC after being spotted by BC Highway Patrol (BCHP) officers.
On July 7, the truck, which was towing a large seacan, bypassed a weigh station on Highway 97 near Fort Nelson.
However, a BCHP officer spotted the truck drive by and managed to get the truck to stop, turn around and return to the weight station for further inspection.
What the officer found next was concerning.
“A roadside inspection found that the sea can full of heavy furniture was not properly secured to the trailer,” said Corporal Michael McLaughlin with BC Highway Patrol
“The trailer was also overweight, two trailer tires were bald and deformed, and the exhaust stacks on the truck were not heat-shielded to prevent a person from getting burned.”
The truck driver was then issued several tickets including one for $109 for operating a vehicle with a gross weight exceeding the manufacturer’s weight rating.
A second ticket of $173 was issued for operating anon-commercial vehicle with insecure cargo and the third ticket of $10 was issued for the faulty exhaust system.
The trailer was issued a “Notice and Order” and removed from the road for a commercial vehicle inspection.
According to the BCHP, the driver was responsible for the tow bill, the inspection and all necessary repairs.
“Keep your loads and vehicles safe and you will avoid tragedy, along with unwanted attention from BC Highway Patrol,” said McLaughlin.
Two weeks before this incident, Fort Nelson BCHP officers stopped another semi-truck after it fell apart during a u-turn. That investigation found the two tandem drivers had falsified log books.
