There are many real-world examples of what can go wrong when the commercial vehicle regulations for Canada are ignored or misjudged. Here are just a few:

•  A bridge outside Kemnay, MB, has taken the tops off so many commercial vehicles that ignored height restrictions that it’s earned the nickname the “Kemnay Can Opener”. These incidents amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars when you add up the costs of infrastructure damage, lost time, and ruined products 

• An overpass outside Edmonton, AB, suffered damage to its concrete support system when a truck hauling an excavator struck it from underneath. This happened on the heels of a similar incident on the very same overpass that cost $2.3M to repair and disrupted traffic for over a year 

• In July 2020, sheriffs monitored the aging Vinca Bridge in Sturgeon County, AB. In just two days, they caught three commercial vehicles grossly exceeding the clearly posted limit. The drivers were fined staggering amounts,  $15,904, $21,307, and $23,180 

You can see in these examples that non-compliance with commercial vehicle weights and dimensions can carry serious safety, legal, and financial risks.  

In a more general sense:

• Overweight or oversized vehicles are harder to control and result in more serious crashes 

• Trucks that do not respect axle weight limits and are heavier than the road is designed for cause road rutting, bridge or overpass damage, and costly repairs over time 

Commercial vehicle compliance protects your goods and the truck itself by allowing for proper weight distribution and no extra wear and tear on the truck itself. As an employer, preventing these types of incidents protects drivers, cargo, roads, and your company’s reputation.