Humboldt Bus Crash and New Alberta Trucking Regulations

Humboldt Bus Crash and New Alberta Trucking Regulations

Canadians are known for their patriotism, community, and love of hockey – and it’s not often that all three of these combine under the umbrella of a nationwide tragedy. But this was the case back in April when an under-qualified truck driver caused a collision on a rural Saskatchewan highway, killing 16 young hockey players and injuring over a dozen more. And now, due to this accident, the trucking industry guidelines across Alberta are set to change in order to prevent it from happening again.

    Here at West Tech Mobile, we’ve been in the business for a long time – and we’ve seen the best and the worst scenarios imaginable when it comes to heavy-duty trucking. The nature of our work means that we must be familiar with every standard, law, guideline, regulation, and permission throughout the province, and since we are trusted to keep our customers safely within them, it is a job that we take very seriously. We are keeping a close eye on how the rules for drivers of heavy equipment, trucks, and passenger vehicles is about to change, so that we can keep every visitor to our shop informed!

    One of the biggest changes to the government regulations is the introduction of a reconfigured mandatory training program, which will be implemented early in 2019. This training will apply to anyone seeking a Class 1, 2, or S license, and will require not only a more in-depth technical test, but will likely involve systematic performance and compliance reviews for all new carriers within their first year of operations. In addition, the province will no longer be giving out temporary 60-day safety certificates to newly-registered companies – a move that should eliminate the troublingly common practice of suspended companies changing their name and reopening.

    On top of all that, there will be new requirements for training time that must be completed before a potential truck driver can take a tractor-trailer out onto the streets for the first time.

    To sum it all up – there’s a lot of change coming! But it should help streamline the skills of the truck drivers on the road, and help avoid horrendous accidents like the Humboldt crash in the process, and that’s something we can all get behind.

    It’s important to be aware of your industry and how it’s changing. If you’re unsure of how these new regulations will affect you, your company, your license, etc. then simply give West Tech Mobile a call, or ask us about it the next time you’re in for some preventative maintenance. After all, it’s our job to know the rules inside and out so we can ensure compliance on every unit we work on. There’s no better people to tell you what to expect, than the ones who already know what it will mean.
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    Find us in southeast Calgary at 5555 51 Ave SE, or use our easy contact page to get a hold of us by phone or email. We’re your most reliable source of direct information on the Alberta trucking industry and the new standards coming in 2019. Don’t be left behind – find out more today!

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UPDATE (October 23, 2018): Earlier this month, it was announced that in addition to the charges laid against the driver of the truck in the Humboldt accident, the owner of the trucking company itself, Sukhmander Singh, would also be prosecuted for federal and provincial crimes in relation to the crash. Facing tens of thousands of dollars in fines at a minimum, many of the charges relate to poor maintenance, falsified daily logs, and non-compliance with standard regulations. The importance of proper upkeep, familiarity with the rules of the road, and making sure that you and your vehicle stay safe cannot be overstated! Don’t take the chance – come to West Tech Mobile today and get the peace of mind that comes with a professional team of technicians on your side