In the modern age of tight deadlines and high efficiency, it isn’t always easy to take time out of your schedule to keep up with the maintenance on your heavy equipment – even if you know that preventative maintenance is an excellent way to extend the life of everything from your engine to your axles. Aside from being needed on the job site, your trucks and other machines can also be inconvenient or too large to move easily. As a result, if they get pushed too hard for too long, they may stop working altogether and break down on site or become unsafe to operate on highways or city streets. It’s costly to tow, and to spend weeks waiting for repairs that cost valuable productivity. What can be done to prevent this?

​Alberta truckers are familiar with long hours on the road, traveling the long highways that cross our province. But as the economy continues its recovery, and the volume of commercial truck traffic increases, so does the frequency of commercial truck inspections.

These temporary stations are often seen on the side of Alberta highways, conducting safety inspections on drivers, vehicles, and cargo. But what you might not know is that there are also mobile versions – and these pop-up inspection stations can set up in new locations all the time (including major freeways like Stoney Trail) to catch unsuspecting drivers. These “blitz” style operations are nearly impossible to predict, and can’t be avoided when you’re already cruising down the highway.

Now don’t get us wrong: it’s important to follow the law, and these stations are enforcing strict standards for the safety of everyone on the road. After all, big trucks + small passenger vehicles + speed = bad news! That’s why during an inspection, if infractions are found, you can be fined or even have your truck held temporarily until the problems are fixed. If your cargo is not secured properly or documented poorly, or if your truck is mechanically not up to par, you might be stuck indefinitely – and that’s not good.