Commercial Transport

The Commercial Transport program monitors safety on the highways, promotes public safety and protects infrastructure through the development of standards and policies for heavy commercial vehicle weights and dimensions. The program also seeks to minimize impacts to industry by pursuing the harmonization of weights and dimensions standards and enforcement policies with Canadian and neighbouring USA and North American jurisdictions.

Commercial Transport establishes transportation policies and safety standards regarding the area of weights, dimensions, load security and vehicle configurations. Under established conditions (policy) and for prescribed fees, permits to exceed legal limits are issued by Inspection stations (e.g. term oversize/overweight permits). Applications to move extraordinary size and weight loads are reviewed by Commercial Transport head office prior to permit issuance (e.g. heavy equipment, non-compliant vehicle configurations, 5 metre wide loads, etc.).

The Commercial Transport Act and Regulations and the Commercial Transport Procedures Manual provides inspectors with interpretation guidelines. Inspection stations (formerly known as weigh scales) are located in various districts throughout British Columbia.

What's New

• Circular #09-09 Postponement of Axle Weight Reduction for Tridem Hayrack Semi-trailers, Tridem Pole Trailers, and Triaxle Trailers Hauling Green Felled or Bucked Logs or Poles – November 17, 2009
• Commercial Vehicles Must Carry Chains October 1 to April 30
  A map of the locations of the chain-up signs acrosss the province. (November 2, 2009)
• Circular #08-09 – New permits for extended length super b-trains hauling wood chips and mill processed wood residuals – October 30, 2009 Revised
• Circular #07-09 –Temporary changes to Non-Resident Quarterly Permits from January 1, 2010 to March 31, 2010 for Commercial Vehicles (including Charter Buses) – October 15, 2009 NEW
• Form T-30 – For operating an extended length B-train with maximum overall length to 27.5 m and maximum overall height to 4.45 m, hauling wood chips and mill processed wood residual – October 15, 2009 NEW
• Circular #06-09 – Issuance of permits for truck tractors with a wheelbase greater than 6.2 metres – July 27, 2009 NEW
• Form T-20 - To be used to permit the operation of long wheelbase truck tractors in combination with semi-trailers – July 27, 2009 NEW
• Notice 6-2009 - Amendments to Forms T-53 and T-69A
• Circular #05-09 - Travel authorization by permit, or over-weight fire apparatus for public fire control operations, unless otherwise restricted and/or posted – June 15, 2009 NEW
• Form T-60 – Approved routes to access and transport beetle killed wood using overwidth bunks to a maximum of 2.9 metres
  – May 28, 2009 NEW
• Release 2 of the TPS Online service will be available on May 8. More information will be available at TPS Online Home Page
  – May 5, 2009 NEW
• Circular #04-09 - Amendments to the BC Commercial Transport Regulations and the BC Motor Vehicle Act – Regulations.
  – April 30, 2009 NEW
• Circular #03-09 - Trailers, Mobile Homes, and Recreational Vehicles – Recognition of United States Recreational Vehicle Industry (RVIA) standards.
  – April 16, 2009 NEW
• Circular #02-09 - Mobility Aid Accessible Taxi Standards
  – March 30, 2009 NEW
• Circular #01-09 - Changes to pended application for non-reducible overweight loads.
  – January 15, 2009 NEW
• Circular #06-08 - Changes to the Non-Resident Quarterly Permit Weight Threshold and the Repeal of the Peace River Farm Agreement.
  – December 16, 2008 NEW
• Circular #05-08 - To advise that as of November 24, 2008, B.C. is allowing pilot cars to operate with smaller lettering on "Oversize", "Wide Load" or "Long Load" signs. B.C. will allow pilot cars to operate using these signs with lettering to a minimum of 20 cm in height and 3 cm in stroke.
  – November 24, 2008 NEW
• Circular #04/08 - Commercial Transport Permits Available for Tandem Steer/Tridem Drive Ready-mixed Concrete Drum Trucks to Reduce the Interaxle Spacing requirement from 5.5 metres to 5 metres
  – September 9, 2008 [ 54 KB PDF]
  
• Circular #03/08 - Changes to the Canadian Agreement on Vehicle Registration (CAVR)
  – August 28, 2008 [ 538 KB PDF]
• Additional Axle Weight Allowance for Tridem Hayrack Semi-trailers Hauling Green Felled or Bucked Logs or Poles – Effective August 13, 2008
  – August 15, 2008 [ 413 KB PDF]
• Amendments to Commercial Transport Regulations – Division 7 – Size and Weight – Effective July 1, 2008
  – June 17, 2008 [1566 KB PDF]
• List of Inspection Stations (formerly known as Weigh Scales)
• One-stop-shop permit system revs up the trucking industry
  – December 19, 2006 [ 21 KB PDF]