Drivers just don’t know how tall their load is, truck wash owner says in wake of several bridge crashes

A local truck wash owner says that many truck drivers just don’t know how tall their load is, which is what has caused a rash of recent bridge strikes in Moose Jaw. 

The third overpass in two weeks was struck in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada on Monday, March 16th, leading locals to wonder just what is going wrong. Dean Evans, owner of Super B Truck and RV wash, says that he suspects drivers just don’t know the height of their loads. 

“When they come to my shop they want to know the height of my building, but then I ask them the height of their loads, (and) they can’t give me that answer. I think they should know what they’re hauling down the highway,” Evans said. 

The most recent bridge strike happened when a semi truck hauling an excavator struck the Highway 1 overpass while heading south on Highway 39. Scrape marks can be seen on the roof of the bridge, which does have height warning signs and lights already installed, reported 980 CJME.

The Canadian government is currently investigating the permit held by the driver who struck the bridge on Monday. 

“The permits deal with things like height, weight and specific routes they’re supposed to follow. My concern would be the application process … and the accuracy of the height of loads that’s being provided,” said Evans. 

The driver in the recent March 11th crash is facing charges, but details have not been released. The driver in the first overpass crash of the month on March 3rd is facing six offences, including damage to public improvement, driving with undo care and attention, operating with a major defect, brakes out of adjustment, exceeding maximum height restrictions and failure to comply with conditions of a permit.

A $33.7 million project to replace the Highway 2 overpass across Highway 1 started last year, raising the clearance from just under 15 feet to just over 17 feet.

“If you know the bridge is 14-foot-five and you’re 16 feet you should go around it, but they seem to keep driving,” Evans added. Evans also suggested that the government create alternate routes for semi trucks, rather than “wasting our money fixing these bridges all time.”