Provincial Ministers and Surrey MLAs Amrik Virk and Peter Fassbender, announce the new truck parking facility with BCTA Vie Chair Ken Johnson and Murray Scadeng of Triton Trucking looking on. Photo: Ray Hudson

Highway 17 Under Port Mann Bridge Site Identified

Provincial Ministers and Surrey MLAs Amrik Virk and Peter Fassbender, announce the new truck parking facility with BCTA Vie Chair Ken Johnson and Murray Scadeng of Triton Trucking looking on. Photo: Ray Hudson
Provincial Ministers and Surrey MLAs Amrik Virk and Peter Fassbender, announce the new truck parking facility with BCTA Vie Chair Ken Johnson and Murray Scadeng of Triton Trucking looking on. Photo: Ray Hudson

The Nordel Way truck parking facility, which opened for businesses in October last year, was the scene of an announcement that the second truck parking facility in the Lower Mainland will be constructed on provincial land on the north side of Highway 17, below and just east of the Port Mann Bridge. Site preparation will get underway this summer, with completion anticipated by winter 2018. When opened, the facility will have room for up to 150 trucks. It will include washrooms and showers, fencing, lighting, and other security measures.  

Provincial Ministers Amrik Verk and Peter Fassbender made the announcement, on behalf of Todd Stone, the Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, that the province has committed $17 million toward this $30-million project, and is seeking partnership funding from the federal government.

“We are always looking at ways that we can help the commercial trucking industry carry out their business in a more cost-effective manner,” said Fassbender. “By constructing truck parking facilities such as this, and by streamlining permitting and adopting new technologies, we’re helping keep B.C.’s trucking industry operating safely and efficiently.”

“The commercial trucking industry quite literally keeps our economy moving,” said Virk. “This truck parking facility is one more way we are supporting the industry by providing a convenient location for drivers to park, and have a rest or undertake minor repairs.”

The new truck parking facility will be constructed on provincial land on the north side of Highway 17, below and just east of the Port Mann Bridge. Site preparation will get underway this summer, with completion anticipated by winter 2018. When opened, the facility will have room for up to 150 trucks. It will include washrooms and showers, fencing, lighting, and other security measures.

This facility on Highway 17 in North Surrey is the second new truck parking facility announced for the Lower Mainland, and will have a capacity for up to 40 vehicles opened in fall 2016 on Highway 91 at Nordel Way in Delta.

Fassbender also took advantage of the event to outline improvements and innovations the government has been studying to increase the efficiency and economic viability of the trucking industry:
• 120 thousand permits are issued every year in BC to regulate the transport of goods throughout the province. Starting now and moving in to the early summer, the ministry will be looking for ways to bring forward recommendations to reduce the need for that many permits. The government realizes that ¼ of those permits could be dealt with by regulation rather than the current process.  Fassbender says that could save the industry upwards of $8 million per year.
• Secondly the Ministry is going to be moving from one year authorization letters to five years for oversized and overweight trucks operating within the Reducible Load Overweight Permitting Policy.

  • The ministry will work with the BCTA to review the impact of increased weights on trucks with new wide-base tires and thereby increase efficiency. We won’t see containers travelling throughout the region three-quarters full. They’ll be full because the weights are going to be changed.
  • We’re going to be increasing the maximum weight permitted on ten axle container trucks. This means ten axle vehicles will be able to carry two 30,480 kg shipping containers, which will maximize the opportunities to move goods through the system and keep us competitive against other markets.
  • Finally, the government is going to be working with the association to investigate the use of smart lift axles on trailers. Many have said not making use of this new innovation in trucking technology doesn’t make sense. I know Minister Todd Stone and his team have looked at that and they recognize this is an innovation that will further improve the industry.

“While safety is going to remain paramount around that the Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement (CVSE) is going to work with this new regime and ensure the safety of the travelling public and the truckers,” said Fassbender, saying the savings in efficiency will save the industry millions of dollars. Increasing the efficiency of the trucking industry while enhancing safety is a top priority for the BC Government.