British Columbia Improves Allowable Weights and Dimension for AT Cranes
Dec. 11, 2023 – The British Columbian government has made significant changes to its weights and dimensions policy, specifically Chapter 5, pertaining to All-Terrain Cranes.
The changes were announced last week during the National Task Force on Weights & Dimensions Policy meeting in Montreal, Quebec.
The Canadian Crane Rental Association (CCRA) has shared the news with its members and the industry.
“As Co-Chairs of the Weights & Dimensions Committee, we want to thank our industry colleagues who have contributed their expertise to support these changes” said Mike Lavoie and Justin Andrews. “We acknowledge the great collaboration between the CCRA and the Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement Branch as we continue to improve regulations”, said Andrews.
The revisions to the policy reflect the commitment of all parties involved to improve safety and efficiency in the industry.
The changes include:
• the overall length increases from 25 meters to 31 meters (82’ to 101.7’)
• the carrier length increases from 14 meters to 16.5 meters (45.9’ to 54.1’)
• the adjacent axle distance increases from 3 meters to 4.2 meters (9.8’ to 13.7’)
Release of more details will be released in the future.
Chapter 5 Policy for Specialized Vehicle Size and Weight Guidelines and Permits has been updated to reflect these changes.
The CCRA and BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said they appreciate the ongoing support and understanding of all stakeholders as the changes are implemented.
The Task Force on Vehicle Weights and Dimensions Policy is a national committee comprising officials from the federal, provincial, and territorial transportation departments with responsibility for pursuing greater national and/or regional uniformity of policies, regulations and enforcement practices for heavy vehicle weight and dimension limits within Canada.
The Task Force reports to the Council of Deputy Ministers Responsible for Transportation and Highway Safety.
The Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement Branch is responsible for programs, regulation, and policy for commercial and private vehicles. These programs, regulation and policy provide general information affecting commercial carriers, vehicle inspection programs, National Safety Code information, and contain various publications and reference materials.
The Canadian Crane Rental Association represents all crane rental companies, crane owners, manufacturers, and suppliers to the industry.
Its Weights & Dimensions Committee, formally known as the Boom Dolly Research Committee, formed in 2019, is responsible for initiating industry led changes and improvements to weights and dimensions policies and regulations.
One of the current key initiatives is working in collaboration with Western Provinces’ Transport Ministries to harmonize weights and dimensions for all-terrain cranes and the development of heavy load corridors between provincial jurisdictions.
