The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has launched new guidelines for pilot car operators, who help support the safe and efficient movement of oversized loads on British Columbia’s highways.

“As outlined in B.C. on the Move, our 10-year transportation plan, we committed to reviewing B.C.’s pilot car requirements and developing clear guidelines for pilot car drivers to operate by,” said Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Todd Stone. “This new manual clearly lays out requirements for the pilot car operator, from equipment they must carry to driver movements, to make our highways safer for all motorists.”

This is the most complete guide in Canada for pilot car operators. This Pilot Car Guidelines manual clarifies the requirements for travel that are set out in provincial permits for oversize and overweight loads.

The manual outlines safety requirements for pilot car drivers, including route planning, contingency plans, pre-trip meetings, checks required before travel, equipment and communication, traffic control practices and pilot car movements.

This is part one of a two-part pilot car requirement review, as committed to in B.C. on the Move. Part two will involve looking at the number of pilot cars required when escorting oversized loads throughout B.C.

Trucks carrying oversized loads on B.C.’s highways and side roads are required to be escorted by pilot cars, to maintain safety for the commercial truck driver and for other vehicles travelling around the heavy-haul truck. Specific requirements vary, depending on the type of load, highway or time of day. Compared to other jurisdictions, these requirements have created a complex system.

Pilot cars play an important role in making sure that unusually large loads or wide vehicles travel B.C.’s highways and roads safely. Pilot cars function to warn other road users of the presence of an oversize vehicle, assist to manoeuvre the load through constrained areas and keep traffic delays to a minimum.

In B.C., there are about 23,000 trucking companies, with fleets totalling nearly 40,000 trucks. Each year, more than $3 billion in goods are trucked between B.C.’s gateway ports and the rest of Canada.

Through B.C. on the Move, the ministry commits to increasing the safety and economic efficiency of the commercial trucking sector. Over the next three years, the ministry will invest $2.7 billion to improve B.C.’s transportation network.

Learn more:

To find the new manual, go to:
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/download/CC6A1BBEE5774C658C4E548522D2C8DA

For more on BC on the Move, go to: www.gov.bc.ca/bconthemove