Trucking company that struck overpass taking B.C. gov’t to court

The trucking company at the centre of a major overpass strike along Highway 99 in Delta just after Christmas last year is taking the province to court, claiming that being suspended from operating is making it lose millions of dollars in business.

Chohan Freight Forwarders has filed a lawsuit in the BC Supreme Court asking the Ministry of Transportation to overturn the suspension, halting its entire fleet, which it was handed in December 2023.

The company says the driver involved failed to follow instructions of the company’s safety manager when he realized his load was over height.

The driver, instead called some friends who were not associated with the company, court documents outline, who told him it would be fine.

Chohan has been blocked from using its fleet since the incident, and as a result, it says it’s been losing upwards of $1 million a week.

The company also says the Alberta-based Chohan Group Limited has a family connection with the company in B.C., but they are separate legal entities, and it should be allowed to operate in B.C.

Drivers with Chohan Freight Forwarders have hit bridges or overpasses six times since 2021, Ministry of Transportation data shows. Four of these strikes were in 2022 alone, with violation tickets issued in all cases except for the Dec. 28 incident which is still under investigation.

The Leader Spirit has reached out to Chohan’s lawyers and the Ministry of Transportation.