Abbotsford transport driver, 53, who was fined nearly $2,000 for unsafe, dangerous practices. (Image Credit: BC Highway Patrol.)
Commercial fines

Abbotsford truck driver fined thousands for dangerous auto transport operations, unsecured vehicles

Apr 9, 2026 | 10:57 AM

HIGHWAY 5/B.C. INTERIOR – A 53-year-old Abbotsford truck driver was fined nearly $2,000 and had his auto transport trailer impounded due to multiple safety infractions, including not securing three vehicles, after getting pulled over on Highway 5 in late March.

According to a statement from BC Highway Patrol spokesperson Corporal McLaughlin, an enhanced enforcement push from police has led to more that 200 commercial vehicle charges in the Kamloops area.

One of the most glaring instances of unsafe commercial driving activities happened when BC Highway Patrol personnel stopped a commercial auto transport trailer on Highway 5 between Barriere and Clearwater on Saturday, March 28.

Corporal McLaughlin says authorities found multiple defects consisting of the following:

  • None of the vehicles being transported on the trailer were properly secured, and three were not secured at all
  • Ineffective, poorly maintained brakes on the tractor unit and trailer,
  • Leaks in the air brake system and the exhaust.

The 53-year-old Abbotsford man operating the auto transport truck was issued fines totalling $1,996. The tractor unit he was driving was taken out of service and towed away.

“The Highway 5 corridor north of Kamloops has seen a decrease in fatal collisions in the last two years (2024 and 2025), but we will continue to work to make the area even safer,” Cpl. McLaughlin said. “Commercial trucks are much larger and heavier than other vehicles on the highway, so BC Highway Patrol is continuing to work with Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement (CVSE) to reinforce the expectation that commercial drivers maintain a higher safety standard.”

Between March 18 and 20, 2026, as part of a coordinated campaign to make commercial vehicles safer, BC Highway Patrol joined forces with Kamloops RCMP and CVSE officers at multiple checkpoints near Kamloops. Some of the results include:

  • 35 comprehensive vehicle inspections,
  • 83 Notice and Orders to compel repairs for a wide variety of defects,
  • 200 Motor Vehicle Act charges,
  • 139 written warnings,
  • 9 vehicles taken out of service.

“The majority of commercial drivers put in the time and expense to make sure their vehicles are safe and legal, while a minority of drivers are causing the most problems,” says Corporal McLaughlin. “BC Highway Patrol and CVSE are specifically looking for vehicles that are unsafe which helps explain the high percentage of defects found in vehicles we pull over. We want to make sure that only ethical, professional drivers are left operating on our highways.”