The Alberta government is releasing a tool for truckers which could help reduce the amount of bridge strikes and infrastructure damage in the province.

The Canadian Trucking Regulations Hub will be available in both English and French, and go live later this month on April 22.

It includes features such as permit information and route planning, where drivers can input information about the load they’re towing so that they are presented with a safe route.

“We want to make sure that there’s at least a greater awareness, but also give a tool to the industry so that we can hopefully reduce or ultimately eliminate bridge strikes that we’re seeing a high number [of],” said Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen in an interview with CBC News.

Though initially to be released with just Alberta’s information, the hub is supposed to expand to allow comparisons of different jurisdictions’ regulations as drivers cross province and territory lines.

British Columbia has a similar route planning tool, but Alberta’s hub is supposed to eventually combine all resources across the country into one common place, a step towards improving interprovincial trade, according to Dreeshen. 

The Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators is set to take over management of the hub in fall 2026.

“I think these tools are absolutely necessary,” said Tony Jackson, who has driven trucks for more than 13 years. “I think it would go a long way towards reducing a lot of these bridge strikes.” 

Bashed bridges

From 2023 to 2025, there were 39 bridge strikes on Alberta highways, 23 of which were over-height bridge strikes, according to the provincial transportation ministry. The estimated construction costs to repair those 23 totaled more than $11 million.

“Transportation is such a critical part to our economic productivity,” said president of the Alberta Motor Transport Association, Robert Harper. 

“There are huge benefits if you don’t have delays on the road … where something bad doesn’t happen because this tool perhaps prevents them.”

Dreeshen added that fewer bridge strikes means construction crews could also be expanding road capacity versus simply just repairing it after an accident.

“At the end of the day, this is Alberta taxpayers’ money that went into a beautiful infrastructure, beautiful bridge and that’s getting destroyed,” Dreeshen said. 

“So we want to do everything we can to protect the provincial funded assets that we have across the province”.

Harper believes there is a need for the tool. 

“Talking to some of my colleagues and some of the other provincial associations, some of the members have phoned up, ‘I’m going from here to here. Can you tell me if this route is one that I can take my load on?’” Harper said.

Tool in a toolbox

Jackson, the experienced trucker, said he believes the primary users of this tool initially will be smaller transport companies and newer truckers, as more experienced drivers know how to navigate things. 

He added that trucking is isolated by nature, so sharing of knowledge with new drivers does not happen as often, and he said new truckers in Canada may not have English as a first language.

“There’s a lot of poor training going on out there and there’s a lot of guys pulling flat decks that are just being sent down the road … just being told to go figure it out.

“So they go off down the road and they hit a bridge and then we all look like morons.”

He chooses his own routes, and would add the hub to his “toolbox” of things like Facebook groups, a specialized GPS and Google Maps — but wants to see it properly maintained, so drivers can be as up to date as possible about their route status.

“It will have to be a tool that the government will have to put some resources into …

“It has to be up to date, accurate, fast, useful. It can’t just be something put out there to say, ‘Oh, look what we’re doing.’ And then everybody goes and uses it and says, ‘This is garbage.’”

Overall, the premise of convenience and the reduction of trade barriers excites him.

“If I was able to just go online and order these permits after I’ve put in all my dimensions [in] … and I don’t have to make multiple phone calls, that would be very useful to me,” Jackson said.

“[This] tool would go a very long way towards reducing transportation and trade barriers and help to harmonize the movement of goods back and forth.”