BC is Looking for Commercial Drivers to Test Maps

The beta version of a new DriveBC Commercial Vehicle Route Planner is out and ready to respond to trial trip data. As well, DriveBC’s rest area map, also under development, needs more feedback from potential users.

Commercial Vehicle Route Planner
BC’s Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure has just released a test version of the Commercial Vehicle Route Planner, which allows users to provide route and vehicle (height and width) information for a specific trip to identify the shortest route (via Google maps) and to identify conflicts related to size restrictions or other obstructions. As this is a draft version of the tool, “first users” have an opportunity to help the mapmakers fine-tune it for commercial carriers.

The ministry has asked for feedback on:
• the quality and completeness of clearance data (i.e. is the Route Planner properly noting restrictions for the route and vehicle you’ve identified?)
• whether the beta presentation is useful

BC Provincial Rest Areas
As well, DriveBC’s rest area map, also under development, needs more feedback from potential users: carriers, drivers, and/or dispatchers, BC-based and elsewhere.

The beta version of the Provincial Rest Areas map is for travellers of all stripes, and the only on-line version that provides details on rest areas across BC, including whether they can accommodate commercial vehicles and, where possible, incorporating Google Street View for a look-see from the road.

The Ministry has received good feedback from the public on this map, which became publicly available in August, but would appreciate additional industry comments on this mapsite or about rest stops in general.

A similar mapsite for the industry is now in the works, and the mapmakers have asked for comments on what information fleets would find useful: commercial rest areas, chain-up/off areas, brake checks, inspection stations, runaway lanes, card locks/commercial truck stops, and the like.

Access the Vehicle Route Planner here. 
Access the BC Provincial Rest Areas map here.