Alberta Sheriffs, alongside Calgary Police Service and provincial officials, ramped up commercial vehicle checks at the Airdrie inspection station north of Calgary in early February. Out of 23 vehicles inspected, 20 failed to meet safety standards.
Details of the Operation
Insp. BJ Bjornson of Alberta Sheriffs reports that five vehicles received on-site repairs, while the remaining 15 stayed sidelined until safer removal. “We had 20 of the 23 vehicles not pass the actual inspection qualification process,” Bjornson explained. “Five of which were able to be fixed locally on site, whereas the other 15 weren’t able to be fixed locally and had to remain on site, and placed permanently out of service until that could be removed in a safer manner.”
Provincewide Inspection Efforts
Alberta Sheriffs manage over 40 fixed and mobile inspection stations across the province. Officers conduct more than 40 commercial inspections daily, totaling over 15,000 in 2025 and resulting in more than 4,000 vehicles pulled from roadways.
Inspection Levels Explained
Officers perform two inspection levels. “We actually have two levels of inspections we’re looking for. Our level two inspection would qualify as similar to what a driver would do for their inspection,” Bjornson noted. “On that specific day we conducted a level one inspection where we do that preliminary inspection on the outside of the vehicle, but then we get underneath the vehicle and we start looking at the components.”
Enforcement Focuses on Education
When defects appear, sheriffs prioritize education but escalate as needed. “Depending on what the infraction is, or the deviation or defect that we find, it could be anything from a fine that is nominal in nature, or it could be anything up to a long duration to have that vehicle seized,” Bjornson said. “That impacts the drivers, that impacts the carriers, which is why we focus more on the collaborative approach with our industry partners.”
Industry Warns of Maintenance Risks
Joseph Saoud, co-owner of Heavy Wrenching Diesel, stresses the dangers of neglecting maintenance. “When the truck is not operating, they’re losing money. The guys who are set up for success are doing preventative maintenance rather than waiting for it to blow,” Saoud remarked. “These are killing machines if they’re not being paid attention to.”
Shops face penalties too. “If there’s any proof that a shop has recently looked at it, and allowed it to leave, or worse yet passed the safety inspection with that damage? They will come here and fine us, remove licensing,” Saoud added. “So there are consequences to bending the rules.”
Saoud acknowledges provincial vigilance against rogue operators. “I don’t know how they get away with it, but they do,” he notes. “But they don’t last long, it’s just dangerous while they’re in operation, and DOT does a pretty good job of finding them and catching them.”
