Semi trucks only caused three extended closures on the Coquihalla last winter, according to the Ministry of Transportation.

That’s compared to 33 extended closures in 2017 caused by accidents involving commercial trucks.

BC Trucking Association president Dave Earle says a lot of improvements have been made in the past three years to prevent those closures.

“I’m really hopeful that what we saw last year will continue to be improved upon as the years tick by. I think you are seeing some of the messaging working, you are seeing some of the work the Ministry of Transportation and Highways has done to improve facilities starting to pay dividends. That we’re starting to see enforcement activity pay dividends,” Earle tells NL News.

“And I’m also alive that as much as we had snow last year, it wasn’t as bad as the year before. So a lot of this is weather-dependent as well. This is something we can’t, as an industry, take our eye off of.”

In total, between semi-truck incidents and others, there were 11 extended closures last winter on the Coquihalla, compared to a high of 35 in 2017.

The Ministry also says the Snowshed Protocol was implemented 11 times last winter. It says that’s where the highway contractor brings in more resources and has a tow truck on standby in case a semi-truck spins out between Box Canyon and the Summit.

Since 2017, the province has restricted semi trucks from using the far left lane going northbound at the Great Bear Snowshed, brought in stricter requirements and fines for chaining up and increased the amount of money in its contract for maintenance on the Coquihalla, among other changes.