Rig Rest App Adds Low Overpass Warnings

Former trucker Walter Machel has updated the app to alert drivers to low bridges on designated truck routes.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Trucks

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Former truck driver Walter Machel has updated the Rig Rest app to warn drivers about low overpasses. The app, originally built to help truckers find safe overnight parking, now sounds alarms as drivers approach bridges with low clearances.

Why it matters

Nine overpass strikes have occurred in Saskatchewan this year, underscoring the need for early warnings for semi drivers. The update gives drivers in Canada an additional layer of protection on designated truck routes.

The app sounds its first alarm five kilometres from a low bridge, then repeats warnings at 2.5 kilometres, one kilometre and 500 metres. Hundreds of bridges on designated truck routes across Canada have clearances below 13.5 feet.

The players

Walter Machel

A former truck driver who updated the Rig Rest app to add low-bridge warnings, drawing on his years in the trucking industry.

Rig Rest

A trucker-focused app originally designed to help drivers find safe overnight parking, now extended with low-overpass alerts.

B.C. government

The provincial government of British Columbia, which supplied the designated truck route information used in the app.

The details

Users open the app, which locates them, and mount the device on the dash facing them. Drivers do not need a programmed route for the warnings to work, as clearance data from the B.C. government's truck route information is tied to GPS coordinates.

This year (2026): Nine overpass strikes occurred in Saskatchewan.
November 4, 2026: Machel discussed the app on the CKOM Morning Show.

Roadmap

Rig Rest began as a tool for finding overnight parking and now adds real-time low-bridge alerts to its feature set. The update shows trucking apps expanding from trip planning into in-cab hazard warnings.

Truck drivers across Canada can use the app to receive audible warnings about bridges with clearances under 13.5 feet on designated routes. Drivers should still plan routes in advance, since the alerts depend on GPS and mounting the device where it can be seen.

The takeaway

Low-bridge alerts add a safety layer, but drivers should still review their routes before departing. Mounting the app where it is visible and checking clearances on unfamiliar roads reduces the risk of overpass strikes.