Huge trucker protest in Vancouver BC

Yesterday we had a huge 600+ truck convoy of commercial drivers that stretched out over 16kms during the morning rush-hour. The truckers are protesting high fuel costs (diesel has doubled in 5 years), transportation gridlock, port congestion, safety issues (related to costs) and general lack of profitability.


[url=http://sympatico.msn.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/04/29/truck-050429.html:88fbe]http://sympatico.msn.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/04/29/truck-050429.html[/url:88fbe]

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VANCOUVER - More than 600 tractor-trailers blocked traffic as they slowly travelled bumper-to-bumper along highways in B.C.'s Lower Mainland on Friday, in a protest against soaring fuel costs.
Hundreds of truckers in B.C. block traffic in protest to high fuel prices.

The truckers say they can't afford the higher pump prices for diesel and took the action because nobody seemed to be listening to them.

They said they didn't set out to hold up morning commuters with their convoy, which stretched for more than 16 kilometres.

However, they said they wanted to get the attention of the federal and provincial governments, calling on them to lower fuel taxes.

As many as a third of them will face bankruptcy if they don't get some relief, they said.

(deleted two political references from article linked to above.)

The truckers also complain of low cartage rates and slow service at truck port checkpoints.

Members of the Vancouver Container Truck Association, who haul goods from the area's four container ports, only get paid for what they move. They said they can wait in line at the docks for as long as five hours.

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Let it go and let it grow.

http://www.members.shaw.ca/brooky/im...anim_brook.gif

Every item that touches our daily lives is, at one time or another, hauled by truck. That is, either the raw materials, finished product or both are hauled by tractor trailer. The rise in diesel cost drives retail prices up. When I was a truck stop manager in 1992 one of my customers showed me the impact of a rise in fuel prices on his annual operating cost. I was astounded to discover that an average 1 cent annual increase in fuel prices add over $30,000.00 to his operating expenses! That's just for fuel and doesn't include motor oil, lubes and various service fees.
What happened in Canada is bound to happen here in the U.S. as well. I just hope it doesn't turn violent as sometimes happens.

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Eric "nighthawk"

"What happened in Canada is bound to happen here in the U.S. as well." Ha. Fat chance. I think the gas will have to get to $10 a gallon to get the apathetic slobs off their couches. Then you have the police state to worry about, remember WTO in Seattle? It would be like that only with more teargas and rubber bulltes. I'm going to be telling my children about what a great country this used to be.

[This message has been edited by J Castwell (edited 10 May 2005).]