N.B. trucker protest gains momentum
GRAND FALLS, N.B. -- What started as a small strike involving a handful of owner-ops in Grand Falls is slowly growing. And organizers hope that the regional protest against high fuel prices and government taxes extends to the rest of Canada and across the border. The CBC reports that now hundreds of transport trucks are stopped along the Trans-Canada, weigh scales, and truck stops, in the northwestern part of the province -- mainly in St. Jacques where nearly 200 trucks are parked. Police says that other vehicles aren't blocked, but traffic is moving slow in the affected areas. Passing truckers and motorists are being urged by the ad-hoc group, Truckers and Drivers Association of North America, to sign a petition calling for the government to take action against skyrocketing fuel prices and for fuel taxes to be capped. The Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association -- which represents some of the region's largest carriers -- says it has no link to the protesting owner-ops. Joanne Ritchie, executive director of the Ottawa-based Owner-Operators Business Association of Canada, sympathizes with the truckers, but doesn't condone such wildcat strikes. Her group has been advocating a simple message for independent transport providers frustrated with rising costs and stagnate rates: "Say no to cheap freight." If truckers are going to refuse to haul freight, they shouldn't be doing it in protest, but as a business decision, Ritchie says. "We don't support (these protests) because they don't work," she told TodaysTrucking.com. "We don't suggest they swallow the increased cost of fuel and keep on working. Like everyone else, they should be asking customers if they really need that freight moved. If they really need it, then pay for what it takes to move it." "We're trying to get the message out to everyone. There is a way to do it right. Which is to go after the surcharge from people who are willing to pay it, not the public." -- with files from CBC News