BC Truckers head says transport companies keep on truckin’ through COVID-19 crisis

KAMLOOPS – All across the province, citizens are relying on truckers to deliver essential goods to communities in every corner of BC.

CFJC Today caught up with the president of the BC Truckers Association via Skype to find out how that industry is dealing with the COVID-19 crisis.

Dave Earle, head of the truckers association, said different sectors of the industry have been affected by the crisis in different ways.

“We see more consumer goods hitting the stores; we see more demand in some circumstances,” Earle said. “In other areas, where companies have curtailed production or operations, transportation in those areas has also been curtailed. It’s a bit of a mixed bag.”

Many drivers are enjoying the drop in fuel prices throughout the province, as they continue to drop due to the cost of oil. While those prices have made driving less expensive for many consumers, other factors come into play for transport truck operators.

“It’s interesting. As gas prices have really plummeted, diesel prices have remained relatively static,” Earle explained. “Yes, there is a little bit of break there, but as a lot of companies had gas price surcharges built into their bills and their cost structure with their clients, those clients are now expecting that when those costs come down those bills come down. So there’s no real net gain for trucking companies.”

The COVID-19 crisis has changed the way many drivers are expected to go about their business. Earle says as a result of the pandemic, many truckers are taking extra precautions to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.

“We’ve actually worked with the Ministry of Health to put together a best practices document,” Earle told CFJC Today. “It goes with the regular things we talk about, which is hand-washing practices. We discuss – well, when you think about the social isolation drivers already practice because for most of the time, they’re working alone.”