You said it…Readers respond to B.C. protests

Blocking roads not right response

Dear Editor,

It is a nice thought to stop trucking to force the fuel prices to go down but we all know that no one will do it. Truckers and trucking companies don’t stick together for anything except to complain. Sorry but that is the truth. We all know that prices for fuel are too high and that prices for freight are too low. Still we just complain. For sure all that the transport industry would have to do is stop for a week and people would know just how important transport really is but if you don’t haul the freight someone else will.

Then the thing is blocking roads and all that. I don’t think that is the way to go about it. I might be wrong. I feel that if transporters in the U.S. and Canada just stopped hauling for one week by parking the trucks in yards or rest areas and truck stops, it would have a bigger impact. You don’t want the populations mad, you want them to understand. If you block the roads just to stop other trucks from going, not everybody can understand that. When they are stuck in their cars and not able to go to work because of a strike then they don’t understand. If you want this to work everybody has to stand together.

Sheila Ingram

Via e-mail

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Slow down and conserve

Dear Editor,

I, as an owner/operator know what they are going through. But I don’t see many of them slowing down to conserve their fuel.

They are still driving like they are NASCAR scouts lurking out there. Big trucks and cars alike need to conserve, otherwise maybe the price needs to go a little higher before it finally sinks in.

Bernard Mohan

Via e-mail

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Good riddance to bad operators

Dear Editor,

There are far more than 300 owner/operators in B.C. – most of whom have a suitable fuel surcharge system in place.

If fuel were to go up just a bit more it may rid the industry of those that probably should have given up years ago.

Mervyn Osborne

Via e-mail

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Pass the buck to O/Os

Dear Editor,

Striking against high fuel prices will not get results. However, asking government to pass legislation requiring companies to charge fuel surcharges and pass 100 per cent to whoever pays for the fuel might.

The U.S. has had such a law for several years. The company I am leased to charges a 15 per cent fuel surcharge and gives us owner/operators 10 per cent. This is either a windfall profit for the company or we are subsidizing company trucks.

L. U.

Via e-mail