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B.C.’s container truck drivers say they want changes to the port reservation system, which penalizes them when they are stuck in traffic or delayed by bad weather, but provides only limited compensation when terminals cancel scheduled pickups and drop-offs.
“The system is an absolute mess,” said Tom Johnson, owner of a Delta-based trucking company and director with the Port Transportation Association.
He estimates that he has paid more than $4,000 in fees for missed reservations over the last four to five months. There are no penalties for terminals when they cancel reservations or close gates.
The association is calling on the port authority to step in and ensure trucking companies and customers are being treated fairly. They want carriers to receive a “monthly reservation buffer” that allows them to be late for a certain number of reservations due to factors such as traffic or weather.
But a spokesman for one of Metro Vancouver’s two main container terminals said the reservation system is more than fair to B.C. truckers, who benefit from some of the shortest delays in the world.
“We have the best truck turn times because of our reservation system,” said Marko Dekovic, vice-president of public affairs for Global Container Terminals. “If everyone was allowed to show up late, it wouldn’t work.”
Read more in an article from the Vancouver Sun.