Canadian government amends regulations to increase rates paid to truckers at Port Metro Vancouver by 12%, double fuel surcharge made to truck owner-operators, effective April 3, as part of effort to support resumption of full operations at port

Cindy Allen

VANCOUVER, British Columbia , April 7, 2014 (press release) – The Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Transport, today announced that the Government of Canada has brought in new regulations to increase the rates paid to truckers at Port Metro Vancouver, delivering on its commitment to support the resumption of full operations at the port.

Following the March 26, 2014, back-to-work Joint Action Plan (agreed to by the federal and provincial governments, Port Metro Vancouver, Unifor and the United Truckers Association), the Government of Canada has amended the Port Authorities Operations Regulations to increase container trucking rates at Port Metro Vancouver by 12 percent and double the fuel surcharge paid to truck owner-operators.

The amendments came into effect April 3, 2014. These steps were agreed to after taking into account the concerns voiced by container truck drivers as well as input received from stakeholders, including the recommendations made by federally appointed advisor Vince Ready. They will be further complemented by the Government of Canada’s expedited 2014 Regulatory Framework Review which will address the longer-term approach to container truck rates and fuel surcharges.

Today’s announcement, in addition to actions planned by the Province of British Columbia and Port Metro Vancouver, will help bring long-term stability to the container trucking industry serving Canada’s Asia-Pacific Gateway.
Quick Facts

Port Metro Vancouver is Canada’s largest port. In 2013, the port handled a record 135 million tonnes of cargo, an overall increase of nine per cent over 2012.
Approximately 2,000 Port Metro Vancouver licensed trucks service the port moving containers throughout the Lower Mainland.
The local trucking industry moves approximately 1.3 million TEUs* per year through Port Metro Vancouver. Based on 2011 economic impact study figures, the value of those goods is approximately $46 billion or roughly $885 million per week.

Quote

“These timely federal actions go beyond our original commitments and demonstrate our support for long-term stability at Port Metro Vancouver. Implementing these measures will ensure the reliability of Canada’s Asia-Pacific Gateway and the economic well-being of Canada as a whole.”

The Honourable Lisa Raitt,
Minister of Transport

*The twenty-foot equivalent unit (TEU) is a standard unit for describing a ship's cargo carrying capacity, or a shipping terminal's cargo handling capacity.

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