One driver estimates he’s paid more than $4,000 in fees for missed reservations over the last four to five months due to traffic and weather.
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.
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“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.
“It’s one-sided,” said Johnson. “We pay money for these reservations, but there are no breaks on our side. There has to be recognition of the issues drivers are facing, too.”
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.”
He said all reservation systems, including those for B.C. Ferries or Air Canada, rely on cutoff times. Truckers have a two-and-a-half hour window to help account for unexpected delays.
Dekovic also took issue with the idea that terminals don’t face consequences if the system isn’t running smoothly. As part of the reservation system that was introduced in 2014, terminals must pay truckers for time spent in line when delays exceed 90 minutes.
“Tom Johnson and his association are constantly inventing new ways to solve problems that don’t exist,” he said in frustration.
Truckers don’t receive a fine for missing a reservation at the terminal, but some choose to pay a fee to have their container processed after they arrive late for their reservation. They also lose their reservation fee and must pay for another in order to pick up a container at a later time. If a container is sitting at the terminal for more than three days, demurrage fees may also apply.
Johnson said he is concerned those penalties contribute to unsafe driving on B.C. highways. He tells his drivers not to speed or drive dangerously to make cut-off times, but he worries about the pressure they are under.
“My worst nightmare is that something happens on the road,” he said.
Lineups are also an issue when trucks reach the port. While trucking companies are compensated for time they spend waiting, the amount doesn’t cover costs, said Johnson.
In early December, his driver was forced to wait in line from 11 a.m. until 5:40 p.m. He documented the experience in a series of text messages and photos, which show a long line of container trucks waiting to load and unload. The time stamp ticks through the hours as the afternoon light fades. The final photo shows trucks lined up in the dark. Johnson said he had to pay his driver overtime costs, which would exceed any compensation.
On Dec. 30, he documented another situation where the terminal gate closed early, preventing his driver from picking up a container. The “dead run” cost both time and money and has a domino effect on B.C. businesses and consumers, he said.
Johnson said Lower Mainland warehouses schedule labourers to coincide with planned deliveries, so if the terminal closes a gate, warehouses are paying a crew with no container to unload. Reservations can be difficult to rebook, meaning delivery can be delayed by several days. Customers may pay storage fees or other costs if containers remain at the port too long.
“It’s a shakedown,” he said.
Harry Ratten, the owner of a small New Westminster trucking company and a driver himself, said it feels like carriers are being squeezed by huge companies that are “so hungry to grab money”.
He must pay $35,000 a year to be licensed to haul containers to and from the port. Companies must also comply with rules around the age of trucks.
Ratten said he has been forced to turn around at the terminal when a gate was cancelled.
“I then have to go through the process again and find a new appointment, but sometimes I can’t find one,” he said. “It causes delays at the warehouses, production delays — chaos everywhere.” He said it also “pisses off” his customers, which is bad for business.
In a statement, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority said it established the “terminal gate efficiency fee program” in 2014 so truck drivers are compensated by terminals when wait times exceed 90 minutes. As as result, terminals have maintained “industry-leading turn times” between 38 and 42 minutes on average at the Lower Mainland ports.
“However, in the event a terminal must temporarily shut down or delay operations due to safety concerns, severe weather events, or other events beyond the terminal operator’s control, the terminal gate efficiency fee does not apply,” said the statement. “Terminal operators may also extend reservation times to accommodate truckers when delays are encountered.”
The statement said the reservation system is managed by terminal operators. Port users are encouraged to download a mobile app that provides real-time data on operations. The trucking section of the website is updated every 60 seconds and includes turn times at the terminals.
Dekovic said the terminal gives notice when gates are closed or cancelled, typically emailing carriers three days in advance to say it may be cancelled if more reservations don’t come in. This gives trucking companies a chance to make their reservations before it is cancelled, usually with more than a day’s notice.
“We can’t have a gate open all night for just two trucks,” he said.
The Port Transportation Association’s proposal said a monthly reservation buffer would make the system more fair, giving trucking companies some grace for events beyond their control, such as traffic or weather.
“This would provide a degree of predictability and fairness for carriers, making it easier for them to plan operations and reduce pressure on drivers to rush,” said an email sent to the port authority.
The association also wants the port authority to ensure more transparency and better communication from terminals about delays and cancellations in advance.
“If the buffer is applied specifically to the delays arising from terminal issues, it would also incentivize terminals to improve their efficiency to avoid impacting carriers’ costs.”
The association also wants the port to track average delays, impacts on road safety and financial implications for carriers and customers.