According to the latest survey done by the BC Trucking Association (BCTA), the industry doesn鈥檛 expect to return to pre-COVID-19 business levels for another 10 to 11 months.
That time is thought to be far longer for motor coach companies, who expect to face up to another 20 months of recovery from the harsh changes imposed by the pandemic.
BCTA conducted a third COVID-19 Impact Survey of its members, and found that 92 per cent of motor coach company respondents indicated they are concerned about the survival of their business.
For trucking, 32 per cent of respondents are concerned about survival.
Trucking companies have, on average, experienced a 23 percent drop in revenue, a slight improvement of seven percent from our previous survey in April, when revenue fell, on average, by 30 per cent.
Ken Johnson, general manager of Ken Johnson Trucking Ltd., in 91原创, simplified the problem, explaining that miles are down, revenue is down, and costs have increased.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been dramatic and traumatic,鈥� Johnson said, unsure if hitting the 30 per cent drop is a major problem or a blessing given that they now qualify for more government aid.
He鈥檚 not yet laid anyone off 鈥� instead reducing hours of employees to three days a week.
鈥淥ur older, shall we say, more mature drivers, said 鈥榟ey, we鈥檙e going to stay home. We鈥檒l take vacation for the next few weeks鈥�,鈥� Johnson explained. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e the ones without young families or mortgages to worry about.鈥�
READ MORE: BC Trucking Association sees revenue losses and increasing staff layoffs amid COVID-19
As for the job itself, Johnson said most customers have come around and let drivers inside. He doesn鈥檛 blame business owners for initial precautions, but felt the move caused a more emotional struggle for his employees.
鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 make sense that they want the load but they don鈥檛 want you,鈥� he pointed out.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard on all of our people. It鈥檚 a social job. You鈥檙e by yourself for long periods, but the people you deliver to become like family, so it鈥檚 hard on everyone when you can鈥檛 see each other,鈥� Johnson added.
BCTA is assisting our members by developing health protocols and guidance for the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), approved by the Provincial Health Office, to ensure that our trucking and motor coach members are equipped to effectively address working within parameters imposed by COVID-19.
Johnson couldn鈥檛 give an answer of what was in store for the future, saying that it鈥檚 a lot of wait and see right now for the trucking industry.
鈥淚鈥檇 like to say we鈥檙e heading back to normal. Is it going to be changed and were heading to a new normal? Yes, but we don鈥檛 know what that looks like quite yet,鈥� Johnson admitted.
More-so than a stable industry, Johnson wants the public to remember the importance of the industry and what truckers do.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 like the term truckers 鈥� I prefer professional drivers,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淧eople saw professional drivers as an essential service and hope they stay that way in people鈥檚 minds.鈥�
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Email: ryan.uytdewilligen@langleyadvancetimes.com
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