B.C. truckers say major disruptions in deliveries as containers stuck inside Deltaport

Containers are reportedly pilling up at Deltaport with truckers saying they are unable to get them out, as gates have been closed.

B.C. truckers said a major disruption in their services, which started long before the port strike that was experienced by the region in early summer, is ongoing.

Containers are reportedly pilling up at Deltaport, with truckers saying they are unable to get them out, which in turn is racking up storage fees.

The truckers are pointing the finger at Global Container Terminals (GCT), the company that operates major port terminals in Delta and Vancouver.

“What we (have been) seeing the past couple weeks are dayshift gates and nightshift gates being closed,” Tom Johnson, KD Trucking’s president, said.

“We’ve been getting complaints from a lot of our members, frustrated obviously.”

Johnson said GCT cancelled gates for two straight days last week, which is something the company does when there’s “insufficient interest” from transporters.

Transport truckers were barred from picking up containers at the port and delivering them to customers.

“There is a demand for those containers. People need their goods. There’s a certain level of bare minimum service that the terminal needs to offer in order to run the Canadian port,” Johnson said.