Canadian Truckers Follow U.S. Port Negotiations

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Truckers on Canada’s West Coast were closely watching labor negotiations between U.S. longshoremen and the Pacific Maritime Association as port container traffic here increased.

British Columbia Trucking Association President Paul Landry said although container imports and exports increased at the Port of Vancouver in recent months, he was not aware of any trucking lines buying additional chassis or other equipment to ready themselves in case a strike diverts U.S.-bound container traffic north of the U.S.-Canadian border.

Their wait and see attitude could partly be because trucks are more flexible than other forms of intermodal transportation and could react more quickly to any sudden surge in southbound business, he said.

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