Hundreds of B.C. dump truck drivers convoyed from Surrey to Vancouver to protest record-high diesel prices they say are squeezing their businesses.
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Hundreds of dump truck drivers took part in a convoy protest in the Lower Mainland on Friday morning, demanding relief from record-high diesel prices.
According to participants, the convoy began in Surrey and Abbotsford at about 8:30 a.m. and travelled to Vancouver. Organizers and drivers said the cost of fuel is directly affecting household finances and their ability to operate.
Raginder Bhandu, a truck driver who said he has worked in the industry for 23 years, said many drivers are struggling with the current price level. He said diesel in Vancouver was $283.9 per litre on Friday.
Bhandu said driver costs are forcing difficult business decisions, particularly for independent owners and operators, adding that they may have to pass higher fuel expenses to customers. He described the situation as so tight that drivers may feel they are effectively “working for free.”
Bruce Banman, identified as the B.C. Conservative candidate for Abbotsford South, attended the rally and said he supports the truckers’ call for change. He told the crowd that the protest message should be directed at Premier David Eby.
Banman said he wants fuel costs and taxes reduced, arguing that B.C. has the highest fuel taxes in North America. He said the resulting costs are passed through to the wider population because many goods move by truck.
As part of the debate over diesel pricing, the drivers and speakers pointed to global supply conditions. The report linked high prices to limits on global diesel supply attributed to the war in Ukraine and the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
The protest also unfolded as international policy questions about diesel exports are being discussed south of the border. The report referenced U.S. President Donald Trump saying he is considering temporarily banning diesel exports to bring prices down in the United States, while noting experts’ concerns that such a move could backfire by spiking prices worldwide.
In the event of tighter diesel availability, the report said diesel would remain a key input for transportation and logistics, including trains, ships and trucks. It quoted Richard Masson, former CEO of the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission, as saying that if diesel markets are disrupted further while prices are already high, the problem could worsen.
With trucking central to moving goods in B.C., Friday’s convoy underscored how fuel costs can quickly translate into higher operating expenses across the supply chain, even when the immediate protest is focused on local diesel pricing and provincial tax levels.
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