THE United Truckers Association (UTA) on Tuesday announced that it is endorsing a proposal to counteract Metro Vancouver drayage providers operating outside of the law.
Many of the issues that caused the 2014 Port of Vancouver strike remain rampant due to the use of unlicensed companies, including rate undercutting, illegal kickback schemes and blatant disregard for rules, regulations and the BC Container Trucking Act, according to the UTA.
A newly conceived plan to eliminate unregulated activity by the Office of the BC Container Trucking Commissioner (OBCCTC) is not only long overdue but will also be groundbreaking for the entire drayage sector, said UTA spokesperson Gagan Singh.
“Our organization has spent the past decade pushing the OBCCTC and BC government to rein in these illegal operators, and we are very pleased that the current Commissioner is finally taking tangible action,” said Singh. “This new plan represents a substantial step forward towards achieving fairness for all players within this sector.”
In a press release from last week, licensees working outside of the law claimed that the Commissioner’s new enforcement initiative was an attempt to penalize small- and medium-sized companies. The UTA contends that this narrative is false and entirely unrepresentative of the current environment which has crushed the earnings of over one thousand legitimate independent operators and company drivers the organization represents.
“The contracting of unlicensed companies has taken food off the tables of our members who work within the rule of law, and so any measures to eliminate this element from our industry is what is desperately needed,” said Singh. “Simply put, if a company is not able to make a profit within the confines of the legislation and the regulations, then there is a serious flaw in the business model.”
The UTA said it will continue to work closely with both the OBCCTC and the BC government to ensure that robust enforcement is in place by the time the new licensing regime begins on December 1. This will include measures to make better use of commercial vehicle safety and enforcement agents and a necessary amendment to the legislation so that appropriate penalties can be issued.
