Trucker Shut Down Planned for Tomorrow Morning in Lakeland

The trucker who organized a convoy of nearly 100 trucks to stop outside of CNRL in Lloydminster seven weeks ago has plans for another shut down tomorrow in the lakeland area.

“It is time for us to make our move,” said Andrew Bykowsky in a Facebook video this afternoon.

“Tomorrow at 8am, Peter [Turner] and I are coming to Bonnyville. I want you guys who haul to the Beartrap facility down to Lindbergh…to meet up with Peter over at the Co-op Cardlock.  

“All of you Elk Point guys I want you to meet me at Tim Proudlove Mechanical at 8 am. And for all you Lloydminster guys I’d like you to park in front of the CNRL office.”

Bykowsky was fired from hauling for CNRL this summer when talking about the thirty per cent rate decreases for truckers in the past four years.

He says this latest shut down it is a response to CNRL’s refusal to sit down and meet about it.

Since the first shutdown, Bykowsky has asked a lobbyist and former trucker named Peter Turner to help establish an association representing lease operators and drivers.

The Truckers United Association has received a ton of support according to Bykowski.  

“We’ve got way more than the majority of the trucks on board with what we’re doing,” Bykowski told Lakeland Connect.  

“But ever since we’ve started this they [CNRL] have been in meetings with all of the tanker owners trying to give them rate increases of anywhere from 15-20 per cent, which really isn’t enough. In order for us to get back what we need, we need our thirty per cent back.”

With this new association, they were hoping to have a sit down meeting with CNRL this week. On Friday they said they would give CNRL until Monday to respond to their request. With no reply, they went ahead with this shut down. 

“Guys know that it’s only a matter of time before they go broke. It’s only a matter of months until they lose everything. But in saying that, there are some guys still sitting on the fence skeptical about it because they’re scared.”

Bykowsky states that CNRL is essentially a monopoly in this area, and that’s the reason they can get away with these rates.

“This is not only a problem for all of the truck drivers, it’s a problem for all these communities. This is really affecting our economy.”

Bykowsky expects a big turnout tomorrow.

“Without our trucks to move their fluid they’ve got absolutely nothing.”