Trucking companies caught between The Rock and a hard place in Newfoundland

Trucking companies in Newfoundland have a lot on their plate besides regular operations. Drivers deal with wind gusts that sometimes exceed 100 km/h on a section of the Trans-Canada Highway all year round, and piles of snow that are not cleared at night during winter.

They must also safely negotiate dangerous turns into and out of weigh stations. And if that’s not enough, add managing ferry issues into the planning process into the mix.

Simply put, carriers are caught between The Rock and a hard place.

The Wreckhouse

Soon after trucks get off the ferry from Nova Scotia, they encounter a stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway known as The Wreckhouse. This area, about 30 km in length, is known for extremely strong wind gusts that often blow trucks over. It is not uncommon to see commercial vehicles lying on their sides on a regular basis.

Brian Easson, general manager of Eassons Transport, said Environment Canada now provides wind condition updates every hour, and not every 10 minutes as before. This is a crucial factor for drivers deciding whether to make a run for it or park and wait for conditions to improve.

“Our policy is if winds are gusting over 70 km/h and you are empty, you don’t go. If it’s over 80 km/h and you are loaded, you don’t go,” he said.

Jason Murphy, Eassons Transport’s terminal manager, said there are signs warning drivers about the dangerous winds, but sometimes they don’t work. He wants more done to improve safety. ‘Stop’ and ‘Go’ signs for commercial vehicles like those on the Confederation Bridge linking New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island would help.

Ryan MacDonald, president and general manager of Tom MacDonald Trucking agrees. His drivers stop once the winds hit 70 km/h. “They shut down the bridge going to P.E.I. due to high winds, they should do this here in Newfoundland too,” he said. “It’s a matter of safety.” He suggested better signage and a barrier system at The Wreckhouse.

Chris McKee, the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association’s executive director, is of a similar opinion. “Shut it down to trucks, similar to the Confederation Bridge when winds reach a certain speed,” he said.

“A freak gust could get you and you are hanging on to the wheel for dear life.”

Sheldon Guy, owner-operator

Sheldon Guy, an owner-operator with Eassons Transport, said sometimes the signs at The Wreckhouse display high wind conditions and it may just be a gust or two that could be OK to drive through. “On other occasions, the winds speeds may be low, but a freak gust could get you and you are hanging on to the wheel for dear life,” he said.

Guy said a windsock used to provide additional information. “Now there’s only the pole, no windsock,” he said.

During the windy months, he’s seen at least one truck blown over on a weekly basis, if not more.

Weigh stations

Carriers have highlighted two weigh stations along the Trans-Canada Highway that are dangerous for truck drivers and the motoring public – Pynn’s Brook and Goobies. Trucks heading east at Pynn’s Brook and west at Goobies must turn into oncoming traffic to enter the scale house and do so once again while exiting.  

The Pynn’s Brook facility sits at the bottom of slopes on both sides of the highway and slow-moving commercial vehicles must line up and wait in the passing lane to make the turn while four-wheelers flash by. Goobies is sometimes shrouded in fog and has low visibility conditions.

Chris Howlett, CEO and owner of Akita Equipment has had enough, especially after one of his trucks was in a near-miss situation. “I just made it a company policy. We’re not crossing the highway into the weigh station no more,” he said. “It’s very, very unsafe. We’ve got a few tickets. We’re going go to court with them.”

MacDonald has instructed his drivers to move along if access to the weigh station is backed up with trucks. “First, you have to make a turn to go in, and make one more turn to go out, which is scary,” he said.

$300-$700 in fines

The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure warned that under the Highway Traffic Act, it is an offence to not report to an open weigh scale when required to do so.

“Conviction of this offence results in a fine ranging from $300 to $700 and three points will be assigned to the carrier’s safety profile which will affect the carrier’s safety rating,” the department told TruckNews.com.    

“Left-hand turns are necessary for a variety of reasons, including reporting to some weigh scales, and should be done in a safe and responsible manner.”

Drivewyze, allowing carriers to bypass weigh stations, was introduced in 2023. MacDonald welcomed the move but said education is lacking. He said sometimes enforcement officials chase down a truck that used the system and bypassed the scale.

The department said intersections at all six of the province’s weigh scale locations – Foxtrap, Goobies, Grand Falls-Windsor, Pynn’s Brook, Port aux Basques and Wabush – achieve or exceed the safety design standards of the Transportation Association of Canada, including those for speed limits and sightlines.

“As such, there are no plans to change the speed limits in these areas at this time. Lowering speed limits in areas that are designed for higher speeds can create additional highway safety concerns,” the department said.  

Snow clearing

Trucking companies and drivers complain that snow clearing operations shut down along major routes from supper time to breakfast.

Akita’s Howlett said he parks his trucks when the snow gets bad and is not cleared. “I’ll just park it because it’s $20,000 to get towed out, not including your damage. Snow clearing on this island is terrible,” he said.

Easson and Murphy from Eassons Transport confirmed that there are no snow clearing operations on some routes at night.

“Freight don’t stop, we don’t stop. This is one of our biggest concerns,” Murphy said.

No plows out after 6:30 pm

MacDonald of Tom MacDonald Trucking noted his drivers told him there are no plows out after 6:30 pm. “You don’t want your trucks out in a snowstorm, but if there’s snowfall it should be cleared and made safe for everyone,” he said.

The Department of Transportation and Infrastructure said at the beginning of December, overnight snow clearing occurs on 14 of the most traveled routes in the province, as conditions warrant.

“The department looks at detailed forecasts, and if there’s any snow in the forecast, crews are kept on these 14 routes, proactively salting and then plowing once the storm starts,” the department said. 

“For most snow clearing throughout the province outside of the 14 routes, there are two shifts of snowplow operators — one shift that starts about 5 a.m. to 1 p.m. and a second shift that runs from about 1 p.m. to 9 p.m., or potentially later if there’s a snowstorm happening in the evening.” 

Ferry service

Trucking companies primarily use Marine Atlantic’s two vessels that sail daily, from North Sydney, N.S., to Port-aux Basques, Nfld., and back. Depending on the day, about 80 to 100 commercial vehicles sail on a vessel, which is part of the Trans-Canada Highway system.

Recently, the premium booking service spots were increased from five to nine spaces. Each carrier can reserve two spots per sailing for up to three months at a time on a rolling monthly basis.

Akita’s Howlett said this decision is costing him money. Carriers with deep pockets are reserving spots to his detriment as he does not have planned loads. The premium bookings cost around $1,500, about twice as much as a regular spot.

Sometimes when sailings are cancelled due to weather conditions, trucks with premium bookings are allowed to get in front of the line. “If the ferries are not running for three days, that’s 27 trucks with premium bookings on the first boat out. My drivers have to sit on the dock, sometimes they run out of hours. The deliveries are delayed,” he said.

Commercial vehicle spots on vessels

Darrel Mercer, Marine Atlantic’s corporate communications officer said, “Our customers have asked for more access and flexibility to better align with the transportation realities they face every day, such as impacts to timelines that are beyond their control. The increase in premium booking availability was made based upon this feedback,” he said. “The vast majority of spaces are maintained for those customers preferring the first-come/first-served process.”

He added that Marine Atlantic is monitoring the changes and will continue to review feedback from customers. “Additional modifications may be made to further the goal of meeting our customers’ needs,” he added.