An image of one street in Ottawa as I type this (4:45pm EST). I'm told much of the main streets in the city look like this, as well as other cities catching up.
Trudeau's words and actions in this affair are beneath contempt, let alone discussion. His slide to political oblivion is not worth speaking about.
These truck drivers though, I think we need to talk about what exactly we are seeing here. What each driver and commercial vehicle represents. Frankly, unless you have been involved in the supply side of commerce or the trucking industry you may not understand what you are seeing.
If we view a typical protest march, we see people making their voices heard. Pretty much exactly what we see here I suppose. But, are the two scenes comparable? No.... not at all.
If a 'People' goes on protest for the day, they risk a days pay. IF they have a job, IF they took off work, and IF they aren't compensated some other way (PTO, Flex time, personal days, sick days, etc). That, and their transportation to the protest that day are pretty much their entire investment.
Don't get me wrong, I both honor and support people getting in the street and peacefully protesting when they see the need. Anyone who wants to shut them up, for any reason, is on the side of authoritarianism. Nobody fears their opponents voices who is on the side of light and right.
That said.... are these folks in this image the same? Not just No, but Hell no. They are very different in their situation.
None of these drivers are without jobs, or resources. At the very least they are paid drivers earning solid middle class incomes, and doing vital work for their society. At the far end of the scale we will see owners operators or company owners who will have brought their investments with them. It would be shocking if any truck on that road is worth less than $50,000, and many will push $250,000
The simple paid drivers have given up roughly $200 a day in income to be here, but the trucks didn't just appear. They had to be driven there, and back home, so make that from 2 to 5 days depending on how far they've come. Yes, that means the least finacially dedicated driver there has lost somewhere from $400 to $1000 just to be there and make their voice heard.
Now, lets look at the trucks. In that industry the average 'Cost to run' a rig is $1000 a day. That's mortgage, insurance, fuel, tolls, registration fees (multiple), hazmat fees, special bridge fees, upkeep, and all the other expenses of running an 80,000 pound vehicle down the highways.
That $1000 a day (average) is where costs begin, and must be offset by income from hauling loads. Dollars to donuts every truck in that picture is running empty. Who takes a time-bonded load with them to a demonstration? So.... no income but all the costs.
Those costs go with the truck, no matter if owned by a company with 150 tractors, or one small owner operator running out of his family driveway.
The latest and probably most reliable estimates of trucks involved place the number over 1000 units. That's 1000 trucks and drivers who are not making a penny, and as importantly not carrying food, diapers, cat food, TV's, toilet paper, bottled water, paint, lumber, #2 gravel, cement, coal, propane...... every single thing a society needs to function.
I think we should be listening to these people. Without them you cease to exist as you know it.
Piss them off enough to have them walk away.... may the gods have mercy on your soul.
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