‘This is a break’: Dozens of truckers stuck at Calgary truck stop amid B.C. floods, road closures

For dozens of truckers, the closure of B.C. highways means they’re going to be stuck in Calgary for at least a few more days.

At the Roadking Truck Stop in Calgary’s northeast, there are lineups of truckers sitting and waiting on what’s next — whatever that may be.

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Some have been parked at the stop for one night, while others have been held down there for a few days.

All in all, many of the truckers’ spirits remain high, despite the situation.

“We are very busy in the summertime, and this .. this is a break,” said Mohammad. “Whether dispatch like it or not, whether the boss  … I know the boss doesn’t like that, but hey, it’s okay, it’s good.”

Mohamad is one of dozens of truckers waiting at the Roadking Truck Stop in Calgary, as they have nowhere to go thanks to highway closures in B.C.

While it may seem tough to be sitting around, waiting on a situation that continues to unfold, for many at the stop, not all is bad.

“Well, you’ve got your Youtube, your Netflix, mine is a big-screen TV,” said Aroshan.

Aroshan generally has a full schedule of trucking, travelling back and forth from Toronto every few days, but this time around he got stuck in Merrit, B.C., evacuated, and then stuck again in Kamloops.

“We were running out of fuel, and we were carrying a Canada Post load so it’s time-sensitive, so we had to bring it back to Calgary to Canada Post,” he explained.

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There’s also a WhatsApp group chat so anyone who needs anything at the stop can ask for it.

At one point, there were even a group of recruiters from Walmart hoping to poach a couple of the drivers for their fleet for anyone who was in need of some quick cash.

At this point, there is no timetable on when roads may reopen and when the truckers can get back on the road, but for some of the drivers, a break like this one is welcome.