Truckers already experiencing lean times in the wake of rocky economic conditions are facing a new challenge this week – fuel rationing – in the province of Alberta, Canada.

As of Friday, Oct. 10, several of the major refineries in Western Canada were shut down because of scheduled routine maintenance, but unexpected production problems have amplified the fuel shortage there.

Mayne Root, executive director for the Alberta Motor Transport Association, told Land Line in an e-mail on Thursday, Oct. 9, that he has been told that the fuel rationing situation may last another few weeks.

Some trucking companies are only receiving 50 percent of the fuel they need. Root said that producers in Western Canada anticipate being back up to full production by the end of the month.

Root also said he wasn’t aware if Alberta trucking companies were notified before the planned shutdowns and the possible squeeze on the fuel supplies there.

However, he said the transportation industry is encouraging producers to develop a contingency plan for the future to “help alleviate this type of volatility in diesel availability.”

“It has a huge impact on our ability to provide services to our customers and society as a whole,” he said.

– By Clarissa Kell-Holland, staff writer
clarissa_kell-holland@landlinemag.com