‘Bad enough to just retire’: Truckers react to high diesel prices

Some energy analysts say the price of gas isn't going down any time soon and that's ramping up pressure on the province to provide some relief.

Long-haul truckers passing through Edmonton on Friday said they’re trying to be strategic about where they refuel while diesel prices continue to climb.

“Fuel is probably 20 cents higher than it is here right now, maybe even more,” Barry Martin, who is based out of Surrey, B.C., told CTV News Edmonton at a Flying J that morning where diesel was one cent shy of $2/L.

The trip from Vancouver to Edmonton cost him $1,000.

Diesel’s ballooning price is linked to the war in Iran.

According to Richard Masson, former oil industry executive and former Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission CEO, Iran’s Strait of Hormuz blockade represents about a 15-per cent reduction to the global petroleum supply, in addition to refineries that have been hit during the conflict.

He expects it will take weeks after the strait is opened for shipping to resume at normal levels.

“I think people need to brace themselves for high fuel prices for weeks and months to come. The world has changed fundamentally because of this war.”

Martin expressed sympathy for other truckers who, unlike him, don’t yet own their truck and are dealing with both monthly payments and higher costs.

“It’s bad enough just to retire now,” the driver of 50 years said. “This is probably my last year. If I make the year, I’ll just sell everything and retire.”

Another trucker in Edmonton on Friday mainly travels between Washington and Alberta.

“We always have been (refuelling) in Canada, because (it’s a) better price here,” he said.

“Hopefully the war will stop then maybe the price will go down.”

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) is calling on the Alberta government to pause the provincial fuel tax, which would save Albertans 13 cents per litre. Alberta did this when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

The program kicks in when the average price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil rises above $90 for the 20 trading days before the 16th of the month before a new quarter, which is when fuel tax rates are adjusted.

Premier Danielle Smith on Wednesday said the price did not reach that mark on March 16, and her government would not be implementing it out of schedule.

“We haven’t even started the next budget year yet. At the moment, we still had a significant deficit that we likely were going to run this year because prices have been so low. So I’m more of the view that let’s realize surpluses before we spend them, rather than let’s hope that we have them and end up putting yourself in a worse situation,” she told reporters.

“We’ll monitor it to see if there are other things that we can do to address some of the affordability issues that people have.”

In response, Kris Sims, CTF’s Alberta director, said, “They make the rules.”

She said saving $10 to $15 filling up a family vehicle is not insignificant in the current economy.

“It’s one of those reminders for these politicians, including the finance minister, when you’re putting together that budget, you better start cutting spending. You want to be in a better position for people when these sorts of things happen,” Sims said.

“If enough people phone the premier, firmly but politely, contact their MLA, contact the finance minister…. They do react more to people when they get emails and phone calls. So I would just encourage people to keep up the pressure.”

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Nicole Lampa and Nicole Weisberg