Via email;
The Canadian trucking industry will be destroyed by the tariffs. Most of the industry is dependent on cross border shipments. Stopping or slowing those shipments for even a few weeks will force countless companies into bankruptcy.
The vast majority of shipments in North America are moved by small carriers with fleets of 3-30 trucks. I deal with dozens of these companies everyday. All of them rely on factoring companies for operating capital, they have no cash reserves. Many have told me in conversation they have refinanced their homes and sold vehicles to keep their companies afloat. Tariffs will drastically reduce freight volumes in an already slow market, this will drive down freight rates even further in what has been the longest soft freight market in the history of trucking. With no cash reserves these companies will fold.
The tariff issue will be resolved, but not until the government feels they have made all the political hay possible. So what comes next? Skyrocketing freight rates as shippers scramble to catch up and can’t find trucks to get products to market.
There isn’t a good end to this other than securing our border and cracking down on fentanyl production & distribution. We should be embarrassed that our neighbour had to ask.
More, from Gord Magill;
Setting trade and economic arguments aside, one of Trump’s numerous complaints about Canada has been Canada’s wide open door policy to immigration, which has caused a massive increase in illegal migrants crossing the border from Canada into the United States. These lax policies were shared by the Democrats in the US, and opposition to these policies were a major component of Trump’s mandate. Another problem Trump has with Canada is drug smuggling, as the United States has been suffering under a major opioid crisis for decades, amongst other despair inducing addictive substances.
These two issues overlap, and they also overlap with the Canadian trucking industry.
Grab a coffee.
As an American, I’m sorry that it had to come to this (especially since my grandmother was from Nova Scotia), but sometimes knots need to be jerked in tails.
Those drooling pit vipers in power certainly could use to get knotted.
My fear is that there are still enough idiots that will vote to keep the liberals in power as a way of “sticking it to the orange man” because of all this.
Oh stop….I can only get so hard!!! Another liberal government would be the best thing for Western Separation.
Thus my ambivalence. **HEAVY SIGH**
So true
A little OT to be sure, but not entirely. Would some knowledgeable person please exlain the frequent claim in this blog’s comments that it is easier for CA provinces to trade with US states than with other CA provinces? From its founding, the US has recognized the immense advantages of free trade between US states and the US Constitution, its laws, and its policies have always emphasized preventing trade barriers between states from arising. Why hasn’t the same been true for CA? I really don’t get it.
That has this American puzzled, too, Bigly. The US has the Interstate Commerce clause because the early States were tariffing the snot out of each other. I find it amazing that Canada doesn’t have something similar.
Is it something Canada officially has but the PM, Parliament, and Premiers just game the system?
2 words. Quebec Ontario
It is very true, each Canadian province regulates every thing it possibly can, from products to credentials, and everything in between. This is mainly driven by bureaucratic empire building, as goverments in Canada writ large are at least half employment programs, as all socialist governments are. Make no mistake, whatever Canadian politicians may call themselves, Canada is one of the most socialist nations on earth, not in the good sense of nice benefits for the less fortunate, but in the truly evil and failed model of a command economy, with a nice spoils system built in for the politically connected. That politically connected class, or in some provinces caste, are the reason nothing changes, because they don’t allow it.
Canada has, TOO MUCH GOVERNMENT AND TOO MANY STUPID PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT IT.
Protectionism.
Tax and profit protection for the province. There are boot-legging charges laid occasionally on people running booze between provinces, last sorta big one was Quebec into New Brunswick. Provincial booze and tobacco taxes, some provinces are higher than others.
Each province protects their market place to support local industries. Provinces don’t seem to realize they are cutting their local industries market to the rest of the provinces.
Technically under the federation act there is to be free trade between provinces, but it has always been ignored (wink wink).
Here is a prime example of the idiocy of interprovincial trade in Canada: https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4818925
And more: https://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4625861
I’m confused, if the market is slow, why did we need 100’s of new driver training schools and 10’s of thousands of imported driver training students?
“imported driver training students”
That’s one of the factors and there is a myriad of factors, not just fentanyl and border security. Our PM, an incredibly dumb man, is making it sound like Canada’s Sophie’s Choice, with his fake nationalistic bravado ‘Canada won’t back down’. Back down from what? What we do know from the past is that when the rubber hits the road this guy will make the WORST possible decision. All the Premiers look just as bad here too, with their petulant ‘Oh yeah well, we won’t buy and sell your whiskey’, which they make about 60% – 80% profit on. Brilliant move.
I wish Trump would have said clearly that it’s about Trudeau, Librano$, defense, China. Because the effect so far is that Canada is rah-rah-nationalist and rallying behind Zeroes like Trudeau and Ford. Plus, this whole spat is throwing Canada in the arms of China even more.
Canada has been courting China for a good long time. Remember Chretien’s and Martin’s stints in China? Combine that with our status as a post national state, and we begin to be a problem for the US. We are aligned with a global socialist agenda and it is a serious threat to US hegemony.
I wonder why? I have never courted China and those who have are my enemy. Not I have any power but hey, stop being stupid folks. I don’t mean you LL.
Who is to say that Trump isn’t holding all the receipts?
Effectively, Blackmail.
Is that Step 2 or 3? We’re going to find out soon.
If Blackmail, undisputable evidence of CCPcontrol, payoffs, etc, etc, this dispute is over.
Remember, Snowden layed it all out. EVERY communication is monitored and tracked.
It’s really something to behold, the emotional rants of normie Canadians triggered over an issue they know little to nothing about. But they do respond like Pavlov’s dog.
Sit boy sit. Now, shake a paw. Bark for daddy. Good little pet, here’s a cookie.
Canadians are a sad sad lot.
So the Turd is getting what he really wanted. Spite the truckers! Ruin them before he exits stage left.
A$$hole!
” Grab a coffee,” indeed, while we can afford it.
It’s because Canada is a “CON-federated” democracy, not a republic. A “democracy” is mob rule. A republic is rule by law.
Canada is ruled by the “golden triangle”, (Ottawa,Quebec and Ontario). The “mob”, the majority, therefore have the numbers to rob and pillage their colonies.
This is why our central Canadian elites can rant and rave about the impacts of U.S. tariffs while at the same time imposing industry destroying “carbon taxes”.
Division has been the path to power by politicians in Canada for a 100 years. This will not change until the departure of, or serious threat of a province or two declaring independence.
President Trump knows how corrupt the CBSA is.
Canadians do not!!
We have a very very corrupt government bureaucracy !!
https://x.com/cl1richard/status/1882286078654337187?s=61
Small carriers? Much of the cross-border truck traffic I see is driven by “students” of the infamous Singh School of Truck Driving. What’s in those big rigs? Butter or ghee? https://waltwhitemansworld.blogspot.com/2025/01/your-singhs-today-peel-region-on-theyre.html Or perhaps fentanyl (or the makings thereof)? https://waltwhitemansworld.blogspot.com/2025/02/video-why-does-djt-have-canada-in-cross.html – DJT is not wrong to fight the drug trade… and those who control it!
I expect that Trump will greatly increase the full inspection of vehicles crossing the border if Trudeau continues to believe that drugs being transported from Canada into the US is solely a US problem.
Indeed. If we thought the border crossings were slow already, just wait.
They will be parking lots. Scrutiny like we’ve never seen. Every car and truck searched, every person scanned.
Just like the airport. Wouldn’t shock me in the least.
Thanks Turd.
The Kingdom of Canada and its DEI princesses have lost this war even before it began. The time has come for Canadians to take a knee, and some socialism-killing medicine.
The good news is you will recover, and it will be magnificent.
For two days, the CBP should stop and inspect every truck coming through a busy crossing from Canada. I’m guessing the results will put paid to the Libranos fentanyl is from Mexico argument.
Trump is a moron.
Want to know what he should have done? Approach Canada respectfully and reach agreements, not kick Canada in the teeth and then offer to negotiate. Almost all Canadians would have been onboard with aggressively addressing these concerns, especially if Trump had been respectful.
Instead Trump has created bitterness and suspicion that will last generations.
“Trump is a moron.”
Oh sure…a billionaire, and currently the most powerful man IN THE WORLD. He’s a moron, and you’re not. Got it.
“Want to know what he should have done? Approach Canada respectfully and reach agreements, ”
LOL…Why? Why should he show Justin Trudeau the least amount of respect? Has he actually earned any?
That we should be cheering on the immolation of Canada because we don’t like Trudeau is insane. Trudeau is irrelevant at this point.
There’s a difference between cheering and accepting the fact.
This aimless nation had it coming.
And I won’t be flying the Canadian flag on my car window for more of the same.
I live in a small town for a reason snippets of sanity, and individual integrity.
Trudeau and what he stood for was always irrelevant to anything meaningful, and resilient.
And here we are all of a sudden.
Freefall…… and lets hope (really hope) the truth or something very close to it is a parachute.
“This aimless nation had it coming.”
Trump is not Canada’s school master. He was not voted in to punish Canada for its sins.
If these tariffs, and the threatened tariffs against Europe, plunge the U.S. (and thus the rest of the world) into recession, Trump will end up looking like one of the biggest jackasses in presidential history, and even the most ardent Trumper will start having doubts.
“That we should be cheering on the immolation of Canada because we don’t like Trudeau is insane. Trudeau is irrelevant at this point.”
And yet you are taking his side on this, just as he (well, his advisers, anyway) planned. Trudeau is playing you like a fiddle, KM.
Start paying attention Dead Rat/PMO slut.
The one true moron is and always will be one Justin Trudeau.
FAFO
Yeah, 47 is using a nice big blunt instrument, a sledgehammer. I see how it makes you feel. Deal with it.
Trudeau, Trudeau, Trudeau, Trudeau, Trudeau.
Maybe you’d better start focusing on Canada a little more. You know, you’re country.
Maybe I’d better start focusing on grammar.
I’d to if I we’re U.
What does Trump really want?
It’s hard to say. The fentanyl concerns only really rose to the top a week or so ago. To me it sounds like that’s what they settled on as an excuse for the tariffs.
Meanwhile, Trump’s “jokes” about annexing Canada continue, and we have to entertain the notion that that’s his real aim.
He needs a legal “emergency” to impose tariffs without congress.
“There isn’t a good end to this other than securing our border and cracking down on fentanyl production & distribution. We should be embarrassed that our neighbour had to ask. ”
EXACTLY.
That’s the real bottom line, and you shouldn’t need to be a rocket scientist to figure it out.
Sorry Canadians.
If your country’s government would act like a respectable and responsible neighbor to the U.S.A. this would not be happening.
Maybe you will replace it.
We simply don’t have the power as a “post-national state” to economically defend ourselves against a move like this from the U.S.
We’ll either cave, or Trump might get bored or distracted.
I suspect that there will be negative effects to the U.S. due to these tariffs, and Trump will be scrambling to find an exit ramp while still declaring victory.
“I suspect that there will be negative effects to the U.S. due to these tariffs, and Trump will be scrambling to find an exit ramp while still declaring victory.”
Not even close. Trump holds all the cards here, and he knows it. Our economy will be devastated long before his even feels any significant pain.
Trump was elected to protect American interests. This may require short term discomfort for Americans, but will leave us in a better position.
We’re sick of powering other nations’ economic growth and prosperity at the expense of our own. We’re destroying globalism and it’s proponents. If you want to have mutually beneficial trade with the U.S.A. you’re going to have to be respectful and play by the rules.
The idea that Canada is powering its economic growth and prosperity at the expense of America is highly dubious. In fact, the U.S. has strongly outperformed Canada over the decade, so that its GDP per capita is now far higher.
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD?locations=CA-US
Here are just some historic tariffs Canada hits America with.
Milk: 270%
Cheese: 245%
Butter: 298%
Chicken: 238%
Sausages: 69.9%
Barley seed: 57.8%
Bovine/meat: 26.5%
Cars: 25%
HVAC: 45%
Vacuums: 35%
Cable boxes: 35%
TVs: 45%
Steel: 25%
Aluminum: 45%
Copper: 48%
The key word here is “historic”. I know some dairy products have trade restrictions, but what other products are currently subject to tariffs?
Perfect time for Alberta to have a vote on WEXIT. Watch the Liberal hypocrisy in action. We are a post national state. J Trudeau 2015 victory speech
Western Canada should take note of the noise the conservative leader is making. Obviously panicking at the prospects of seeing enthusiasm for his party bleed back to the coalition. Timing has not been on his side.
I have warned here many times that PP has no other path than to be another Mulroney.
This tariff issue and the phoney patriotism of all federal parties exposes this fact.
Free the West!
” the phoney patriotism of all federal parties ”
Well said. They are exploiting this for political gain and allowing Canada to be economically hurt while hoping that we don’t notice.
Canada’s pathetic inter-provincial trade, the visceral dislike between east & west, the failed 60 year socialist experiment, the obvious end game of gun “control”, all propagated by the Liberal Party of Canada to divide Canada. It was Soviet mo when they began, it’s Maoist today, and has been very effective: Canadian don’t like one another, and have a faux moral superiority over everyone else. Airing this dirty laundry is more than an embarrassing laxative: Canadians are incapable of governing themselves, and damn proud of it.
“Canada’s wide open door policy to immigration, which has caused a massive increase in illegal migrants crossing the border from Canada into the United States.”
My guess is the flow is about to reverse. Canada should really, really watch its borders because many of these illegals don’t want to go back to Shitholeistan, especially the criminals. Spring is coming.
Any truck with more than 5 axles (tridem or super b for example) is 99% likely to be Canada only. The cross border trucks are all 5 axle including me. Worse yet my flatbed is a 53 closed fixed tandem. This setup is only for cross border western Canada companies. Its not California legal. That means if Trumps tariffs stick, my trailer is impossible to sell. Running across Canada isn’t really an option either, as I can’t compete with the 6 and 8 axle setups that already have fairly low rates.
I work for a cross border flatbed company with 15 trucks. They do not factor, I will not work for anyone that does. This company has extensive experience and knows how to keep things efficient.
I agree with everything the email says, current rates are low and business is slow. Tariffs will hurt. I know of several drivers who say they’re probably going to retire.
That being said, don’t worry about me too much. My equipment is paid off, I do my own mechanical work, and MPG is good. My costs are very low. I’m also well positioned to add equipment when things are on the upswing.
Will this flush out people who are shipping things they shouldn’t shipping?
Maybe not on this scale, but something similar?
https://www.renegadetribune.com/whats-really-going-on-with-shipping-containers-and-human-trafficking/