Caught on camera: Surrey vandals drill semi trailer's tires

Vandals appear to be targeting parkedcontainer trailers in Metro Vancouver, which some see as an expression of rising tensionsin the ongoing dispute between container truck drivers and Port Metro over cargo scheduling and rates.

Avideo obtained by CBC News shows vandals targeting a parked semi trailerat oneSurrey business.

The incident happened at about 8:30 p.m. PT Sunday night.Thesurveillance video appears to showtwomen wearing hooded sweatshirts removing a serial number off a trailer and puncturing the tires with a drill.

The trailer has been parked at a Surrey wholesale company since the port container truckers' strike started three weeks ago.

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The owner of the company isn't a trucker yet he still fears for his safety. Therefore,CBC News has agreed to concealhis identity.

"Iwas not in the dispute. Iwas lucky enough to get my container out the day before the strike, but when we received the container they said, 'Oh, we're on strike. We're not going to pick it up," he said.

Now, thecontainer is indefinitely stuck on the property without the serial number visible on the trailer, it can't legally be moved off the premises.

The estimated cost to replacethe eight punctured tires, at roughly $500 apiece, is between $4,000 and$5,000. This small business owner has also learned he may be on the hook for it.

"Thisis absolutely unfair. I'm already losing money. ... If Ihave to pay for this, being a small company ... I've heard companies getting bankrupt," he said.

• More:Port Metro Vancouver trucker assaulted amidst labour dispute

CBC News has learned it's not just this one company being impacted by container trailer vandals.Several semi trailers haverecently been damaged along 130thStreet in Surrey.

Craig Suveges, who works atKal Tire, says the damagein some casesis quite severe.

"Itseems that a lot of peoplehave been drilling the sidewalls on these tires and also ... someone has been cutting the air lines on these things. We had one of the mechanics down fixing that as well," Suvegessaid.

The business ownerwho spoke with CBC News says he is calling police to report the vandalism and to share the footage. He also said he is still negotiating with ICBC and his shipping broker as to who will pay the trailer's repair bill.