Manitoba trucking industry hurting financially from flooded highway

The cost of detouring around flooded sections of Highway 75 is costing thousands of extra dollars, say Manitoba trucking companies.

Sections of the highway, a major artery between Winnipeg and the U.S. border, were first closed due to spring flooding on April 7. Although parts of the route have since been reopened, some areas are still impassable due to the water.

Jeff Pries, of Manitoba-based Bison Transport, said that has resulted in an additional 80 kilometres in detours for every trip to the United States. If drivers are doing 50 to 60 trips a day, additional fuel costs can hit $4,500 per day for the company, he said.

Bison has no choice but to pass those costs on to the customers, said Pries, vice-president of sales and marketing for the North American carrier.

Other companies must absorb the increase if their rates with customers are locked in, he said.

"In many cases, the response has been, 'If you increase your price to me I can't either afford to use you,' or [if] I can't pass on that cost to my customer, it might be shared between us, said Pries. "There has been a number of different responses."

The water above the bridge at Morris, about 55 kilometres south of Winnipeg's city limits, isn't expect to recede for another two weeks, according to provincial highways officials.

Once the water does recede, the road will require some work to repair the erosion before it can be opened to traffic.