TORONTO, Ont. — GTA dump truck drivers will slow traffic on busy routes around the city Thursday to protest a number of issues, including fuel prices, rates and poor working conditions, according to a report in the Toronto Star.

About 150 trucks, owned by members of the Ontario Dump Truck Association, are expected to take part in the rolling protests which will begin after the morning rush hour. Derry Rd., Hwy. 410, Hwy. 401, the Don Valley Parkway and the Gardiner Expressway are expected to be affected, the Star reports.

“It’s a safety issue,” organizer Harsimran Gill told the Star. “Our trucks are supposed to carry 21 tonnes. But every time we are pulled on a scale, it’s around 28, 29, sometimes 30 tonnes in there. That’s dangerous, not only for the driver, but for everyone else on the road. The brake system is designed for a load of 21 tonnes. When the truck is eight or nine tonnes overloaded, the momentum doesn’t let you stop unless you really stand on the brakes. When the truck is overloaded and you’re going 100 kilometres an hour, how do you expect it to stop?”

He complained that drivers must remain in their cab at loading sites and cannot check their weights. He also said rates haven’t changed in five years, while fuel costs have surged.

– With files from the Toronto Star