SYDNEY, N.S., (Aug. 8, 2005) — The Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association has an ally in lobbying Transport Canada to keep the drop trailer service at crown corp. Marine Atlantic.

Labour leaders for the ferry’s employees met with government officials last Friday to discuss the future of the Port Aux Basques-North Sydney service. Like the APTA, the Public Service Alliance of Canada — which is representing six unions — says scrapping the service would add shipping costs and eliminate jobs.

The controversial recommendation to halt drop service comes from a Transport Canada advisory committee responsible for reviewing the ferry’s business model regarding the fleet, financial needs, quality of service, and long-term funding and pricing plans of the company.

At a cost of $20 million a year to maintain, the ferry should get rid of the drop-on service, the committee stated in its report released in May. The group also wants Marine Atlantic to reinvest in its fleet by phasing in three larger vessels between 2006 and 2011, and also recommends the ferry scale back rates by 15 percent.

The union was assured after the meeting its concerns would be taken into account when the committee makes its final decision, the Cape Breton Post reports.

Dave Shaw, who represents the PSAC, told the newspaper the unions also urged Transport Canada to place a labour representative on the Marine Atlantic board. The unions also fear the company will privatize food, cleaning and other services aboard the ferries.

However, most owner-operators support the committee’s recommendation. The Newfoundland & Labrador Independent Truckers Association, and the national Owner-Operators Business Association of Canada have long pressed for less drop operations and for more attention paid to live loads. The two groups have been complaining for years that they’re members have been severely delayed, even bumped, at the expense of drop cargo, which takes time to load on and unload from vessels.

However, the APTA has led the fight against the proposal. And there’s a chance it, along with the unions, could get the recommendation reversed. The trucking group recently presented to the committee a study that stated the Newfoundland and Labrador economy would suffer if drop trailer service were discontinued.

About $34 million of Marine Atlantic’s revenues last year came from commercial vehicles — over 50 percent of these consisting of drop trailers. Additionally, interest in the service has increased by 15.3 percent between 2001 and 2004, while live usage had increased by only 5.4 percent, the study shows.

“The increase in usage of (drop trailer service) is reportedly due to delays experienced at MAI for live units and the need to utilize manpower and equipment as efficiently as possible to meet the market demands for trucking services in the midst of a severe shortage of qualified human resources,” APTA says.

— with files from the Cape Breton Post