Commercial truck drivers working in B.C. now have a handful of new options for getting their hands on some grub while on the job.
The Government of B.C. is having food truck operators set up at four key truck stop locations across the province, waiving any typical fees or restrictions, in order to give drivers the chance to refuel themselves with locally-made eats.
Vendors are operating at rest areas, weigh scales and other commercial truck pullouts throughout the Lower Mainland and southern Interior, with more expected to be added in the coming weeks, according to a bulletin issued Tuesday by the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
Current locations on provincial property with permitted food trucks, providing commercial truck drivers with more food options during their travels:
- Nordel CVSE Inspection Station in Delta
- Zopkios Brake Check on Highway 5, approximately 57 kilometres north of Hope
- Britton Creek Rest Area on Highway 5, approximately 62 kilometres south of Merritt
- Kamloops Weigh Scale in City of Kamloops – food served free of cost once per week by the Salvation Army
The Province says they are working directly with privately-owned food truck operators, however they did not identify which trucks would be set up at each of the locations.
However, in a separately organized venture, members of the BC Trucking Association have spearheaded Meals for Truckers, setting up food trucks at various commercial cardlocks throughout the province. They offer a map of resources for things like food and accomodations that also includes scheduling info.
Restaurants have also reopened many locations along Canadian highways for take out and restroom use for commercial drivers, notes the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
To improve access to facilities along routes, the Province has installed around 25 portable toilets at commercial pullouts and inspection stations around B.C.
While many long-haul truckers moving goods through B.C. are finding their treks going faster thanks to less traffic on the roads, they are still working under stressful conditions, including when it comes to eating and cleaning.
“If I go into a truck stop, I’ll grab something to eat and go back to the truck, wipe down the dash and everything else, and do everything I can to keep things clean," Calgary-based long-haul trucker Thomas Bradbury told Glacier Media recently.
- With a file from Mike Howell/Glacier Media
