The past year of hauling has been the equivalent of an ice road roller coaster for Wayne Kakfwi.
The early months of the Covid-19 pandemic last spring took away much of his work as a hauler with his small operation . He formed the company in 2006 and transports almost anything, except for groceries.
With much of his client base being in Sahtu and Tlicho communities along the ice roads, he was fortunate to have wrapped up the ice road season before the first case of Covid-19 arrived in the NWT on March 21, 2020.
But after that his wheels slowed down.
Slower hauling seasons with Covid
SA国际影视传媒淐ovid restrictions really put a damper on my transport company,SA国际影视传媒� he said.
The Norman Wells resident used to base his main Kenworth truck in Edmonton and do trips from there to communities in the NWT and back. He also uses two Ford F-350s and a gooseneck trailer.
In a normal year, he would take more than a dozen trips between the NWT and Edmonton and then at the end of the season, leave his truck in that city and fly back to Norman Wells.
Fewer cross-border trips meant less hauling, and his spring and summer were much quieter than usual.
SA国际影视传媒淚t was a scary time and I didn't want to risk my young family (by getting sick). I stayed here and my truck stayed down there,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淭o get all the insurance and registration was too complicated. I have to pay every year and it just wasn't feasible last summer.SA国际影视传媒�
He kept busy with some construction jobs in Norman Wells for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, and a couple hauling trips to Hay River to supply barges.
Covid-19 hits home
But the biggest bump in the road came last December when his son Myrine became severely ill with Covid-19 and was hospitalized in the intensive care unit in Edmonton.
SA国际影视传媒淚t was unfortunate with my son,SA国际影视传媒� Kakfwi said. SA国际影视传媒淚 spent 10 weeks in Edmonton with him. (And then) it all worked out so damn quick. I was ready to get the safety work done on the truck. I put a call out for some clients. The doctor said my son would be moved to another ward where there's no visiting.SA国际影视传媒�
By late January, his son's condition began to improve and Kafkwi said he realized he SA国际影视传媒渉ad to get to work.SA国际影视传媒�
Truck back on the road
SA国际影视传媒淭hen I had a load coming out of Edmonton. I drove it to Yellowknife and then Norman Wells and Fort Good Hope and Tulita. That was in February. This year (the season) was about six weeks late.SA国际影视传媒�
The delay has cut his revenue in half for this year, although Kakfwi said his customer base is about SA国际影视传媒渁verageSA国际影视传媒� compared to pre-pandemic years.
But with a business partner in Yellowknife, he has been able to base his Kenworth in the NWT capital instead of in Edmonton.
SA国际影视传媒淚 can do more work here in the spring and summer with my truck here. My bread and butter won't be landlocked in Alberta,SA国际影视传媒� he said.
He's also been busy enough that he managed to hire an extra driver and a labourer.
Other factors like high demand in a shorter time frame and good ice road conditions might help him make up for the shortfall.
'Moving constantly'
SA国际影视传媒淚've had no down time. I'm moving constantly,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淭here will be a loss but it seems to me I'm gaining now. The roads are excellent this year. There's no overflow. There are no breakdowns.
SA国际影视传媒淚 had to tell people I wasn't taking on any more. I took a load of 57,000 lbs of lumber from Hay River to Tulita for a gazebo project. And I'm taking some loads to Wekweeti and Whati.SA国际影视传媒�
After a year of highs and lows that rocked his personal and professional life, Kakfwi is looking forward to some down time once the ice roads close in April.
SA国际影视传媒淚'm a real avid hunter and my freezers are empty. I need to get some moose and caribou,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淚 can get moose on the islands (of the Mackenzie River) and I can get caribou in the mountains. I love this trucking season but it comes to an end and you get tired and you're pushing yourself.SA国际影视传媒�
