Several trucking companies that service the Beaufort Delta are accusing the Yukon government of failing to properly maintain its side of the Dempster Highway.

Ferries are closed for freeze-up now, but in the weeks leading up to the closure, truckers struggled to get their cargo to Inuvik in one piece, forced to navigate roads they call poorly maintained, causing lengthier travel times.

SA国际影视传媒淚tSA国际影视传媒檚 affecting everything I have on the highway, itSA国际影视传媒檚 a lot of repairs,SA国际影视传媒� said Northwind Industries owner Kurt Wainman, who said heSA国际影视传媒檚 spending thousands on repairs to his trucks that have endured the rough conditions. SA国际影视传媒淓very trip we do we have expensive repairs. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 crazy. ISA国际影视传媒檓 talking thousands of dollars, every trip weSA国际影视传媒檙e fixing something. WeSA国际影视传媒檙e losing time, weSA国际影视传媒檙e getting damage on our own trucks. This has been the worst year. YukonSA国际影视传媒檚 not grading or doing any maintenance. They havenSA国际影视传媒檛 done anything for years.

SA国际影视传媒淥ur semis are taking a (expletive)-kicking. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 come down to where freight is going to go up and people canSA国际影视传媒檛 afford it, or otherwise we gotta quit trucking because itSA国际影视传媒檚 so bad. Our costs are going up through the roof.SA国际影视传媒�

Wainman said his truckers noticed a clear difference in the road maintenance quality on each side of the border.

HeSA国际影视传媒檚 not the only one.

Hawks Supply and North of 60 Medical Solutions Ltd. owner Paul MacDonald said heSA国际影视传媒檚 had several orders come in either damaged or late, from debris or potholes on the Yukon side.

SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檝e been trying to stock up since September,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淏ut then there was the accident with the bridge, there was a rollover, there was a jackknifed trailer, there was a vehicle on fire that burned a bridge down south of Whitehorse.

SA国际影视传媒淪o all of these issues have compounded into delay after delay trying to get our freight. Manitoulin does a great job of getting us the freight as quickly as they can, but they are also bound by the condition of the road.

SA国际影视传媒淲hen you see the trucks coming in damaged by potholes SA国际影视传媒� ISA国际影视传媒檝e never seen so many damaged trailers, and these are professional drivers. These eight to 12-inch potholes up to three feet wide that the Yukon government doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 seem to worry about, is destroying not only the vehicles but the freight inside the vehicles. So it makes it difficult to bring up sensitive products by ground that are medical.SA国际影视传媒�

MacDonald estimated delays added up to around 25 per cent in losses. Add to that the cost of having to bring time-sensitive goods up by plane.

MacDonald says heSA国际影视传媒檚 made many trips on the Dempster Highway. He describes the road in the lead-up to freeze-up as SA国际影视传媒渢he worst he has ever seenSA国际影视传媒� in 17 years of living in the area.

SA国际影视传媒淎 lot of revenue from Inuvik goes into the Yukon,SA国际影视传媒� he added. SA国际影视传媒淲eSA国际影视传媒檙e not seeing any of that revenue put, by way of taxes, into fixing the road.

SA国际影视传媒淵ou can certainly tell once you hit that border how good the road is on the Northwest Territories side. But cross over that border, thereSA国际影视传媒檚 sections that are absolutely horrendous. Excluding wash-outs or horrible storms, the fact theySA国际影视传媒檙e down to the base layer of rock on the Dempster Highway is concerning.SA国际影视传媒�

SA国际影视传媒淣otableSA国际影视传媒� issues this year

Rob Eskens is ManitoulinSA国际影视传媒檚 vice president of sales for Western Canada. He says Manitoulin had specially enforced trailers for bringing transport up the Dempster, and the standard response to bad roads is to slow down. But he warned unexpected problems on the Dempster Highway could surface anywhere along the 370 kilometres without any services from the Klondike Highway turnoff to Eagle Plains. He describes this past season as SA国际影视传媒渘otableSA国际影视传媒� for issues compared to the last 20 years.

SA国际影视传媒淭hereSA国际影视传媒檚 a bit more precipitation and for a three or four week period it gets a little tricky, and that happens every year,SA国际影视传媒� he said, noting the company did see an increase in wear and tear. SA国际影视传媒淭his year it did seem a little worse than the many years prior. ThereSA国际影视传媒檚 been a number of delays in our transit time, the condition of the road and some of the precipitation events, mainly snow and water.

SA国际影视传媒淚t has cost us at times another day from a transit time perspective.SA国际影视传媒�

Eskens said the company ships between 15 and 20 loads to Inuvik on a weekly basis when the road is open.

He says Manitoulin was fully staffed and even brought in extra drivers to cover the freight-line. But he says drivers canSA国际影视传媒檛 move any faster if itSA国际影视传媒檚 unsafe to do so.

Now that the ferries have closed, Eskens says the bigger concern is what the road will look like in spring. Transport over frozen tundra and river crossings in deep winter is typically far less troublesome for drivers.

He said the company is in constant contact with their drivers to stay on top of changing conditions.

SA国际影视传媒淲ater and precipitation washes away the important surface of the road, which exposes ruts and potholes,SA国际影视传媒� he said. SA国际影视传媒淲e do feel that we could do better in engaging those officials at the Yukon government and other parties who would be equally concerned and talk about the condition of the road, especially going into the spring.

SA国际影视传媒�(The road conditions) has cost us probably a day in transit time. Most of the goods we bring into Inuvik are freshly frozen groceries and our customers are concerned that they get the freshest product on the shelf as possible SA国际影视传媒� products have an expected shelf life. When weSA国际影视传媒檙e a day late, we have taken a day out of that freshness and customers are concerned.

SA国际影视传媒淲hen theySA国际影视传媒檙e concerned, weSA国际影视传媒檙e concerned about transit time. If we have another season like weSA国际影视传媒檙e having now, we probably will have to do a better job of talking to those officials responsible for road maintenance. This road has got to improve to the point where we can have a reasonably quick transit time.SA国际影视传媒�

Yukon Highways and Public Works communications manager Madison Guthrie said the Yukon routinely grades the Dempster each fall to prepare it for winter. But bad weather has hampered maintenance efforts this year.

She noted the excess rain prior to freeze up re-opened pot holes in the road after grading was complete.

SA国际影视传媒淒uring the winter, we will continue to provide our regular service such as plowing and clearing the road,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淚n the spring, we will grade the road and fix any issues that arise to get it ready for summer travel.

SA国际影视传媒淲e urge all drivers to use caution when travelling along the Dempster, especially at this time of year and to check 511 Yukon for the latest updates.SA国际影视传媒�