Bert Baxter Trucking is noticing a gradual increase in activity.
Darryl Shirley, who is one of the owners of the long-time trucking company based in the Estevan area, said the activity level still isn’t what it was three years ago, when the economic slowdown was starting to grip the southeast.
But they have started to notice growth in their activity levels since the start of the year.
“It’s been getting a little busier all the time, but it’s still nothing to write home to mom about,” said Shirley.
There was a lull during spring road bans, but that’s to be expected, he said.
“We did have some bigger contracts out of town that kept us busy, but around here pretty much nothing happened, because you couldn’t get out on the roads,” said Shirley.
Last year was the toughest for the business, he said, because that’s when the price of oil bottomed out early on. They were hoping this year would be a little busier than what it’s been.
It’s hard to say whether the activity levels will return to where they were a few years ago, he said. The company is pretty guarded when it comes to making predictions about where the industry will be in the future.
“You never know if you see those levels or not until you’re right in the middle of it,” said Shirley. “It just happens.”
Bert Baxter has offices in Estevan and Edmonton, and also has employees in a highway division. They do extensive work with the oilfield industry, so the number of employees is down considerably from the peak years.
They do less than load shipping from Edmonton to Estevan, and they have a highway division that hauls all over North America.
“We are always looking for opportunities to expand,” said Shirley.
One of the biggest challenges the company is currently facing stems from the oilfield workers who left the industry a few years ago when oil prices plunged. Those workers aren’t eager to return now that companies have started hiring again.
The price of fuel, the carbon tax in Alberta and other jurisdictions, emission laws and the complexities found in new trucks also represent challenges.
“There are challenges in the oil industry and the transportation industry in general,” said Shirley.
But most days it’s still pretty enjoyable to be in the industry, he said.
“The industry has treated me and my employees very well,” said Shirley. “At times it is very interesting, and you never know what is going to happen next. I think I’m going to stick around for the long haul yet.”
Shirley noted Bert Baxter has moved a lot of its activities to a new yard north of the city, near the truck bypass, that has been developed since 2011. They have multiple buildings out there already. The company’s main office is still on Kensington Avenue, and is currently for sale; once it is sold, Bert Baxter will move operations to the new yard.
A maintenance building is still located on Devonian Street, and at this time, Shirley said they have no intentions of moving the maintenance shop.
