The privately owned Ambassador Bridge reportedly stepped up efforts to attract and retain trucking companies as uncertainty continued over the opening of the long-awaited Gordie Howe International Bridge.
Lak Shoan, policy director at the Ontario Trucking Association, said the organization began hearing from several members in the spring about the Ambassador Bridge approaching trucking companies more actively. The reports suggested that the bridge was trying to secure business before the new publicly owned crossing became operational.
CBC Windsor contacted several Canadian trucking firms involved in cross-border transportation to determine whether they had received special toll offers from the Ambassador Bridge. Some companies declined to discuss private commercial agreements, while others did not respond.
Further evidence emerged from a social media post that was later deleted. JT Barrett, chair of UAW Local 212, which represents drivers working for FCA Transport at Stellantis, instructed members not to use the new Gordie Howe crossing because of an existing agreement with the Ambassador Bridge.
According to Barrett, the agreement was providing the trucking operation with approximately $240,000 in monthly toll savings. He explained that the Ambassador Bridge would need to be informed before the company could end the contract and begin using the Gordie Howe bridge.
The situation highlights the growing competition between the established Ambassador Bridge and the new publicly owned crossing as companies consider which route will offer the most favorable costs and operating conditions.
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