The owner of Arnprior's Antrim Truck Shop has many concerns ahead of the “freedom” trucking convoy, which is set to reach Ottawa on Saturday, January 29.
One of the things Tom Orr is worried about is the limited amount of space for trucks on his lot.
“There's a bit of a weight that's coming on us, especially when people say there's about a thousand trucks coming because we only have room for 200,” Orr explained to CityNews' Sam Laprade Show on Tuesday, January 25.
“And one of the things that's important to us is that we have 50 to 60 trucks that use [us] on a nightly basis, and we can't turn them away for a week or possibly more.”
The truck stop also has a fuelling station, a bakery and a restaurant that serves many customers on a daily basis. Orr says the goal is to keep his business open in guidance with provincial health measures. He says customers are allowed to come inside for take-out options only.
Still, Orr is worried about the sheer volume of anticipated traffic affecting his staff.
“This has put a lot of pressure on our team because we're under-staffed now, and not very busy and trying to figure out how we're going to deal with this,” said Orr.
The goal, he says, is to try to keep the business up and running and accommodate as many truckers as possible, while following public health guidance.
Listen to Orr's full conversation with Sam Laprade on Tuesday's edition of The Sam Laprade Show.
