Trucking company faces years of rebuilding after vehicles, trailers torched in suspected arson
Darren Bernhardt | CBC News | Posted: February 1, 2023 6:47 PM | Last Updated: February 1, 2023
Fire caused $7M in damage to equipment and another $2M annually in lost contract, owner says
The owner of a trucking company struck by arson almost two weeks ago says he's lost most of his fleet and a major contract.
Mohinderpal Brar had nine semis and 16 trailers in the fleet of VB Roadways Inc., just northwest of Winnipeg's city limits in the rural municipality of Rosser. Seven of those trucks and seven trailers were burned in the Jan. 20 fire that RCMP say was intentionally set.
RCMP estimated the damage to be about $7 million, but Brar said that only applies to the vehicles and lost contents inside some of the trailers.
"Our business damage is bigger than that, because … we recently acquired a contract to haul goods for multinational corporation Procter & Gamble," said Brar, president of VB Roadways.
He was awarded the multi-year contract — worth $1.38 million annually — in November and was working to expand his business, looking for more trucks and trailers.
The contract was to haul about 200 loads per year from Canada to the U.S., and Brar said there was an opportunity to secure another contract to bring goods from the U.S. to Canada on return trips. That could have brought in another $1 million or so, he said.
"So our losses for the gross revenue, like, every year now is about $2.2 million," Brar said.
He tried to subcontract the Procter & Gamble deal to another carrier until VB Roadways can get back on its wheels, but no one could take it on.
"Trucking is crazy busy these days, so everyone was providing service to their own customers," he said. "No one had any extra trucks to do that."
After about a week of trying, VB Roadways had to give up the contract.
'Everything was on fire'
The day of the blaze, Brar had just dropped his daughter off at school when he got a call from his business partner at the yard.
"He said, 'Man, there's a big fire in our trucks. Come as soon as you can.' So I rushed to drop my daughter and get back," Brar said, adding he arrived within a few minutes "and everything was on fire at that time."
One of the company's drivers managed to get a truck away from the fire just as flames were catching on its front corner. That created a fire break between the burning vehicles and three loaded trailers, which were spared.
"He saved lots of things," Brar said.
Although two trucks and several trailers were saved, Brar is not able to do any work at all. Both trucks have been taken to the Manitoba Public Insurance compound to be examined.
"I started this company in 2014 so I had a good customer base … and we run very well. I was working hard for the future," he said.
"So now, like, that is gone. I don't know what to say."
The shutdown has affected 12 people — 10 drivers, Brar and his business partner.
'Years to get back on track'
Brar doesn't expect his drivers will have trouble finding other work, as they are needed in the industry, but he isn't sure when he will be able to build his fleet back up. There is such a demand for big rigs that no dealers are taking orders, he said.
As a result, the price for used trucks has also shot up, he said.
Brar ultimately would like to get far more than the seven trucks he lost so he can show there are enough trucks to handle the contract easily.
"If we want to get that business back, we have to fight for that," he said.
"I think it will take two to three years to get back on track."
In the meantime, he and his business partner are looking for work until the MPI investigation is complete and they can refocus on their company.
Brar has no idea why someone would target the business but said it wasn't the first time. In February 2022, someone put washer fluid into the gas tank of one of his trucks, which caused it to break down in the U.S. just after it crossed the border.
"That was a big repair to us," he said.
In August, someone broke into one of the trailers in the yard and stole some freight. A few weeks later, a trailer used for washing the vehicles was stolen.
Brar hopes the police will find answers or witnesses come forward with information.
"If someone was out there, if someone seen something, please help us," he said.
Corrections:- An earlier version of this story indicated the fire was just northeast of Winnipeg city limits. In fact, it was northwest. February 1, 2023 11:16 PM