Most of Ontario's owner-operators are content with a deal that pays them a minimum of 14 cents a mile more to compensate for the high price of diesel, says Bill Wellman, head of the National Truckers' Association.

According to the Toronto Star, about 200 truckers, many of whom parked their rigs outside key industry buildings and slowed traffic on major highways over the last month, approved the deal, brokered by the province, during a meeting at a truckstop over the weekend.
The association represents about 2,000 owner-operators of the province's 20,000 independent truckers.
The truckers who voted also refused to accept the resignations of Wellman and association vice president Keith Swayne, the article said.
"We're happy with the deal, but there's still work to be done," said Wellman, a truck owner who resigned along with Swayne when talks between truckers and industry representatives weren't going well. Both agreed to stay on to see the deal to its conclusion.
The offer contains an 8.9-cent fuel surcharge based on the gross contract price carriers get for shipping goods for Canadian manufacturers. According to Wellman, truckers working for some of the major transport companies are receiving at least $1.14 per mile compared to the standard $1 before the deal, Truckers who get no surcharge now will receive an extra payment of about $400 a week for fuel.
The agreement is voluntary, requesting industry and trucking companies collectively to immediately pass on the surcharge to truckers. Diesel fuel prices have risen about 75 percent over the last 16 months, the Star reported.