Navigating Chaos: How the Los Angeles Riots Could Disrupt Alberta’s Trucking Industry

by | Jun 12, 2025 | Uncategorized

Last Tuesday, I saw drivers and dispatchers gathered around the kitchen counter at the office, staring at their phones. “Well,” a driver called out, “looks like LA’s burning again.” The route manifest in my hand showed California deliveries worth a tidy sum of money—suddenly uncertain. As someone who’s run trucks through two decades of disruptions, I know when a distant fire threatens to affect us more than I would like.

The Dominoes Fall

What started as ICE raids at a Paramount Home Depot on June 6th has exploded into something far more dangerous. Protesters have shut down the 101 Freeway, torched autonomous vehicles, and forced Trump to deploy 4,700 troops to LA’s streets. The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach—handling 40% of U.S. container traffic—sit in the crosshairs of escalating violence that shows no signs of stopping.

This isn’t academic for Alberta truckers. We’re already bleeding from 25% U.S. tariffs and the worst freight market in four decades. Now LA’s chaos threatens to choke the very arteries our industry survives on.

The Alberta Reckoning

Here’s what the data tells us: When the Ambassador Bridge closed for three days in 2022, it halted 25% of U.S.-Canada trade. LA’s ports are exponentially more critical. If this unrest persists beyond two weeks, I’m projecting:

  • Port backlogs rivaling 2024’s strike disruptions, when volumes dropped 50% in affected regions
  • Freight demand collapse as U.S. buyers pivot to alternative suppliers, hitting our lumber, auto parts hauls hardest
  • Route chaos forcing expensive detours through Seattle or Vancouver, adding 4-5 hours and thousands in fuel costs per trip
  • Driver safety risks in protest zones where tear gas and rubber bullets have become routine

Conservative math suggests Alberta could see 20-30% fewer U.S.-bound loads if LA stays paralyzed through July. For an industry already on life support, that’s potentially fatal.

Our Response Strategy

Markets reward adaptation, not wishful thinking. We’re already:

Rerouting immediately—shifting California-bound freight to Seattle and Vancouver ports despite higher costs. Better expensive than impossible.

Leveraging technology—deploying AI route optimization and real-time protest monitoring to keep our drivers safe and loads moving.

Building alternative networks—strengthening relationships with Pacific Northwest terminals.

Political pressure—supporting swift law enforcement action to restore order. Supply chains need stability, not endless chaos.

This industry has taught me a simple truth: when the road ahead crumbles, you find another one. LA’s crisis will eventually end, but Alberta’s truckers who prepare now will emerge stronger. Those who don’t may not emerge at all.

The wheels keep turning—we just need to be smart about where they roll.