Local trucking businesses in Guysborough and Antigonish counties are each grappling with rising diesel prices, forcing them to reconsider the way that they do business.
Diesel prices have climbed sharply in Nova Scotia this year amid volatility in global oil markets. The provincial government’s monthly diesel reference price for contractors was 59 per cent higher in August than it was a year earlier, rising from 151.2 cents per litre in August 2025 to 239.7 cents this August.
Nova Scotia regulates the minimum price retailers can charge for gasoline and diesel, with prices adjusted regularly according to changes in wholesale fuel markets. The province can also make additional “interrupter” adjustments when market prices move sharply.
For local trucking operators, the increase is showing up directly in the cost of doing business.
Tyson Byard, owner of a trucking business in Guysborough, said he’s never seen diesel prices so high during his 20 years in the industry.
After absorbing the costs himself, he said that when the price hit 245 cents per litre, he introduced a fuel surcharge for his customers.
He said he expects the change has cost him up to 10 per cent of his business, but said he couldn’t continue absorbing the additional expense.
“I’m not going to swallow up costs and put myself out of business,” he said, adding that the cost of doing business has risen sharply over the past few years, with prices for tires, brakes and other parts also higher than ever.
Byard said some customers have complained about price increases. In some cases, he’s been able to explain it using some back-of-the-napkin math showing how the additional fuel costs affect his business. Others, he said, have taken their business elsewhere.
“I’m done playing Mr. Nice Guy. If they don’t like it, get someone else,” he said, adding that he has many loyal customers who support him.
Randy Brophy, owner of Brophy Trucking in Antigonish, said his company also uses fuel surcharges with some customers, but those costs aren’t always recovered immediately.
“We have to cover these costs for 30 to 60 days,” he said.
Brophy said with a fleet of around 50 vehicles, his company’s operating costs have increased by more than $250,000 a month, creating pressure on the working capital the business has available.
He said his business is trying to cut back on costs whenever it can, including reducing idle time, using rolling-resistance tires and reducing the speed at which trucks travel.
But Brophy’s biggest concern isn’t simply the cost of the fuel itself. He said prolonged increases could eventually affect demand for trucking if higher transportation costs contribute to higher prices for consumer goods.
“My biggest concern is the down pressure it’s putting on the economy, without customer demand our units are not needed on the highway trucks.”
