It happened this week. A semi-trailer transporting product en route from Alberta to Dakeryn’s wood specialties manufacturing plant in Abbotsford, B.C. was hijacked. According to reports, the suspect faces a number of charges, including kidnapping and use of a firearm in the commission of an offence.

He came to my window (waving a handgun).. I had no doubt that he wouldn’t have had a problem shooting me to get out of there.. I was thinking as long as I was doing what he wanted and driving, he was no great threat to me – but it was a long three-hour drive to Kamloops.

Those are the words of one cool trucker, Robert Price. No doubt there will be a full investigation into the suspect’s motive. In the light of ongoing tragedies involving firearms, it seems insensitive to characterize the incident as anything other than another very serious situation. We couldn’t help wondering though, what would drive somebody to undertake such extreme measures aimed at securing Dakeryn’s lumber? And if the kidnapper had arrived at eventual destination, would our fine finished products have also become a subject of ransom? That question was reportedly in our truck driver’s mind too, when he wondered aloud: “How does this end?” Fortunately, the RCMP intervened at a truck stop 175 miles from our specialties plant and, from early reporting, their gunshots were aimed at the truck’s front tires.