VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Frustrated truckers held a rolling strike today with more than 300 semis holding up traffic on some major routes.

They’re upset with new rules at Port Metro Vancouver. At this point port licenses have only been approved for 68 companies, which is down from 165. That leaves about 600 drivers out of work and they say the process in deciding who gets a license has been unfair.

Today’s protest started in Delta and went through Richmond via Highway 91, it ended up in Vancouver and down Highway 1 back to Surrey.

Truckers say they didn’t want to hold up rush hour traffic so they chose to do this in the middle of the day, before and after people normally commute. But some drivers got caught in the mess.

“A huge convoy, it’s still full of trucks, it’s backed right up,” said one man.

“They’re very slow and now they’re blocking traffic so we’re all just kind of following them and they’re just not budging,” said another driver.

“There’s a sign on the front truck that says ‘we’re looking for jobs’,” described a man.

“All of a sudden there were a whole bunch of 18 wheelers and people were slamming on their brakes from 100 kilometres an hour down to 30,” explained this man.

The family of one of the truckers affected by the licensing rules says it’s going to be difficult to make ends meet.

Gurveer Bains says her family consists of eight people and her father’s job as a semi-truck driver is the only source of income they have.

She’s describes the toll this has taken on him.

“I have never seen him in so much stress. He feels very helpless, he feels like no one is listening, although they’re all trying to stick together. I think at this point he feels helpless, stressed out and scared to see what is going to happen next,” she describes.

Bains says the company her dad works for has not had its license approved.

She admits her father, whose been a driver for 25 years, doesn’t have a plan if things don’t work out, but he is hopeful.

Another protest of sorts is planned for Friday with the support of union drivers.