Looking at the world through a windshield: a historical geography of the trucking industry in British Columbia

The trucking industry has been an extremely important part of the process of economic growth and cultural integration in British Columbia. The specific trajectories taken by both the provincial economy and the trucking industry are entwined, each shaping the other. The story of trucking in British Columbia is a story of constant change. Forced to respond to changing political and economic conditions, the industry has taken at least three different configurations. The state of the roads, the trucks and the industry form the three main axes of inquiry. This thesis explores the history of the industry in specific detail in order to understand the constraints the provincial economy, culture and landscape has brought to the creation of a viable trucking industry. It al examines the ways the industry has, in turn, affected the economy and culture of British Columbia.Arts, Faculty ofGeography, Department ofGraduat