Theft of big rig puts local logger down but not out

WEST KELOWNA – The owner of a $300,000 truck and low-bed trailer stolen at the end of March says the theft hit him hard but hasn’t knocked him out.

“It was a big financial impact and a huge inconvenience,” Scott Horovatin, who used the 2014 Kenworth and trailer to run his own small logging outfit, says. “We used it to move our machines in and it also doubled as a logging truck. If there’s anything good, it’s that we were in the middle of our downtime.”

Const. Rick Goodwin of the West Kelowna RCMP says the file on the theft is still open but no arrests have been made and the truck or trailer has not been recovered.

“Several leads came from tips, such as the truck was seen on Ross Road heading toward the bridge, but they didn’t come to anything,” Goodwin says.

Horovatin says the GPS unit that could have aided in the truck’s recovery was unplugged at the time.

Comments on the original story show many believe the truck never left the area, but was likely hidden and repainted or stripped down for parts.

“Everybody has their theories about what happened but it was definitely organized and planned,” he says, although he keeps his own theory close to his chest. “They understood our timing, when we were there and when we weren’t.”

Horovatin, who is also on the board of directors of the Interior Logging Association, says he’s been around long enough the theft has not ruined him, although it has cost him money to rent replacements for the lost equipment.

“It didn’t force me to make layoffs but it’s going to put the pinch on us for a while,” he says.

While covered by insurance, Horovatin says it will still take until at least June to replace the stolen rig.

“You can’t just buy one of these, you have order it and it takes three months to build. And you never come out ahead with insurance,” he says.

While he still harbours some hope the truck could be recovered, the upcoming logging season means he has to put it behind him.

“I cried for a week when it was first stolen but you’ve got to move on,” he adds.

To contact the reporter for this story, email John McDonald at jmcdonald@infonews.ca or call 250-808-0143. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.