The Trans-Canada Highway in southwestern Saskatchewan certainly experienced an uptick in traffic late today.

Hundreds of semis and vehicles lined the highway's eastbound lanes in the late afternoon and early evening hours as part of the Freedom Convoy 2022.

Two separate convoys travelled through Swift Current, a smaller one around 5 p.m. and a much larger one closer to 6 p.m., as they continued on their trek to the nation's capital to protest new regulations that require everyone voyaging into the United States to be vaccinated.

One Swift Current truck driver taking part in the convoy is Chris Barber, who said the new rules could have massive impacts on supply chains.

"I have a lot of friends who are actually losing their jobs over this, enough is enough," said Barber.

The new cross-border mandate was implemented on January 15 but not before the Canada Border Services Agency created some confusion by originally stating truckers would remain exempt. However, the federal government walked back that announcement the following day.

Barber said the effects of that decision are potentially already appearing in stores.

"My mother was in Walmart in Swift Current just a couple of days ago," he said. "She said the meat aisle was completely empty, there was some fresh produce but not very much, and the milk aisle was okay but the store shelves are draining slowly just because of this.

"I would urge everybody right now to go out and get stocked up on groceries for a little while."

The GoFundMe set up by the convoy has brought in over $3.7 million by Monday with the money raised going towards covering fuel costs and the remaining headed towards charity.

"The fuel costs to get across to Ottawa for all these independent drivers and the vehicles that are coming with us is going to be absolutely astonishing, " he said. "After this whole thing is done, the GoFundMe page is doing extremely well... Once we're done in Ottawa any money that is leftover from that GoFundMe page goes to the veteran's society across Canada."

The convoy is expected to descend upon Ottawa on Sunday.