A strike estimated to cost B.C.'s economy between $30 million and $75 million per day is back to square one.

The 40 truck companies involved in a dispute with container truck drivers at the port of Vancouver have unanimously rejected a mediator's proposal.

What next step are they seeking?

"The trucking companies are hoping the (federal) government will seriously consider some type of 90-day cooling off period," Richard Longpre, the companies' spokesman, told reporters.

The 1,000 drivers, represented by the Vancouver Container Truck Association, voted 90 per cent in favour of a two-year deal on Sunday.

Paul Uppal, president of the Container Truckers' Association, told reporters after his organization's vote: "If the owners don't go along with Vince Ready's recommendations that we voted yes on, we will not return to work."

Had both sides accepted, the port would have been back to normal operations by Tuesday. The strike began on June 27.

Mediator Vince Ready crafted the proposed deal, which would see hauling rates at the port increase and would shield operators from future rising fuel costs.

Other issues, like waiting times at the port -- which can stretch to hours, and cuts into truckers' incomes -- were to have been addressed in the next few months by the federal and provincial governments.

The truckers, who handle 40 per cent of container goods arriving at Vancouver's ports, held their vote at a Surrey motel.

CTV News Vancouver's David Kincaid said the deal-breaker were cost escalators in year two of the proposal.

"The proposal that Ready came up with would have seen shipping costs rise between 80 to 85 per cent -- those are the companies' numbers," he said.

"They said they contacted their customers to run that number by them, and the customers said that was simply too much to pay, and the deal was rejected."

With a report from CTV News Vancouver's David Kincaid