The reporting describes how recent audits, roadside inspections and police investigations have uncovered shortcomings in truck maintenance and licensing, alongside concerns about training, enforcement and labour practices.
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Canada’s trucking industry is facing growing scrutiny over safety, compliance and driver training, with the reporting citing findings from recent government audits, roadside inspections and police investigations.
The reporting says the concerns include significant shortcomings in how trucks are maintained and how drivers are licensed.
Industry representatives cited in the reporting point to limited commercial truck-driver training and regulatory non-compliance by some operators, with concerns raised about worker exploitation and public safety.
Ken Adams, chair of the Truck Training Schools Association of Ontario, is quoted as telling a House of Commons standing committee last October that carriers have been able to buy or influence schools to fast-track drivers through bare-bones programs and undermine provincial licensing standards.
A review described in the reporting says the sector is increasingly divided between companies that invest in properly trained drivers and safe equipment and companies that cut corners to gain a competitive edge.
Jonathan Blackham, director of policy and public affairs with the Canadian Trucking Alliance, is quoted describing two “industries,” including one that makes investments in people and equipment and another segment with little regard for labour practices, tax compliance, safety and training.
The reporting says the consequences for some truckers include loss of training and support, employment misclassification, unpaid time and pressure to accept unsafe conditions.
For the public, Blackham is quoted saying the industry cannot treat it like “just throw the keys at somebody” work in severe weather.
The reporting traces the sector’s transformation to deregulation reforms in the 1980s, describing how the United States reduced trucking regulations in the 1980s and how Canada followed with similar reforms in 1987 that eased restrictions on operating trucking companies and transporting freight.
The reporting says Teamsters Canada’s Christopher Monette linked those reforms to cutthroat competition, an oversupply and downward pressure on freight rates, contributing to slower elimination of older carriers that he says invested more in training, safety and maintenance.
The reporting includes first-hand experience from Bryon Slade, who entered trucking in 1976 and retired in 2020, describing that changes after deregulation reduced training and maintenance standards and that road safety deteriorated.
On labour and recruitment, the reporting says stagnant wages, demanding working conditions and long stretches away from home have made trucking less attractive to younger workers, and some employers are described as turning to temporary foreign workers.
The reporting says approvals through the federal temporary foreign worker program for truck-driver positions rose more than five-fold between 2018 and 2024, from 1,584 to 8,101, before dropping in 2025.
Labour advocates are described as alleging some trucking companies favour temporary foreign workers and recent immigrants, and Monette is quoted saying this includes vulnerability to misclassification as independent contractors.
The reporting describes the “Driver Inc.” model as a way some trucking companies reduce labour costs by treating drivers as independent contractors, avoiding employer payroll contributions and benefits required for employees.
It says while hiring legitimate independent contractors is legal, misclassifying employees as contractors to avoid employment obligations goes against federal labour law.
On training enforcement, the reporting cites a May report by Ontario’s auditor general, stating that undercover students were sent to six truck-driver training schools and that two schools delivered 59.5 and 81 hours of instruction compared with a required minimum of 103.5 hours.
The reporting says the auditor general’s office found that some essential driving manoeuvres were not taught, including left turns at major intersections, reverse parking and emergency stopping.
The reporting links the training review to an Ontario Provincial Police investigation, saying that in January, 24 criminal charges were laid against eight people over alleged fraudulent commercial driving exams in Kingston, Ont., and the Toronto area.
Kim Richardson of the Professional Truck Training Alliance of Canada is quoted describing the issue as compliance, regulation and enforcement, and is quoted warning that penalties that are too small can allow repeat violations.
For potential fixes, the reporting says experts call for improving driver training, strengthening enforcement and recognizing truck driving as a skilled profession.
It says Ontario announced plans in September to introduce a standardized curriculum for entry-level truck drivers, with additional instruction under consideration on fatigue management and driving in northern and remote areas.
The reporting also says Quebec introduced mandatory training for new truck drivers in December 2025, Alberta adopted an apprenticeship-style licensing system requiring additional training before drivers can operate outside the province, and Nova Scotia committed to mandatory entry-level training.
Manitoba is described as having strengthened enforcement measures targeting unsafe carriers and companies attempting to evade regulatory oversight.
Industry representatives in the reporting say enforcement as written is key, with Monette quoted saying there is no need to invent new laws and that enforcing the existing law would have an impact.
Blackham is also quoted saying carriers that follow rules should not be placed at a disadvantage, and Richardson is quoted saying rebuilding public confidence requires recognizing commercial truck driving as a skilled trade and aligning training and qualifications with the responsibility of operating large vehicles.
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