This House of Commons committee meeting was part of the study on the changing landscape of truck drivers in Canada. Witnesses included Marc Cadieux and Josyanne Pierrat from the Association du camionnage du Québec (ACQ), Maximilien Roy and Cecilia Omole from the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), Kim Richardson from the Professional Truck Training Alliance of Canada (PTTAC), Edward Webb as an individual safety auditor, Gurpreet Chatwal as an individual tax specialist, and Amarjot Singh Sahney as a former owner-operator and driver.
Marc Cadieux of the ACQ described the Driver Inc. scheme as a devastating phenomenon that diverts billions from the economy, endangers road users, and creates unfair competition, with fraudulent companies undercutting legitimate ones by 25% to 30% on costs. He called for lifting the moratorium on mandatory T4A issuance in trucking to improve traceability, imposing new obligations on carriers and intermediaries to reduce tax and social security fraud, and giving authorities more enforcement powers to act faster, noting that cases can take three years to process.
Maximilien Roy and Cecilia Omole of the IBC presented data showing that inadequately trained drivers are more likely to be involved in collisions, with claim counts rising 83% in Ontario and 88% in Alberta from 2015 to 2023. They urged governments to enhance and harmonize entry-level training programs across jurisdictions, create a centralized national database to verify insurance information and identify fraud, and mandate comprehensive employment history documentation for drivers.
Kim Richardson of the PTTAC argued that there is no shortage of commercial drivers, only a shortage of qualified ones, and that the Driver Inc. model encourages drivers to use trucks as cash registers with road safety not a priority. He recommended making commercial truck driver training a recognized Red Seal trade, creating a national instructor accreditation course, and enabling students to access the Canada student financial assistance program.
Edward Webb, a lead safety auditor, identified fatigue and distracted driving as the most common safety deficiencies and noted that training inconsistencies across provinces are a major issue, with drivers seeking the easiest and cheapest licensing path. He called for standardization of training and safety audits across the country, better sharing of inspection and incident information between provinces, and mandatory training for company owners and directors.
Gurpreet Chatwal, a chartered professional accountant, argued that claims of large-scale revenue loss to the Canada Revenue Agency from the Driver Inc. model are methodologically flawed, as the tax system's integration ensures that corporate income is eventually taxed similarly to employment income, with only a timing difference. He stated that the per-driver cost gap between using an incorporated driver versus a payroll employee is only about $2,000 to $3,000, not the $22,100 claimed by the Canadian Trucking Alliance, and that the system is working as intended.
Amarjot Singh Sahney, a former owner-operator, provided a driver's perspective, stating that most newcomer drivers incorporate not to avoid taxes but to gain control, flexibility, and family balance after working under slave-like conditions during the permanent residency process. He argued that the real safety problems are illegal licensing, aging highways, lack of safe rest areas, and racism against immigrant drivers, and recommended strict oversight of driving schools and investment in highway infrastructure.
After the witnesses concluded, the committee debated a motion to add meetings to the study. Following discussion, members agreed to add two meetings: one dedicated to hearing from victims of heavy trucks and groups including Justice for Truck Drivers, and another for representatives from several trucking companies and the towing industry association, with Canada Post also invited and the Liberal party to provide one additional witness.
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