The committee studied the changing landscape of truck drivers in Canada, focusing on the Driver Inc. misclassification scheme. Appearing were Robert Harper from the Alberta Motor Transport Association, Linda McAusland from the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators, Dave Earle from the British Columbia Trucking Association, and Mark Bylsma and Geoffrey Wood from the Ontario Trucking Association.
Robert Harper said Driver Inc. has flourished due to lax oversight, allowing unethical operators to underprice competitors by 25% to 35% through tax fraud, worker exploitation, and safety shortcuts. He supported federal measures like T4A requirements and more CRA resources, but urged sustained, coordinated enforcement across provinces, a national database to track chameleon carriers, and reform of the greenhouse gas emissions model (GEM) to reflect operational realities. He also highlighted GST fraud in the scheme and abuse of the temporary foreign worker program, which he likened to modern slavery.
Linda McAusland explained that the CCMTA administers the National Safety Code (NSC) but has no regulatory authority, as provinces implement standards voluntarily. She noted ongoing work to update NSC standards 7, 14, and 15, and to enhance a carrier data exchange system to share information across jurisdictions in real time. She said a new working group is addressing Driver Inc. within the CCMTA’s mandate, and that provinces are generally onside with improving data sharing, though obstacles include inconsistent data collection and IT systems.
Dave Earle said Driver Inc. has created a culture of wilful non-compliance that puts all Canadians at risk, and that successive governments have been wilfully blind to the crisis. He called for a truly national safety code, consistent enforcement across the country, and transparent beneficial ownership of trucking companies. He noted that British Columbia tracks assets through its NSC certification process, which helps identify chameleon carriers, but that more coordination is needed to prevent companies from simply moving operations to another province.
Mark Bylsma and Geoffrey Wood said the T4A moratorium lift and ESDC compliance blitzes are positive steps, but much more is needed. Wood recommended 24-7 truck inspection stations, regular audits of all fleets (with carriers paying for them), a graduated licensing system, and labour compliance checks in government procurement contracts. He also flagged forced labour, criminal activity, and the need for a “known employer” program for immigration programs, as well as limits on facility insurance that enables high-risk operations. Bylsma emphasized that the issue is about safety, economics, and the rule of law, and that harmonization and funding for enforcement are critical.
The committee also heard about the economic impact of Driver Inc., with Wood estimating it distorts supply chain costs by about $300 million annually in Canada. On organized crime, Wood said signs of infiltration are clear and that sustained enforcement is needed. Harper noted that the scheme has become a pathway for organized crime and questioned whether Canada has adequate racketeering laws. Earle stressed that more regulation is not the answer; effective enforcement is, and that without it, behaviour does not change.
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