TORONTO, April 7, 2026 /CNW/ - Six months after launching a national outcry against rampant lawlessness in the trucking industry, the Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) is back with a clear message for Ottawa: Promises don't protect our roads – dedicated enforcement does.
The CTA launched the first iteration of Stop Illegal Trucking last fall to demand an end to "Driver Inc." – an illicit scheme where rogue carriers misclassify employees to dodge taxes, exploit workers, and compromise public safety. While the federal government recently acknowledged the crisis in Budget 2025 – committing $77 million to crack down on tax non-compliance and lifting the moratorium on mandatory T4As to compel Driver Inc operators to file taxes properly – it's critical Ottawa continues to follow through on enforcement and send a strong message to rogue trucking companies that law and order is being restored.
"We acknowledge and applaud the Government of Canada for taking a major first step by admitting the 'Driver Inc.' model is a threat to our economy and our safety and have committed to taking real action," said Stephen Laskowski, President and CEO of the CTA. "But the scale of this lawlessness is massive, and concerned citizens need to ensure Ottawa matches the level of enforcement required to remove the lawbreakers off our highways while also lending support and resources to provinces to do the same.
"There is a contingent of the trucking industry that opposes much-needed oversight and wants to maintain the status quo. That position is clearly at odds with a growing number of concerned Canadians who demand Ottawa act in restoring law and order to our industry. We must ensure their voices are heard by all MPs and the government expands on its commitments made in Budget 2025."
The campaign urges Canadians to send emails to MPs, reminding them to increase enforcement on Driver Inc carriers engaged in tax evasion, labour and immigration abuse and which pose a threat to border security and the international supply chain through links to organized crime. CTA is also asking the public to demand more support for provinces to address deteriorating truck safety on our roads, while increasing national oversight and data sharing among jurisdictions.
The initiative also provides information and resources to drivers who are compelled to misclassify and forego thousands of dollars in benefits and entitlements.
The Price of Lawlessness:
- A Fiscal Crisis: Driver Inc. schemes cost the Canadian government over $5 billion annually in lost tax and benefit contributions – funding that should be supporting healthcare and infrastructure.
- Proliferation of Ghost Fleets: Because a vast majority fleets have never been audited by provincial authorities and the federal government has yet to implement a national enforcement program, thousands of uninspected rigs share the road with Canadian families every day with zero oversight.
- Human Tragedy: Forced labour and Labour Market Impact Assessment fraud are "open secrets," with vulnerable newcomers being extorted for residency and paid as little as one-third of a fair wage.
- Organized Crime: Driver Inc. has become a front for cross-border smuggling of drugs and guns, threatening Canada's trade efficiency and upcoming CUSMA negotiations.
The CTA is calling on all Canadians to maintain the pressure. We must ensure the federal government follows through on its Budget 2025 commitments with immediate, aggressive enforcement and that voices opposing such needed changes are drowned out.
Supporters can take action at stopillegaltrucking.ca.
SOURCE Canadian Trucking Alliance
Media Contact: Marco Beghetto, VP, Communications, Canadian Trucking Alliance, [email protected], 416-249-7401 ext 238
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