Transport Canada delivered on the Canadian Trucking Alliance’s (CTA) urging for federal leadership on resolving productivity and competitiveness issues within the trucking industry.
This week, Transport Canada held a meeting of trucking industry leaders as well as every deputy minister of transportation from the provinces and territories to discuss the issues most concerning to fleet operators.
“This was a historic meeting of the industry and the deputy transport ministers from across Canada,” said CTA Chair Greg Arndt. “CTA and participating members sent a clear message to the deputies across Canada that Driver Inc. is destroying the productivity and competitive landscape of our sector, and their departments play a major role to help significantly address the crisis.”
The CTA delegation raised multiple issues contained in its recent trade barrier report, but the focus was on how truck safety, and the abuse and neglect of safety regulations by fleets are at the root of the problems facing the industry. These are policy and enforcement areas in which the deputies have complete control over. By addressing and prioritizing them, governments can have an immediate impact on restoring order to the industry.
“We were able to provide the deputies with precision solutions they can implement regarding driver licensing, licence plates, special permits and NSC safety certificates, which would have an immediate, real impact to curb the rampant spread and addiction to Driver Inc.,” said Geoff Wood, CTA’s Sr. VP, Policy.