Quebec’s trucking industry is applauding the provincial government’s move to tighten regulations governing Ontario truck drivers, with the goal of addressing unsafe driving.
Ontario truck drivers with less than two years of experience who plan to move to Quebec will now have to pass a driving exam conducted by Quebec’s auto insurance board to transfer their heavy vehicle license.
“Road safety is paramount, and that’s why we’re implementing these two new measures,” Quebec Transport Minister Benoit Charette said in the press release. “Our new government is taking action, and we want to ensure that those driving on our roads are qualified.”
The measures are the latest in a series of trucking safety initiatives introduced by Quebec following several fatal crashes involving heavy trucks. They also comes as governments and industry groups across Canada increase scrutiny of commercial driver training, licensing standards and unsafe operators.
The increased focus on trucking safety extends beyond Canada. In the United States, federal authorities have also moved to tighten oversight of the industry after fatal crashes there, including new enforcement measures targeting drivers operating without the required qualifications.
Quebec trucking association CEO Marc Cadieux described his province’s measures as an answer to the industry’s concerns about “the danger posed” by some heavy vehicle drivers coming from Ontario.
“The safety requirements of our industry must remain an absolute priority, without exception or compromise,” Cadieux said in a statement. “While drivers from Ontario who use our roads are not affected by these measures, those wishing to settle in Quebec will have to prove their competence, and if they don’t have it, get up to speed before getting behind the wheel.”
Teamsters Canada, the union that represents tens of thousands of heavy vehicle drivers, also expressed approval of the measures introduced by Quebec’s Transport Ministry.
Measures Address Auditor General Report
Quebec’s new measures are a response to a report released on May 12 by the Auditor General of Ontario concerning commercial driver’s licences, the SAAQ said. The report underscored the importance of improving the supervision of training and licensing programs to guarantee that drivers are sufficiently qualified for operating on the roads.The Ontario government indicated earlier this year that it was reviewing all career colleges in the province that provide training for commercial truck drivers in response to the auditor general’s report.
Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria told reporters on May 13 that the province maintains a zero tolerance policy toward non-compliance with training standards.
Sarkaria has not commented on Quebec’s measures, but a ministry spokesperson issued a media statement defending Ontario’s system.
“Ontario’s testing and training system is rigorous and ensures drivers have the skills, experience, and knowledge needed to keep our roads safe,” the spokesperson said. “Our government has zero tolerance for bad actors in the trucking industry who put public safety at risk, and we are continuing to take action to protect Ontario’s roads, strengthen the trucking sector, and hold unsafe and non-compliant operators accountable.”
Quebec auto insurance board spokesperson Simon-Pierre Poulin said the new measure will only be in place until Ontario addresses the concerns raised by its auditor general.
“Ideally, we won’t keep this measure active for a long time, because Ontario will do its homework,” he told The Canadian Press, adding that he is confident that the Ontario government is taking the issue seriously.
Poulin said between 300 and 400 drivers transfer their trucking permit from Ontario to Quebec each year. It’s not known how many have less than two years of experience, however.
The Quebec government has also announced the formation of a committee tasked with exploring methods to improve road safety regulations for temporary foreign workers within the province’s trucking sector.
“This approach aims to increase the number of workers who develop safe driving practices and to propose regulatory changes to better address road safety issues,” the SAAQ said, noting that the committee is made up of ministry representatives and trucking industry stakeholders.
The provincial government took further steps to bolster trucking safety after two fatal collisions in Quebec that involved heavy trucks last summer. These steps included initiating a public coroner’s inquiry, equipping highway patrol officers with firearms, and enforcing a zero alcohol tolerance for novice drivers of heavy vehicles.
