The Alberta government on Friday announced sweeping changes aimed at cracking down on what it said are unsafe commercial driver training schools and bad actors in the trucking industry.
The province said the ramped-up enforcement includes more oversight of driver training schools and carriers through inspections, audits and targeted investigations.
The transportation minister said the province is going after reckless operators who ignore the rules.
“Anyone cutting corners or operating unsafe trucks will be removed from our roads,” Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen said in a statement.
“Alberta truckers have earned a reputation as some of the most trusted drivers in the country, and we will not allow a few bad actors to undermine that trust.”
So far, the province said it has ordered the closure of five driver training schools.
In addition, the province said it has issued 39 disciplinary letters, more than $100,000 in administrative penalties, six corrective action plans, revoked 12 instructor licences and sent four warning letters to driver examiners.
The province said it’s also targeting a misclassified driver scheme known as “Drivers Inc.,” where companies hire drivers as independent contractors to avoid payroll taxes and benefits. The drivers often lack proper training and oversight and are vulnerable to exploitation.
Back in July, a week-long commercial driver status and classification check stop was conducted, in which 195 drivers were stopped. Of those, 20 per cent of the drivers were suspected of being misclassified, including several temporary foreign workers.
Get daily National news
Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.
Thirteen commercial trucking companies have also been removed from Alberta’s roads due to “poor on-road performance, unsafe equipment or failure to meet mandatory safety standards.”
Of those, the province said seven were identified as “chameleon” carriers — companies that try to avoid regulatory oversight by changing names, creating new entities or relocating operations across jurisdictions.
The Alberta government said it’s working with federal and provincial/territorial partners to strengthen enforcement Canada-wide to address “chameleon” carriers.
“Work is also underway by the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators to develop a national database to address the loophole that carriers currently use to exploit gaps in interprovincial data sharing and enforcement,” the province said.
The council said it would eventually like to see commercial trucking treated like other trades.
“Elevating driver training standards to align with the established benchmarks of a designated trade with the ultimate goal of achieving Red Seal designation for the transportation industry represents a significant and positive step forward,” said Don MacDonald, operations manager for CCA Truck Driver Training Ltd. and interim chairman of the Professional Truck Training Alliance of Canada.
He said the initiative will contribute to safer roadways and increase professionalism and integrity across all sectors of the industry.
Friday’s announcement comes six months after the province introduced new training requirements.
On April 1, the province launched the Class 1 Learning Pathway that requires 125 to 133 in-truck training hours, which the province said is well above the national mandatory entry-level training minimum. The program has stricter licensing requirements for driver training schools, mandatory safety equipment standards and greater monitoring of instructors.
By late 2025, the Alberta government said driver experience records will follow the driver, not the company, improving transparency for hiring and insurance.
The province said commercial driver training schools, instructors and examiners found to be breaking safety regulations are issued remedial actions, such as directives to correct non-compliance, re-education, administrative penalties and disciplinary actions, including suspensions or cancellation of their licence.
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
