What was supposed to be a year of a return to normalcy, 2025 was anything but that. The year began with the inauguration of Donald Trump as U.S. president for a second time, this time with control of the House and Senate and a stronger protectionist agenda.
The year was dominated by uncertainty. Uncertainty over U.S. tariffs against Canadian goods, uncertainty about a shaky economy with surging cost of living, and uncertainty about environmental regulations that were delayed, rewritten or scrapped.
But if uncertainty was the theme of early 2025, later in the year compliance dominated the headlines in both Canada and the U.S. And it was those stories on regulatory compliance that dominated our list of the most widely read stories on trucknews.com.
Here’s a recap of the Top 10 stories of the year, based on readership.
10: Nearly a third of Ontario carriers lay off workers as U.S. tariffs loom
Coming in as our tenth best-read story of 2025, this Feb. 20 article reflected growing concern among the Canadian trucking industry about U.S.-imposed tariffs on imports. An Ontario Trucking Association survey found that nearly one-third of carriers had already laid off workers, with more saying they may be forced to do so as the effects of the tariffs were felt. Tariffs would prove to be a topic of concern throughout the year, with multiple changes to which goods were affected and by how much.
9: Caledon, Ont., secures several convictions against illegal trucking operations
On the compliance front, several Ontario municipalities ramped up enforcement against trucking companies that were illegally operating on improperly zoned properties. Caledon had success in convicting several such property owners, which evidently got a lot of attention among readers.
8: Ontario pushes reset button on MELT for new truck drivers
Mandatory entry-level training (MELT) was supposed to provide Ontario with better trained professional drivers. But that hasn’t always been the case, with unscrupulous schools continuing to operate with blatant disregard to the rules and offering bargain basement pricing on training. The province of Ontario announced it would refine MELT, including requiring detailed lesson plans from schools, a requirement that has been delayed again and again and still has yet to be implemented.
7: Accusations emerge about conduct of Panjaab Transport, currently in receivership
It was a year of receiverships and bankruptcies, some involving decent businesses who could not weather three years of recessionary conditions, and others, not so good companies that won’t be missed. I pulled back the curtains on Panjaab Transport after receiving many reports from drivers past and present that painted a picture of unsafe trucks, pressure to violate the law, and non-payment for services.
6: Investigation: Is unsafe Ontario equipment being allowed to operate with unethically obtained safety inspection decals?
I had the good fortune of connecting with a source who provided me with details on a scheme involving the sale of FMCSA annual inspection decals to Ontario companies who attached them to unsafe, uninspected trucks and trailers. The story got a lot of attention, but was anything done about it? I’m told the operation continues. I can’t remember who I heard this from, but it’s been said that “rules without enforcement are just suggestions.”
5: Halton Hills, Ont., struggling to uproot illegal truck yards sprouting on farmland
As in Caledon, Halton Hills ramped up enforcement against illegal truck yards that the municipality said were causing environmental concerns. Prime farmland being repurposed as truck yards without permission. Long and costly court proceedings. And penalties insufficient to deter more from sprouting up. Leo Barros had the report.
4: Canada Cartage takes over Walmart Canada’s fleet business
The fourth best-read story of 2025 came early in the year when Walmart Canada announced it would outsource its fleet to Canada Cartage. I’m sure there was much concern among fleets who hauled for Walmart Canada and also Walmart drivers, who are reputed to be among the best cared for in the business.
3: U.S. visa suspensions a warning Canadian trucking must heed: CTA
More uncertainty and concern within the Canadian trucking industry surfaced when the United States announced a crackdown on certain visas, including those for truck drivers. Canadian drivers weren’t affected by the crackdown, but it served as a stark warning that foreign drivers were under extra scrutiny in the United States and must work to restore U.S. confidence in the safety and compliance of Canadian operators.
2: Alberta shuts down five unsafe truck driver training schools, 13 carriers
Still on the compliance front, Alberta was heralded for taking a tough stance against noncompliance and investigating carriers and training schools suspected of fraudulent and unsafe activities. The province would go on to lead by later implementing new reporting requirements so drivers’ violations follow them from employer to employer.
1: MTO suspends truckers’ licenses after uncovering dishonest testing, training
And the best-read story of the year was also on compliance. Our Leo Barros got word that the Ministry of Transportation had issued letters to A/Z license-holders in the province who were suspected of obtaining their licenses dishonestly. Affected drivers had been on the road, sometimes for years, despite not obtaining their commercial licenses honestly or appropriately.
Special Mention: Driver Inc.
While no single article on driver misclassification was among the Top 10 best-read, it was unquestionably the Canadian Trucking Story of the Year. Add up all the stories we ran on the subject and it wouldn’t even be close. As the Driver Inc. scheme spread well beyond Ontario’s borders, the industry outcry against it also spread. And a newly elected Liberal government promised to address the misclassification of truck drivers in its federal budget, and followed through on that promise. In early December, the federal government lifted the long-standing moratorium on T4A-related penalties. And for the first time in years, it became evident that real enforcement of the issue would be conducted.
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