The Canadian province of Quebec is launching a public inquiry into fatal crashes involving commercial motor vehicles.
On Friday, Oct. 10, the province’s Chief Coroner, Reno Bernier, announced a public inquiry had been ordered to investigate a string of recent deaths stemming from crashes with heavy trucks.
“Following the examination of several fatal collisions involving heavy trucks in recent months, we believe it is necessary to launch this public inquiry to shed light on the existing issues and better protect human life,” Bernier said in a statement.
According to data from Quebec’s auto insurance board, 100 of the 379 deaths that occurred on Quebec roads in 2024 were the result of crashes involving a heavy vehicle, including trucks, tractor units and school buses. That total marks an increase of 35% when compared to the previous year.
Bernier said the inquiry – which was ordered by Public Security Minister Ian Lafrenière – will focus specifically on the deaths of Tanya and Elliot Lalonde, who died in a crash on Highway 30, near Boucherville, Que., on Aug. 27. The mother and son were killed when their car was struck by a commercial motor vehicle after investigators said the driver failed to brake in time after traffic began slowing down.
“In addition to these two deaths, which are representative of concerns associated with heavy trucks, the coroner may, if deemed necessary, take into account the circumstances surrounding other deaths that have occurred in recent months in order to provide a comprehensive overview of the situation when making recommendations,” Bernier said.
Officials said that David Kimpton, the coroner presiding over the inquiry, will use the information obtained to make recommendations in an effort to prevent further fatal crashes.
Many in the Canadian transportation industry believe the Driver Inc. model – an illegal worker misclassification scam – is leading to unsafe drivers of commercial motor vehicles.
According to the Canadian Trucking Alliance, Driver Inc., is a tax and employee misclassification scam in which a trucking company has its employees register as a corporation. Rather than giving their employees a paycheck, the company will pay the employees’ new corporation.
Because the company is paying another corporation, they are not producing a normal paycheck, meaning the payments are free from tax deductions. Because of this, the company also doesn’t pay into social programs or workers’ compensation funds – significantly affecting the protections and government programs typically reserved for employees and not incorporated entities.
OOIDA board member Johanne Couture said the Driver Inc. scheme is often used as part of a bait-and-switch for foreign drivers coming into Canada. Couture said that these individuals typically enter the country on a student visa – being sold the “Canadian dream” of earning a degree and opening doors to a better life.
However, upon arrival they are told that is no longer the case, and the individuals are sent to driving schools to obtain a Class-A CDL. Couture said these schools are operated like CDL mills, where they are “just teaching them to pass the test” rather than equipping them with the knowledge to safely operate a commercial motor vehicle.
“It’s affecting our safety on our roads,” Couture told Trucking With OOIDA. “They’re being coerced – some of them – to the point that its labor trafficking.”
Couture said the Driver Inc. model has “snowballed” over the past few years, with the Canadian government coming under fire for a slow response. In October 2022, CTA said the federal government had “fallen short” when it comes to addressing the labor scheme.
In November 2022, the federal government provided Employment and Social Development Canada with $26.3 million over five years to “take stronger action against noncompliant employers through orders, fines and prosecutions to enforce the Canada Labour Code.”
This past March, ESDC launched a campaign aimed at addressing the issues of worker misclassification through the use of a mobile enforcement unit.
Quebec isn’t the only Canadian province cracking down on commercial motor vehicles in the name of safety.
Earlier this month, the government of Alberta announced enforcement action against a number of truck driver training schools, as well as multiple trucking companies operating in the province.
Those actions included ordering the closure of five driver training schools and the removal of 13 trucking companies from Alberta’s roadways for “poor on-road performance, unsafe equipment or failure to meet mandatory safety standards.”
The Canadian Trucking Alliance has also been sounding the alarm when it comes to the need for improved safety standards across Canada.
In early September, as part of the group’s 2025 pre-budget submission to the Canadian federal government, CTA emphasized to officials the “need for stronger oversight, improved safety standards, and measures to protect compliant carriers from unfair competition.”
Included in the group’s recommendations was the need for a “national framework to ensure consistent safety oversight of all trucking companies operating in Canada.”
“These measures are essential to level the playing field and hold all carriers to the same safety and compliance standards,” Stephen Laskowski, CTA President, said in a statement. “We need a system that is transparent, fair, and effective across all jurisdictions.” LL
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