Alberta cracks down on unsafe trucking schools and carriers

Alberta’s government has shut down five driver training schools and taken disciplinary action against dozens more as part of a sweeping effort to improve safety and oversight in the province’s trucking industry.

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.

“Our families’ safety won’t be put at risk by reckless operators who ignore the rules. Anyone cutting corners or operating unsafe trucks will be removed from our roads,” said Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors. “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.”

Thirteen commercial trucking companies have also been removed from Alberta’s roads due to unsafe equipment, poor performance or failure to meet safety standards. Seven of those companies were identified as “chameleon” carriers, which are firms that change names or move operations across jurisdictions to evade enforcement.

The province said it is working with federal, provincial and territorial partners to close loopholes that allow such carriers to operate and to develop a national database to improve data sharing and enforcement.

“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 at CCA Truck Driver Training Ltd. and interim chairman of the Professional Truck Training Alliance of Canada. “This initiative…will not only contribute to safer roadways but also foster greater professionalism and integrity across all sectors of the industry.”

The provincial government said it is also targeting the “Drivers Inc.” scheme, in which companies misclassify drivers as independent contractors to avoid taxes and benefits. A week-long inspection in July 2025 found that 20 per cent of 195 drivers checked were suspected of being misclassified, including several temporary foreign workers.

The enforcement actions come alongside Alberta’s new Class 1 Learning Pathway program, launched April 1, which raises the bar for driver training to 125–133 in-truck hours, well above the national minimum, and introduces stricter oversight for training schools and instructors.