(TORONTO, Feb. 21, 2023) – Transport Minister Omar Alghabra officially announced the Government of Canada’s commitment to provide $46 million to the trucking industry to address the nation’s growing truck driver shortage. 

 Today’s announcement follows a joint statement last January between the Government of Canada and the Canadian Trucking Alliance in recognizing the driver shortage challenge and its impact on the Canadian supply chain.

 CTA and its provincial trucking associations worked collaboratively with Ottawa throughout 2022 to raise awareness for driver training funding, which will help alleviate the sector’s labour shortages and bring added stability to the Canadian supply chain. 

 “CTA and the provincial associations have worked very hard to raise awareness to the federal  government of the need to bring in new employees, including safe and professionally trained drivers who can be deployed in support of our customers and the supply chain,” said CTA Chair Greg Munden.

 The funding announcement comes a week after Transport Minister Alghabra reinforced the government’s support for the transportation sector by committing another $50 million under the National Trade Corridors Fund, for industry-led projects that strengthen Canada’s digital infrastructure. According to the government, the projects will improve the efficiency and reliability of our transportation supply chains; relieve bottlenecks; ensure Canadians have access to all the affordable products and goods that they need; and help develop digital solutions and optimize Canada’s supply chains.

Both the training and the digital infrastructure funding proposals were highlighted in the final report from the National Supply Chain Task Force, which was accepted by Minister Alghabra in the fall of 2022. Many of CTA’s recommendations were contained in the report and CTA and its provincial association partners eagerly anticipated the implementation of these measures, which the Alliance lobbied for. 

“Minister Alghabra has worked with the CTA and the provincial associations throughout the supply chain crisis. He has repeatedly assured our sector that initiatives would be supported and funded to help stabilize our sector and the Canadian supply chain,” said Munden. 

Recent announcements by Alghabra, Labour Minister O’Regan on the crackdown of Driver Inc., and Immigration Minister Fraser on the Express Entry Program all show how the federal government is listening to industry concerns and implementing solutions that will assist the trucking industry and all elements of the supply chain that rely on truck transportation to move their goods across North America with the labour crisis in Canada. 

Those looking for a regional assessment of the trucking labour shortage and how today’s announcement could impact a specific market or region can reach the appropriate contact below: 

• BC: Dave Earl, BCTA, davee@bctrucking.com   
• Alberta: AMTA, Willie Hamel, AMTA, willie.hamel@amta.ca
• Saskatchewan, Susan Ewart, STA sewart@sasktrucking.com
• Manitoba: Aaron Dolyniuk, MTA, adolyniuk@trucking.mb.ca
• Ontario: Marco Beghetto, OTA, marco.beghetto@ontruck.org
• Quebec: Josyanne Pierrat, QTA, jpierrat@carrefour-acq.org
• Atlantic Provinces: Chris McKee, APTA,  cmckee@apta.ca