Enforcement activity targeting non-compliance in trucking is intensifying, with federal and provincial agencies stepping up inspections and penalties, the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) says.

Updates from Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) to the OTA board point to a more aggressive enforcement posture, including a sharp rise in penalties and coordinated inspections across jurisdictions.

ESDC data shows a national non-compliance rate of about 47%, rising to 63% in Ontario. Officials also reported a 300% year-over-year increase in Administrative Monetary Penalties, with new tools allowing for daily fines on ongoing violations.

On the provincial side, WSIB said more than $12 million in unpaid premiums has already been assessed against Ontario-based trucking companies, with some individual cases nearing $1.5 million.

“We are thankful for the enforcement efforts we are seeing,” said Jonathan Blackham, OTA’s director of policy and public affairs. “There has been a lot of positive momentum on the enforcement side, and we want to see governments at all levels keep this up.”

Authorities are also increasing coordination, with joint inspections taking place at weigh stations across multiple provinces and at the Port of Montreal.

The crackdown comes amid growing scrutiny of driver misclassification practices, with a House of Commons committee studying Driver Inc. and labor ministers directing officials to form a national working group to address the issue.