B.C. roadside crackdown on Driver Inc. begins May 13 in Kamloops
A Driver Inc. crackdown in British Columbia will begin in Kamloops on May 13.
Provincial and federal agencies, including Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement, Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, WorkSafeBC, and Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), will begin a coordinated roadside campaign, according to a B.C. Trucking Association (BCTA) news release.
The focus will be on vehicle compliance and identifying labor violations in the commercial transport sector.
The Driver Inc. model treats drivers as incorporated contractors instead of employees, even though they often work full-time for a single carrier, operate company-owned trucks, and follow company schedules. It allows carriers to avoid paying income tax withholdings, Employment Insurance, Canada Pension Plan contributions, workers’ compensation premiums, and other legal obligations.
This initiative builds on recent actions in Ontario, where federal and provincial agencies have worked together to audit non-compliant carriers and inform drivers of their rights.
The BCTA said that this sends a clear message in B.C. that companies operating outside the law are now under scrutiny. Authorities are increasing their presence, and enforcement teams are sharing information across jurisdictions.
“With support from the Canadian Trucking Alliance, these efforts target companies that avoid taxes, deny workers their rights, and place unfair pressure on businesses that follow the rules,” BCTA said in the release. To streamline enforcement, the Canada Revenue Agency and ESDC have signed a new information-sharing agreement and established a federal misclassification team that is already active during roadside inspections.
Additional enforcement dates and locations will follow, BCTA said.
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Those that avoid or ignore the law; will continue to do so –
by changing driver routes (circumventing the named locations), or not dispatching them at all…
I applaud BCTA & CTA (& other organizations) on their continued attempts to shut down “Driver Inc” models.
While I am absolutely in favour of significant enforcement of the law re Driver Inc, I have some reservations about the ” show me your papers” aspect of this technique. Office visits and audits at suspect carriers would be more effective as they get in the face of the (law breaking) decision makers. These criminal companies do not want the CRA, etc., sniffing in their stuff.
I attended the AMTA AGM in the spring of 2017 when this call to action for Driver Inc was spoken about. 8 years later real enforcement is starting. It’s slow but it’s progress no less. The highways and the movement of the goods that support our economy must be done by professional companies with professional people.
This is a major step in the correct direction to level the playing field!
Great work, BCTA!
It’s about time I hope our new government will put a stop to this Driver Inc BS. So legit trucking company can be on the same Playing Feild We all have to pay our taxes to cover what Driver Inc companies are not paying No wonder they can work for less if they don’t pay taxes
This is a long overdue action. I hope it gets some results. Thanks to the BCTA for being taking the lead on this!!
Unfortunately if you want to hire a driver in Ontario Driver Inc is the only way they will hire on. They want to be paid hourly plus HST which they keep in their pocket even though they have a HST number The government in Ont will charge the trucking outfit for the taxes if caught hiring Driver Inc. I am out of that game now. I started my trucking career in 71 and retired in 2022 Worked for the same company for 35 years as an Owner Operator. Gave them good service. In the end not even a hand shake. No Respect.
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That’s not the way they get hired , that’s the way to rip off the government and drivers…..
If I am an independent contractor, doesn’t that mean that I am now responsible for paying all the required burdens? Why is the government not going after the individual at the time of tax filing? Or is there more to the story I am not seeing? I should be able to “sell” my services to whom ever i choose, whether or not i own a truck. That just means i have to pay my own CPP, EI, WCB premiums and income tax.
If the BCTA CTA CRA or any other organization wants to make a measurable difference in the trucking industry in regards to driver Inc. They should operate during the hours the trucks run. It’s no secret freight moves at night when scales are closed. It would make sense that anyone operating beyond the rules would use the cover of darkness and limit exposure.
a lot of these drivers want it that way dont have to pay the proper taxes and all the other deductions
So does this mean our employees have to carry their pay stubs with them to prove they are legitimately on the books ?