The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) is welcoming a new memorandum of understanding signed by federal, provincial and territorial transportation ministers that aims to harmonize trucking regulations across Canada and reduce barriers to interprovincial trade.

The agreement, announced June 12, commits governments to work toward greater consistency in key areas affecting trucking operations, including mandatory entry-level training (MELT), oversized and overweight permitting, long combination vehicle (LCV) training requirements, and standards for signage, lighting and escort vehicles.

CTA said the measures largely reflect recommendations the industry has advanced in recent years through its efforts to remove interprovincial trade barriers and improve supply chain efficiency.

“The trucking industry has consistently advocated for greater regulatory consistency across Canada,” said Geoff Wood, senior vice president of policy with CTA. “Today’s agreement recognizes that carriers operating across provincial and territorial boundaries will benefit from more aligned and predictable rules.”

The alliance said greater harmonization will reduce administrative burdens on carriers while improving the movement of goods across provincial borders.

The trucking industry moves the majority of Canada’s domestic freight and has long argued that differing provincial regulations create unnecessary costs and inefficiencies for fleets operating nationally.

Among the initiatives welcomed by CTA is the planned creation of a Canadian Trucking Regulations Hub, a centralized source of regulatory information intended to simplify compliance and route planning for carriers.

The association also noted that governments have committed to continue addressing concerns surrounding Driver Inc., the controversial worker misclassification model that CTA says undermines fair competition, erodes labour standards and raises tax compliance and safety concerns.

CTA has been one of the industry’s most vocal critics of Driver Inc., repeatedly calling for stronger enforcement and regulatory action.

While describing the memorandum as an important milestone, the alliance said the focus must now shift to implementation.

“As governments work together to build a more integrated Canadian economy, trucking will remain a critical partner in delivering the goods Canadians rely on every day,” Wood said.