The Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) said it supports calls from the Manitoba government and the Manitoba Trucking Association to create a national commercial trucking database to improve safety oversight and help prevent unsafe operators from moving between jurisdictions.

In response to a recent fatal collision in Brandon, Man., that involved a previously de-certified transport company, Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor called on the federal government to establish a national database tracking safety certifications and violations involving trucking companies, vehicles and drivers.

Earlier this week, federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon indicated Ottawa is prepared to support the creation of a national certification database for trucking companies.

IBC said in a news release that a national carrier registry with stronger interprovincial data sharing would help regulators identify unsafe operators and stop them from resurfacing elsewhere. Insurers could also use this data to verify claims and infraction histories when assessing commercial insurance risk.

“IBC has long advocated that a national database of claims history and regulatory certifications for commercial truckers would help improve road safety, combat fraud and support better informed insurance coverage and pricing across Canada’s trucking sector,” said Aaron Sutherland, vice president, Pacific and Western, IBC. “We commend Manitoba for leading this call for national coordination to address truck driver qualification and enforcement gaps that pose significant road safety issues across the country. We also commend the federal government for its receptivity to a database.”

In its policy paper, Improving the Risk Profile of Commercial Trucking in Canada, IBC also calls for a national database of trucking insurance and claims information, as well as stronger, more consistent driver training requirements across Canada.

IBC said the tragedy in Manitoba is “just the latest in a long list of safety issues with commercial trucking across the country,” citing repeated overpass strikes in British Columbia, high commercial vehicle inspection failure rates in Alberta, and recent enforcement actions and audit findings in Ontario.

“While progress is being made, more remains to be done to improve the safety of Canada’s roadways for everyone,” said Liam McGuinty, IBC’s vice president of federal affairs. “A safe, robust and strong commercial trucking sector is critical to the Canadian economy.”