TORONTO — A group of Indo-Canadian truckers have established what is being called the first North American Indian trucking industry-lobbying association.

According to the India Times, the newly-created Indian Trucking Association could be the first ‘desi’ trucking association outside India.

ITA President Nachhattar Singh Chohan said the group would support not just Indian-origin truckers in Canada, but also Pakistani and Caribbean truckers.

“Trucking is Canada’s fourth largest industry, and we have decided to flex our muscle,” he told the paper.

Leaders from all three Canadian parties including, Ontario Transport Minister Jim Bradley, attended the group’s formal launch event last month.

Singh Chohan said the ITA’s mandate is to address long-pending grievances between the Indian trucker community, the industry and the government.

The leader also told the newspaper that minister Bradley has promised to staff highway inspection areas with more Punjabi-speaking officers.

Chohan also wants enforcement officers to stop penalizing owner-operators for overweight loads that belong to the shipper.

Most other truckers, not just Indo-Canadians would like to see him take up that battle.

— from the India Times