Statistics Canada is launching a new trucking data collection program that could influence future transportation policy, interprovincial trade initiatives, and supply chain planning across Canada.

The federal agency’s Trucking Statistics Program will collect waybill information from freight trucking businesses to measure commodity movements by Canadian road carriers. The mandatory survey is designed to provide governments with more detailed information about freight flows and trucking activity across the country.

According to Statistics Canada, the information will help position Canada in trade negotiations with the United States, support efforts to remove interprovincial and interterritorial trade barriers, and improve preparation for future supply chain disruptions. The data is also expected to support policy development and transportation investment decisions.

For trucking companies, the program could provide governments with a clearer picture of what commodities are moving, where freight is originating and terminating, and how freight corridors are being used. Similar trucking commodity surveys have historically been used by governments, industry associations, and researchers to assess industry growth, measure trade volumes, and plan highway infrastructure investments.

The survey’s collection period will run from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31, 2026. Statistics Canada issued survey notifications on June 18 and will collect data through telephone interviews and electronic file transfers. The agency has data-sharing agreements with provincial and territorial statistical agencies as well as transportation ministries and departments across Canada. Information shared under those agreements will remain confidential and be used only for statistical purposes, Statistics Canada said.