WSIB sanctions more Driver Inc. fleets

by Truck News

WSIBTORONTO, Ont. – The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board has sanctioned dozens more Ontario-based fleets for using Driver Inc. to avoid paying premiums, the Ontario Trucking Association said Friday.

Driver Inc. is a controversial business model that classifies fleet employees as independent contractors. The drivers are incorporated and receive their pay without any source deductions.

In September, the WSIB conducted risk-based audits of two trucking companies, each of which has had corrective debit adjustments of over $200,000.

“The WSIB uses data-driven approaches to identify Driver Inc. companies and other non-compliance in our sector. We expect these efforts will keep WSIB enforcement personnel busy for some time to come,” said Jonathan Blackham, director of policy and public affairs at the association.

“Compliant carriers would like to thank the WSIB for being the only agency to date, provincially or federally, to put such a focused effort on ensuring compliance and protecting workers in our sector.”

To assist in the detection of noncompliance, the WSIB has a hotline available for drivers to report companies forcing them into the Driver Inc. scheme, the association said. The number is: 1-888-745-3237

“We believe the WSIB is doing everything in their power to address Driver Inc.,” said OTA chairman David Carruth.

“Now that the election is over, we need the CRA, the ESDC and the federal government to do their part as well.”

The association estimates that the federal government loses at least $1 billion in tax revenue to Driver Inc. practices in the trucking industry.


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  • As an employer that provides Drivers to fleets and employs them LEGALLY, we are thrilled to see some action taken on this. Hopefully this is only the beginning of rooting out this nuisance from our industry.

  • it is about time someone wakes up about that, this scam is going on for the last 25 years and it took that long for someone to wake up, the who ever it is (income tax ) ( workmen compensation )are sleeping very very heavy and may be a nuclear bomb will wake them up may be not, can they tell us how much we as tax payer lost in revenu in all these years because of the simple reason they never paid anything to the goverment as an employer, and they also had the facility to cut rates since there obligations are less than an honest transport company,

  • WSIB does a lot of talking but when you get hurt or permanently injured they do nothing but obstruct service , falsifying medical documents ,knowing using fake medical documents, tampering with the mail, and they’re extremely arrogant and rude. There’s no shortage of arbitrary power and very few people that actually care what they’re doing to injured workers apparently Gas-lighting and defamation is apart of the Cruel and unusual punishment offered by WSIB’s sinecure

    • I was denied after my claim as well I have seen a lot of injuried people in the homeless shelter system. I still have a outstanding hospital bill on my credit report 4 years later. Some of the private sector insurance companies and W S I B have destroyed many people lives and the O T A and A T A solution is to bring in more offshore truck drivers instead of cleaning up the mess here.

  • There should be criminal charges for a few of the obese turkeys in my claim . it would appear like to Government encourages their criminal methods as long as the injured worker gets denied …

  • WSIB might be doing this right but 34% of Ontario Employees have no WSIB.

    WSIB has an obligation for Accommodation of injured workers is not a Burden on the public or their families.

    Why are employees required to prove that employers are not eligible for an exemption instead of employers proving they qualify.

    If the employers do not have WSIB they should be responsible for the cost of injured workers not the taxpayer through OHIP or EI.

    This is cruel and unusual treatment and punishment for injured employees working for employers that WSIB is exempting from coverage.

    CONSTITUTION ACT, 1982
    Legal Rights
    Treatment or punishment
    12. Everyone has the right not to be subjected to any cruel and unusual treatment or punishment.