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activities required for the job, truck
driving is a skilled profession. It would
benefit companies, drivers and all road
users if the profession were classified
as a skilled trade. Designating truck
driving as a Red Seal trade would
guarantee a nationally recognized
standard for professional truck drivers
across Canada.
Address gaps in mandatory
entry-level training (MELT) and
graduated licensing
Implementing enhancements to MELT
and the graduated licensing system to
align with a national standard and
incorporating greater oversight in the
monitoring of truck training schools,
including implementing standards for
certified instructors, is key to ensuring
that quality truck drivers emerge from
the entry-level training programs.
Enact greater enforcement of
non-compliant carriers and the
Driver Inc. business model
The Driver Inc. structure misclassifies
employees as independent contractors.
Drivers are often led to believe that the
Driver Inc. structure will leave them with
more money in their pockets. However,
the misclassification enables the carrier
to avoid paying Workplace Safety and
Insurance Board (WSIB) premiums,
employee benefits and vacation pay. As
well, it provides a loophole to avoid
providing the protections and rights that
employees are entitled to under the law
— including health and safety provisions
that help address driver fatigue.
Improve supports for truck driver
mental health and wellness
Throughout the pandemic, the trucking
sector has been deemed essential and
Brought to you by
WHAT IS DRIVER FATIGUE?
truck drivers have carried on their
critical work. This has underscored the
numerous work and societal pressures
that professional truck drivers face,
including chronic overstress, pressure to
meet deadlines, long hours and
isolation. It has also highlighted the
critical need for better mental health
supports for this group.
We know that professional truck
drivers face a stressful environment.
Being on the road and away from home
for extended periods, as well as
physical health factors such as poor
diet, lack of exercise and reduced
quality sleep are just some of the
factors that can affect their mental
health. If not addressed, these factors
can lead to depression, anxiety and
addiction. And yet, truck drivers don't
typically have strong mental health
support systems.
When it comes to driving, two
types of fatigue matter —
physical fatigue and mental
fatigue. Both reduce a driver's
capability to perform essential
driving-related duties. Physical
fatigue is the result of physically
demanding duties. Physical
fatigue can result in longer
reaction times and inaccurate
or incorrect responses.
Mental fatigue is the greater
concern for most drivers, as it
decreases mental performance.
It can occur after driving for
long periods without a rest
or break, or as a result of the
monotony or repetitiveness of
the driving task or conditions
(traffic, weather, etc.). Mental
fatigue reduces driver alertness,
focus, attentiveness, and
decision-making abilities
required to perform key driving
functions.
The Ontario Ministry of
Transportation analyzed police
report data and found that
driver fatigue is a factor in at
least 20 per cent of police-
reported large truck collisions
in Ontario (MTO, Large Truck
Collision Causation Study,
2020).
