On May 12, 2025, Alberta’s Minister of Transportation, Devin Dreeshen, signed Ministerial Order 20/25, which introduced amendments to the Commercial Vehicle Certificate and Insurance Regulation (AR 314/2002). These changes are already in effect and impact driver recordkeeping requirements, NSC Standard 15 audit scoring, and NCCR evaluations.
Despite reaching out to Alberta Transportation Compliance and Oversight and the Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA), I have received no clarification or further information on the updated requirements or the prescribed new form. Stakeholders are left without guidance on compliance changes that are now enforceable.
Summary of Key Changes to Section 41(1): Driver Records
Previous Regulation:
Carriers were required to maintain the following:
Revised Regulation (Post-Ministerial Order 20/25):
My Interpretation of the Changes:
The revised wording appears to consolidate several previous requirements:
Impact on NSC Standard 15 & NCCR Audit Scoring
Previously, carriers could earn up to 4 points across four individual audit questions. Now, due to the consolidation:
Key Concern:
This scoring method could disadvantage carriers and negatively impact audit results unless there is an accompanying change to the scoring methodology—which has not been communicated by Alberta Transportation.
New Requirement: Record of Commercial Driving Experience (driver exit abstract)
Ministerial Order 20/25 introduces two new sections: 31.3 and 31.4.
Section 31.3(1–2):
Section 31.4(1–2):
My Understanding:
This relates to drivers transitioning from Learning Pathway (Alberta-only restricted license) to a full Class 1 license. However, the specific certificate format or template has not been made available.
What Should Carriers Do Now?
Here’s my advice until further direction is provided:
✅ Update your safety program driver recordkeeping policies:
✅ Review your driver files:
⚠️ Regarding the commercial driving experience certificate:
Final Thoughts & Call to Action
It has now been over a month since the Order was signed, and Alberta Transportation has failed to provide adequate updates or resources to affected carriers. This level of information hoarding puts carriers at risk of non-compliance through no fault of their own.
What You Can Do:
I will continue reaching out to Alberta Transportation and the AMTA. As soon as I receive any updates, I will post a follow-up blog.
Chameleon carriers have quietly and systematically undermined the integrity of the trucking industry in Canada and the U.S. for decades. Untrained drivers, fake or nonexistent insurance, undercutting rates, and tax evasion through schemes like Driver Inc. are symptoms of a much deeper issue: the lack of enforcement and coordination between regulatory bodies.
Let’s be honest—the regulators have had decades to shut this down. And now, the only reason we’re even talking about it is because of the growing number of high-profile crashes flooding social media. The public is watching, and they’re demanding change.
If you're not familiar with chameleon carriers, check out my earlier blog karma, karma, karma, karma, karma Chameleon…. Canada’s Chameleon Carrier Crisis, where I explain the scam in more detail. In short, these are companies that dissolve and reincarnate under new names and registrations to dodge enforcement, liability, and oversight. And they’re allowed to do this because our provinces and territories don’t share data effectively. Alberta has been a hotbed for this issue since 2019, but it's not alone—this is a national failure.
Even after fatal crashes, these operators often have another Safety Fitness Certificate (SFC) waiting in the wings. Why? Because there’s no integrated system to flag them across jurisdictions. They hop from province to province—or state to state in the U.S.—and no one is any the wiser. It's a loophole, and they exploit it daily.
The FMCSA isn’t blameless—they ignored this problem for years, too. But now they’ve decided to do something about it. In 2025, they’re launching a new registration and vetting system. Here’s what it includes:
The FMCSA Plan:
So, What Is Canada Doing?
Nothing, we’ve got committees. Meetings. Thoughts and prayers after every crash. But no plan. No system. No timeline.
Transport Canada needs to build a program exactly like the FMCSA’s—now, not five years from now when we’re forced to reverse-engineer it at triple the cost. Just like the U.S., Canada struggles with regulatory inconsistency between provinces and territories. We may never harmonize weights and dimensions, but we can harmonize how we track, vet, and shut down fraudulent carriers.
Why It Matters:
Cross-border trade isn’t going away. In fact, closer integration between Canada, the U.S., and Mexico means we need to share data. That’s how we stop chameleon carriers from gaming the system.
Let’s stop pretending that deportations or blaming untrained drivers will fix trucking. It’s not the drivers—it’s the owners, the ones profiting off exploitation and safety shortcuts. Turning on a system like the FMCSA’s is like flipping a light switch and watching the cockroaches scatter.
Transport Canada, please do something. Get in the game.
With 2024 in the rearview mirror, it’s time to cautiously look ahead to 2025, a year poised for changes in commercial transportation. Regardless of political affiliations, we can all agree that commercial transportation and driver safety demand urgent attention. While the first few months of the year may bring little change due to political transitions, the groundwork laid this year could shape the future of the industry. Here’s what I foresee for 2025.
Transport Canada, the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA), and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) are all gearing up for potential shifts. A new federal transport minister will likely be appointed by summer, and their effectiveness will depend on their ambitions. A proactive minister could drive reforms, while a placeholder appointment might maintain the status quo.
The MTO’s search for an Assistant Deputy Minister, Commercial Transportation Safety and Enforcement, is a promising sign. Similarly, the CCMTA’s hiring of a Data Administration and Compliance Manager indicates that the long-standing issue of enforcement data transfer are finally being addressed. By mid-year, we may see serious discussions among these organizations about tackling industry challenges, including driver training school compliance and road safety.
This year will mark a shift in enforcement practices. The Alberta Sherriffs and Saskatchewan Marshalls are investing in new enforcement personnel. Alberta will have full trained 240 officers in commercial vehicle inspections by February. Weigh stations will be fully staffed, and temporary scales will see more blitzes. Enhanced patrols at US ports of entry and southern highways will further emphasize compliance.
Insurance companies will begin to leverage data from Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs), in-cab cameras and Engine Control Modules (ECMs) to assess liability in accidents. By fall, compliance will no longer be optional—carriers with poor safety records will face mounting consequences, from tickets, increased insurance premiums to audits.
In August 2024, the CCMTA introduced draft revisions to ELD technical standards (version 1.3). Two key changes stand out:
While these updates address critical issues, the process of implementation will be lengthy. ELD providers must program their devices to meet the new standards, undergo testing, and achieve re-certification—a process that could take years. I predict in 2025 there will still be no interpretation guide or ELD monitoring policy from Alberta Transportation Compliance and Oversight but, administrative penalties to carriers will continue to be written for failing to monitor drivers ELDs.
The federal government’s tightening of Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) and Permanent Residency (PR) criteria this spring aims to control immigration. However, these changes won’t solve the immediate problem of untrained and inexperienced drivers. Canada needs a balanced approach that supports the drivers already in the system.
Instead of punishing drivers who were brought here through flawed programs, we should offer them legitimate MELT training, Driver Red Seal training and pathways to PR if they meet the other requirements. Enforcement efforts should focus on holding exploitative immigration brokers, driving schools, and trucking companies accountable. Government is sending mixed signals with regards to commercial drivers. Saskatchewan has a class 1 driver recruitment program that allows drivers from certain countries to drive on the class 1 licence of their home country in the agricultural sector. This is government talking out of both sides of its face, removing drivers and restricting immigration on one side but recruiting for drivers in the agriculture sector on the other side. Nothing is going to happen this year and expect the status quo for a couple of years.
Real progress in 2025 requires cooperation between federal ministries, provincial regulators, industry groups, and stakeholders. Leadership at every level must work collaboratively to develop a clear plan for reform. Change won’t happen overnight, but figuring out who is in charge is a first step. We are all in this together and we need accountability from our elected leadership for a safer and more efficient commercial transportation industry.
