The Freight Management Association’s (formerly CITL) has made its second submission to the Canadian Transportation Act review commission.
This submission deals with trucking issues and infrastructure, specifically drawing attention to shippers’ concerns over the shortage of drivers; urban freight transportation , service disruptions at the Port of Vancouver and the fact that Canada does not have a national highway policy.
FMA specifically expresses alarm over the inconsistency that exists in the oversight of inter-provincial trucking as well as echoing trucking industry concerns concerns related to the driver shortage and ensuring there is necessary capacity to meet future freight services demand, includes vehicles, infrastructure, and drivers. It cites the Canadian Trucking Alliance’s submission stating the shortage will reach up to 33,000 across the country by 2020 in the for-hire sector alone, which represents a gap of at least 17% of the driving force.”
“It will be necessary for all stakeholders to play a role in addressing this shortage,” states FMA. The compensation and working conditions supplied by the trucking companies, the treatment of drivers by shippers, the oversight of training and qualification by provincial authorities, the consideration by federal authorities of the skill level of commercial drivers, and the implications for immigration law as it relates to foreign recruitment of drivers will all need to be addressed to ensure that trucking capacity will be available to meet the needs of Canadian society and the economy.”
For the full submission, click here: CTA Submission 2_public