The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) has been appointed to the Government of Canada’s newly established Trade Digitalization Task Force, an initiative aimed at modernizing Canada’s trade infrastructure and accelerating the transition from paper-based processes to more efficient, integrated digital systems.
The Task Force held its inaugural meeting on October 29 and brings together key public- and private-sector leaders from across Canada’s supply chain to identify barriers, advance digital solutions, and improve the efficiency of domestic and international trade.
As the national voice of Canada’s trucking industry, CTA will represent the interests of thousands of motor carriers that form the backbone of the country’s continental freight network. Working alongside Transport Canada, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), and representatives from the air, rail, and marine sectors, CTA will help identify operational challenges and advance practical digital solutions to improve the movement of goods across borders and throughout Canada.
A key priority for CTA will be supporting the federal government’s proposed “Tell Us Once, Tell Us Digitally” approach. The initiative aims to enable commercial carriers to securely submit compliance, customs, and transportation information once, allowing relevant federal departments and agencies to access and share the information seamlessly. This approach could significantly reduce administrative duplication, improve regulatory efficiency, and ease the compliance burden on carriers.
“CTA wants to thank Minister MacKinnon, the CBSA and the Government of Canada for their strong leadership on this important initiative,” said Stephen Laskowski, CTA president. “By bringing industry stakeholders directly to the table, this task force represents a critical step toward identifying barriers and addressing longstanding inefficiencies in Canada’s supply chain and trade infrastructure.”
CTA’s appointment builds on the federal government’s broader efforts to eliminate internal trade barriers and the collaborative momentum generated through ongoing truck pilot projects. It also comes as the government advances its permanent Productivity Super-Deduction, providing an immediate 100 per cent tax deduction for eligible investments in heavy trucks and equipment. Together, these initiatives represent important progress toward helping Canadian fleets modernize, reinvest in their operations, and strengthen the productivity and resilience of the national economy.
“To turn this vision into reality, our primary objective on the task force is to bridge the gap between high-level policy objectives and the day-to-day operational realities facing carriers,” said Lak Shoan, Director of Policy and Industry Awareness Programs for the Alliance. “We will work closely with our member carriers that cross the border every day, as well as those operating across other transportation modes, to identify precisely where friction exists. Gathering this technical, front-line feedback will help ensure that new digital standards are practical, secure, and support a level playing field across a fully integrated, multimodal supply chain.”
Through its participation, CTA will advocate for standardized, interoperable data systems that support regulatory compliance, reduce administrative burdens, and enable seamless information sharing across government agencies and major trade gateways.
The full scope, strategic objectives, and list of participants involved in this national initiative are outlined in the Government of Canada’s official announcement:
Canada launches new task force to make trade faster, simpler and more efficient.
