Ontario’s truck safety crisis stems from “underground economy” and broader non-compliance issues, according to trucking industry officials who are calling for provincial and federal intervention to address the growing problems facing communities like Caledon.
Marco Beghetto, VP of communications for the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA), recently told Caledon town council that municipalities are witnessing the downstream effects of exploitation across multiple regulatory systems.
“What you are seeing played out on your roadways at the local level is downstream of a much larger scheme that exploits loopholes in the tax, labor and immigration systems,” Beghetto explained to council members.
Towns like Caledon have been battling truck safety violations, illegal parking and crashes. The OTA has praised local officials for recognizing these issues and coordinating enforcement strategies with neighboring communities.
Beghetto has been meeting with mayors from Caledon, Vaughn and Brampton to discuss solutions. The OTA has offered its municipal planning paper to support these efforts.
Despite these local initiatives, Beghetto warned that municipal efforts alone won’t solve the fundamental problems. “I know when you work hard to put out one fire, it feels like three others start,” he noted during his presentation.
The OTA representative described a “growing underground economy and culture of non-compliance” that requires higher-level government action. He urged provincial and federal authorities to increase enforcement activities and help restore accountability within the industry.
Without meaningful intervention from higher levels of government, Beghetto suggested local communities will likely continue struggling with these transportation-related issues that impact road safety and community well-being.