Transportation authorities in the Canadian province of Alberta have removed 20 unsafe trucking companies from provincial roadways as part of a wider enforcement initiative targeting noncompliant carriers, fraudulent commercial driver-training schools, and entities attempting to evade regulatory oversight.

Alberta Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors Devin Dreeshen announced that the province has issued 443 administrative penalties since October while eliminating the 20 carriers from its roadways. Thirteen of those companies were identified as "chameleon carriers" — operations that attempt to circumvent regulatory scrutiny by changing their names, establishing new business entities, or relocating across jurisdictions.

"Our government is continuing to take tough enforcement action to improve safety across the trucking industry," Dreeshen said in a statement released Thursday. "We are applying vigilant oversight of carriers and driver training schools through inspections, audits and targeted investigations."

Six additional carriers have been removed from Alberta's International Registration Plan — a reciprocity agreement among U.S. states and Canadian provinces for commercial vehicle registration — over the past year for misrepresenting their jurisdiction, according to the province.

Fatal Crash Triggers Shutdown of Conquer Transportation

Alberta highlighted enforcement action taken against Conquer Transportation Inc. in June, following a fatal crash in the province of Manitoba. An investigation uncovered what Alberta officials characterized as "wilful and sustained non-compliance" that presented an ongoing danger to the public. Authorities also determined that the company had engaged in chameleon-carrier practices intended to evade compliance and enforcement measures.

The province imposed $16,500 in administrative penalties against Conquer Transportation and downgraded the carrier's Safety Fitness Rating to "Unsatisfactory," a move that effectively shuttered its operations immediately.

Alberta officials indicated they are coordinating with federal authorities and other provincial and territorial governments to bolster enforcement against chameleon carriers that operate across jurisdictional boundaries. Such coordination is significant because Canada's provincial regulatory structure means that carriers disciplined in one province can potentially resume operations in another under a new name or entity.

Alberta Intensifies Scrutiny of Drivers Inc. Model

The province is also ramping up oversight of the so-called Drivers Inc. model, a practice in which trucking companies classify drivers as independent contractors instead of employees. Alberta officials said the arrangement can enable companies to avoid payroll taxes and employee benefit obligations, while drivers operating under this classification may lack adequate training, supervision, and workplace protections. The practice has also drawn scrutiny from the Canada Revenue Agency, which has conducted audits of trucking companies using similar contractor-classification structures in other provinces, including Ontario.

A three-day commercial driver status enforcement operation conducted in May revealed that 20% of the 81 drivers inspected were suspected of being misclassified. Several of those drivers were temporary foreign workers.

Driver-Training Schools Under Review

Driver-training schools represent an additional focus of Alberta's enforcement campaign. The province reported that it has shut down five fraudulent Class 1 trucking schools — Class 1 being the license category required to operate semi-trailer trucks and the largest commercial vehicles in Alberta. Since April 1, 2025, inspectors have reviewed 53 of Alberta's 56 licensed Class 1 driver-training schools, accounting for 95% of the total.

Alberta's enforcement actions reflect broader Canadian regulatory efforts to prevent unsafe trucking companies from escaping oversight by reincorporating or relocating across provincial borders, even as authorities simultaneously intensify scrutiny of driver classification practices and commercial driver training standards.