TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO:
WHEREAS the trucking industry is a key component of Ontario’s supply chain;
WHEREAS recent data estimates that Canada’s 300 thousand truck drivers move about $850 billion in goods annually;
WHEREAS the driver shortage in the industry is expected to increase from 22 thousand to 34 thousand by 2024;
WHEREAS truck drivers have gone above and beyond to sustain the province’s supply chain in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic;
WHEREAS owner-operators throughout Ontario face arbitrary rules and increasing costs to insure their commercial vehicles; and
WHEREAS current insurance norms, policies and rates put many of these small businesses on the verge of closure, and hundreds of jobs at risk.
THEREFORE WE, the undersigned petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as follows:
- To call on the Ford government and the Minister of Finance to help small and medium-sized businesses in the trucking sector;
- To put an end to arbitrary regulatory policies and rules, predatory premium rates, and skyrocketing training costs; and
- To act diligently to address the systemic truck driver shortage in Ontario.