By Mata Press Service

Canada’s trucking industry, increasingly powered by immigrant labour and business ownership, is facing a systemic crisis of wage theft, unpaid work, and unsafe conditions, according to a report that warns exploitation has become normalized across the sector.

The findings come as trucking has quietly become one of the most immigrant-dominated industries in the country, particularly in major freight corridors such as Metro Vancouver and the Greater Toronto Area.

Government data shows immigrants make up 56 percent of truck transportation business owners with paid staff, while Census trend analyses indicate South Asian immigrants account for a majority of truck drivers in Canada’s two largest freight hubs, representing 55.9 percent in Vancouver and 53.9 percent in Toronto.

Against that backdrop, Running on Empty: Truck Drivers in Canada are Underpaid and Overworked documents what life behind the wheel now looks like for many drivers keeping Canada’s supply chains moving

Released this week, the report was produced by Justice for Truck Drivers and the West Coast Trucking Association, with legal and research support from Labour Community Services of Peel and Parkdale Community Legal Services.

It finds that nearly 70 percent of drivers are dissatisfied with their wages, while two-thirds say their pay has declined over the past three years. For many, the problem is not just low pay, but work that goes unpaid altogether.

According to the study, 74 percent of federally regulated drivers and 68 percent of provincially regulated drivers report they are not paid for all hours worked, including time spent waiting at shipping docks, border crossings, or performing mandatory inspections. Nearly 63 percent reported at least one instance of wage theft, with unpaid wages averaging about $10,000 per driver

Advocacy groups behind the report say immigrant drivers are disproportionately exposed to these practices, in part because of their concentration in long-haul work, dependence on employer sponsorships, and widespread misclassification as independent contractors.

The report estimates 42 percent of drivers are currently misclassified, a practice that allows companies to avoid paying overtime, vacation pay, and benefits, while shifting business costs onto workers. Industry estimates cited in the report suggest misclassification can save employers $20,000 to $30,000 per driver per year, at the driver’s expense.

“It’s very hard to feed the family as a truck driver,” one survey respondent said.

Another added: “If you complain then you pay the price.”

Misclassification emerged as one of the most significant drivers of exploitation. A large share of drivers said they were treated as independent contractors despite working under conditions resembling employment. This allows companies to avoid paying overtime, vacation pay, public holiday pay, and benefits, while shifting insurance, fuel, and maintenance costs onto drivers.

“Employers don’t want to give benefits, vacation pay, overtime,” one driver said. “Truck driving industry is the most exploitative industry in Canada.”

The report notes that misclassification also blocks access to remedies when wage theft occurs, as drivers are often told labour protections do not apply to them.

“When the employer doesn’t pay on time or they don’t pay at all, the labour court doesn’t help you because you are not an employee,” one driver said.

“Me and my many colleagues have lost more than $20,000 in the past because the company refused to pay and we couldn’t do anything about it.”

Health and safety conditions further compound the strain. Drivers reported chronic shortages of safe truck parking and rest areas, making compliance with hours-of-service rules difficult and increasing fatigue. Many said they were pressured to drive in unsafe conditions or operate poorly maintained equipment.

“One of the biggest problems is safety,” a driver told researchers. “If we refuse unsafe work, we’re punished. If I speak up, I lose work. If I stay quiet, I risk my life.”

The report situates these conditions within decades of deregulation that intensified competition, empowered brokers and shippers to drive down rates, and weakened enforcement.

While trucking represents a relatively small share of federally regulated employment, it accounts for a disproportionate share of confirmed labour code violations, a signal of systemic non-compliance.

Advocacy groups behind the report argue that immigrant drivers are particularly vulnerable due to language barriers, limited access to legal support, and fear of retaliation or job loss.

“Government is only listening to the giant corporations, not a small driver like us,” one respondent said.

Rather than incremental fixes, the report calls for structural reform.

Drivers consistently demanded minimum pay rates, full compensation for all work time, and stronger enforcement of labour standards. Without those changes, the authors warn, exploitation will remain embedded in an industry that increasingly relies on immigrant labour to function.

“The real rot is weak enforcement, slow investigations, shell companies, and laws that let wage theft happen without consequences,” said one driver interviewed by the researchers.

As Canada continues to depend on trucking to move food, fuel, and consumer goods across the country, the report concludes that ignoring the conditions facing drivers risks entrenching a two-tier workforce, one where the people hauling the economy forward are left running on empty.