The recent decision by the United States to suspend worker visas for foreign commercial truck drivers has sparked concern north of the border. The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) is now urging the federal and provincial governments to take this as a “wake-up call” and address long-standing immigration and safety issues within Canada’s trucking industry.

U.S. Suspends Visas for Foreign Truck Drivers

Last week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the country will pause issuing work visas for certain foreign truck drivers.

“The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers,” Rubio wrote on X.

The U.S. decision followed a tragic highway incident in Florida involving a foreign truck driver. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) alleged that the driver, Harjinder Singh, attempted an illegal U-turn on August 12, blocking traffic and causing a deadly accident that left three people dead.

CTA Responds: “Canada Must Treat This as a Wake-up Call”

In a statement released on Friday, the Canadian Trucking Alliance acknowledged that these new U.S. visa restrictions do not directly apply to Canada’s drivers, but warned that Canada could face similar scrutiny if it fails to address problems in its own industry.

“The Visa restrictions announced by Secretary Rubio do not pertain to the Visas utilized by drivers in Canada. However, CTA believes Canada must view these events as a wakeup call to clean up the issues within our system or risk potentially facing similar restrictions in the future.”

The CTA called on the federal government, provinces, and territories to ensure that driver licensing, safety compliance, and training systems in Canada remain credible in order to avoid drawing negative attention from U.S. regulators.

Ongoing Problems in Canada’s Trucking Industry

The CTA has repeatedly warned governments about immigration-related challenges in the trucking sector. According to the Alliance, some operators have been exploiting the system through unethical or unsafe practices, undermining both safety and fairness in the industry.

The statement added:

“Unfortunately, the Canadian trucking industry has seen an influx of trucking fleets and ownership groups who have little regard for safety and other ethical financial and labour business practices.”

CTA stressed that the consequences of inaction could be severe, with compliant and law-abiding companies also being penalized by U.S. restrictions if authorities south of the border lose confidence in Canada’s oversight.

Call for Government Action

The Alliance urged Ottawa to revamp immigration programs for truck drivers and strengthen enforcement against non-compliant operators. Its message was clear: the U.S. announcement should serve as the “clearest signal yet” that Canada needs to take decisive steps to protect safety, licensing standards, and immigration system integrity.

“It is not acceptable that those who follow the rules and operate legally be caught in the net the U.S. is casting,” the CTA emphasized.

What Comes Next?

With the U.S. hardening its stance on foreign drivers, the future of North American trucking labor mobility is uncertain. For Canada, which relies heavily on immigrant labor to keep its supply chains moving, the pressure is mounting for the government to balance labor needs with stricter oversight on training, licensing, and compliance.

The CTA’s warning makes one thing clear: without swift reforms, Canada risks facing similar restrictions from its largest trading partner.