Teamsters Canada has joined a coalition of trucking industry groups to ask Ottawa to provide fiscal support to drivers and trucking companies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The group is made up of Teamsters Canada, Owner-Operators Independent Drivers Association, Private Motor Transport Council, Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada, and the Canadian Trucking Alliance.

The coalition is specifically requesting Ottawa introduce two fiscal measures:

  • Address cash flow challenges for trucking companies by introducing a three-month deferral of payroll taxes with an 18-month recovery period.
  • Provide needed relief for truck drivers grappling with skyrocketing food costs while on the road. The coalition is recommending the Government of Canada adjust the meal allowance for both long-haul and short haul drivers.
To read the letter which was sent to the federal government, click here. Download

“The pandemic has shown the public how important truckers are to our way of life. Increasing the meal allowance is a small way to put some well-deserved money in drivers’ pockets as they face rising food costs on the road. Allowing their employers to defer payroll taxes to a later date will also help support jobs. These are small asks from Ottawa that stand to do a lot of good,” said the national president of Teamsters Canada, François Laporte.