If a new pilot project proposed by the Committee on Internal Trade goes smoothly, Canadian truckers will be able to move freely between provinces without having to abide by a different set of rules in each region.

Keyli Loeppky, CFIB’s Director of Interprovincial Affairs, says currently, truckers making interprovincial journeys are slowed down by numerous barriers, losing valuable time and money.

“The faster that these products can move across the country, the faster those consumers and those businesses can access them, but also the less money it costs the trucking industry to move these products.”

The agreement would allow all truckers to operate under the same set of rules, while also keeping safety top of mind.

The CFIB commends the federal government in implementing this pilot, as they say it’s the first bold step Ottawa has taken to eliminate these barriers since 2017 when the Canadian Free Trade Agreement was signed. However, not everyone is on board yet.

“We’ve seen three provinces not put their names forward for the agreement; Quebec, New Brunswick, as well as British Columbia…The agreement I don’t think is going to come into fruition until spring of next year, so there is still some time for Quebec to realize the benefits of this and jump on board.”

All interested provinces are expected to gather in March of 2025 to sign the agreement.