BRAMPTON, Ont. – Issues such as cargo theft and the need to reduce red tape were highlighted during a recent meeting between Ontario politicians and a delegation including representatives from the Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) and Trailcon Leasing.

“Cargo theft continues to be a significant issue that not only has consequences for trucking companies, but also a trickle-down impact on the greater economy,” said Lak Shoan, the Ontario Trucking Association’s director of policy and industry awareness programs.

Association chairman David Carruth and president Stephen Laskowski also highlighted the need to address changes to the Drive Clean emissions program; tampering with emissions systems; and the misclassification of fleet employees as independent contractors, in a process known as Driver Inc.

The political delegation included Solicitor General Sylvia Jones, and MPPs Prabmeet Sarkaria (Brampton South), Vijay Thanigasalam (Scarborough – Rouge Park), and Amorjot Sandhu (Brampton West). Sarkaria is associate minister of small business and red tape reduction, and Thanigasalam is parliamentary assistant to the minister of transportation.

The OTA delegation also included Al Boughton, Trailcon Leasing; Guy Broderick, APPS Transport Group; Michael Buna, Walmart Canada; Marie Harris, Canadian Tire Corporation; Thomas Hennig, CN/CNTL; Jeff King, Manitoulin Transport; Brian Ledson, Cavalier Transportation Services; Joe Lombardo, Purolator; Norm Sneyd, Bison Transport; and Rolly Uloth, The Rosedale Group.

 Other attendees at the meeting included representatives of AGI Transport; Basra Trucking; Green Leaf Carriers; Mars Freight; Sharp Express; and Wawa Transport.