Reducing barriers to equity in Canada’s trucking industry
Press Release
From: Employment and Social Development Canada
September 12, 2025
Canada’s economy depends on strong trade and reliable exchange, and Canada’s truckers are at the heart of that connection. As supply chains adapt to new challenges and opportunities, it is more important than ever to recognize and support the workers who keep our economy moving safely and efficiently across the country.
Today, during National Trucking Week, the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, announced $500,000 in funding for a project to help make trucking companies more diverse and inclusive.
This new project is led by Trucking HR Canada and funded through the Government of Canada’s Workplace Opportunities: Removing Barriers to Equity (WORBE) program. It will help identify and address barriers that could prevent members of designated groups—women, Indigenous people, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities—from thriving in the trucking industry.
Over the coming year, Trucking HR Canada will examine how human resources practices and workplace systems currently used in the trucking industry support or limit efforts to create more diverse and inclusive workplaces. The project will also strengthen how they gather and report workforce data. In time, these initiatives are expected to create greater employment opportunities for under-represented groups within Canada’s trucking sector.
Together, WORBE projects contribute to building workplaces where everyone has a fair and equal chance to succeed.
Quotes
“Canada’s trucking industry is built by devoted workers who keep our communities and economy moving. Today’s funding will support employers in identifying and addressing barriers that limit access to opportunities for under-represented groups in the industry. A strong and resilient workforce is built on equal opportunities, and fostering inclusivity is essential to strengthening Canada’s economy.”
– The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario
“The strength of an industry undoubtedly lies in its workforce. During National Trucking Week, I’m proud to support a project like this one that helps ensure that Canada’s trucking industry is on top of its game by leaving no one behind.”
– The Honourable John Zerucelli, Secretary of State (Labour)
“We are proud to partner with the Government of Canada in helping our employers with employment equity reporting and in building inclusive work environments where everyone can thrive.”
– Angela Splinter, Chief Executive Officer, Trucking HR Canada
Quick facts
- The WORBE program provides $3 million per fiscal year to projects aimed at improving representation of designated groups in areas of low representation through partnerships and industry-tailored projects. It is designed to support employers subject to the Employment Equity Act in their efforts to reduce barriers to equity in their workplace.
- Trucking HR Canada is a national non-profit organization advancing modern human resource solutions for Canada’s freight transportation network.
- Employees in the road transportation sector who cross provincial or international borders are under federal jurisdiction, and represent about 17% of the federally regulated private-sector workforce.
- The Government has been raising awareness about, and actively investigating, employee misclassification in the road transportation industry. Misclassification is when truck drivers are wrongly treated as independent contractors rather than employees. Learn more about employers’ obligations and drivers’ rights.
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Contacts
For media enquiries, please contact:
Jennifer Kozelj
Senior Communications Advisor and Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario
jennifer.kozelj@labour-travail.gc.ca
Media Relations Office
Employment and Social Development Canada
819-994-5559
media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
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