EXCLUSIVE: Alberta cracks down on dangerous truckers who ride from crash to crash

Alberta is acting after a wave of high profile crashes involving Class 1 truck drivers across North America that have shaken public confidence in the industry

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Alberta is acting after a wave of high profile crashes involving Class 1 truck drivers across North America that have shaken public confidence in the industry.

Recent tragedies, including the widely reported Florida case where a tractor trailer attempted a u-turn across a highway and killed an entire family, have brought the issue into headlines and cabinet discussions.

Albertans have watched similar near misses, jackknifes, infrastructure strikes, and serious collisions on provincial highways and want to know why unsafe operators keep getting back behind the wheel.

The province is now closing the loophole that allowed some drivers to wreck a truck at one company and walk into another with no record of their past performance.

The new requirement forces carriers to provide a standardized driver experience record whenever a Class 1 operator changes jobs.

The government says this creates real accountability because the driver’s history follows the driver instead of staying hidden in a company file.

Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen says the province has heard repeated complaints about dangerous drivers continuing to circulate through the system.

“We’ve seen cases where bad drivers bounce from one company to another after an accident, leaving the next employer in the dark. It’s not widespread, but even one reckless driver can put lives at risk. That’s why we’re making sure a driver’s record follows them — so the good drivers are rewarded, and the bad ones are held accountable,” said the Minister.

His ministry has already shut down fraudulent training schools, removed unsafe carriers, and revoked licences for instructors who failed to meet basic standards.

Industry leaders say companies have struggled to distinguish skilled professionals from operators with poor safety histories.

Insurers say the lack of reliable driver information has pushed many carriers into high cost coverage through the Facility Association.

The new record system gives insurers and employers the information they need to identify experienced drivers and keep unqualified ones off the road.

The rule begins phasing in on December 1, 2025, with full compliance expected by June 1, 2026.

The government says more safety measures are coming after consultations with carriers and insurers.

Officials argue that transparency is essential in an industry that puts heavy commercial vehicles on busy public roads every day.

The province wants to ensure that the era of unsafe drivers quietly moving from company to company is ending.