Alberta transportation officials have removed 20 unsafe trucking companies from the province's roadways, including 13 so-called "chameleon carriers," according to FreightWaves.
The removals are part of a broader crackdown by Alberta's Ministry of Transportation and Economic Corridors targeting noncompliant carriers, fraudulent driver-training schools and companies trying to evade regulators, FreightWaves reported. Minister Devin Dreeshen said the province has issued 443 administrative penalties since October and eliminated 20 carriers from its roads. Chameleon carriers are trucking companies that attempt to avoid regulatory oversight by changing names, creating new business entities or relocating operations across jurisdictions.
Enforcement by the numbers
Alberta's latest enforcement totals cover multiple regulatory fronts:
| Enforcement metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Carriers removed from roadways | 20 |
| Identified as chameleon carriers | 13 |
| Administrative penalties issued since October | 443 |
| Carriers removed from international registration plan in past year | 6 |
| Fraudulent Class 1 trucking schools shut down | 5 |
| Licensed Class 1 schools reviewed since April 1, 2025 | 53 of 56 (95%) |
| Drivers stopped in May three-day status operation | 81; 20% suspected misclassified |
Alberta also said six additional carriers have been removed from the province's international registration plan over the past year for misrepresenting their jurisdiction.
Dreeshen defended the province's approach in a statement:
Our government is continuing to take tough enforcement action to improve safety across the trucking industry. We are applying vigilant oversight of carriers and driver training schools through inspections, audits and targeted investigations.
— Devin Dreeshen, Alberta Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors
Conquer Transportation shut down after fatal Manitoba crash
The province highlighted enforcement action against Conquer Transportation Inc. in June following a fatal crash in Manitoba, FreightWaves reported. An investigation found what Alberta officials described as "wilful and sustained non-compliance" that posed an ongoing risk to the public. Authorities also determined the company was engaged in chameleon-carrier practices designed to evade compliance and enforcement.
Alberta assessed $16,500 in administrative penalties against Conquer Transportation and downgraded the carrier's Safety Fitness Rating to "Unsatisfactory," effectively shutting down its operations immediately.
Driver classification and training schools targeted
Alberta is also stepping up scrutiny of the so-called Drivers Inc. model, in which trucking companies classify drivers as independent contractors rather than employees, according to FreightWaves. Officials said the arrangement can be used by companies to avoid payroll taxes and employee benefits, while drivers operating under the model can lack proper training, oversight and workplace protections.
A three-day commercial driver status enforcement operation in May found that 20% of the 81 drivers stopped were suspected of being misclassified, including several temporary foreign workers.
The enforcement campaign has also reached driver-training schools. The province has shut down five fraudulent Class 1 trucking schools, and since April 1, 2025, inspectors have reviewed 53 of Alberta's 56 licensed Class 1 driver-training schools, representing 95% of the total.
Implications for shippers and carriers
For freight forwarders, 3PL operators and shippers relying on Alberta truck capacity, the crackdown removes carriers that the province considers an ongoing public risk, including a company tied to a fatal crash. FreightWaves said the action illustrates growing Canadian efforts to prevent unsafe trucking companies from escaping enforcement by reincorporating or moving across provincial borders, while regulators increase scrutiny of driver classification and commercial driver training.
Shippers and carriers should treat indicators such as company renames, new business entities or jurisdiction shifts as warning signs when vetting new capacity, since Alberta defines those as chameleon-carrier behavior. The province continues to work with federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen enforcement against chameleon carriers operating across jurisdictions, and it has named fraudulent Class 1 schools and the Drivers Inc. model as focus areas of its campaign.
Watch list
Alberta officials said they are working with federal and other provincial and territorial governments to strengthen enforcement against chameleon carriers operating across jurisdictions. Driver-training schools and the Drivers Inc. independent-contractor model remain named focus areas of the province's enforcement campaign. FreightWaves' article also included promotional items for its upcoming industry events — the Brokerage Compliance Symposium, the F3 Awards Dinner and the F3: Future of Freight Festival in Chattanooga.
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