The Minister of Transport and MP Tim Louis visit The Erb Group of Companies

Baden, ON, November 8, 2022 – The Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra and MP Tim Louis made their round of visits in the Waterloo Region on November 7; among these visits, The Erb Group of Companies. Minister Alghabra and MP Louis were guests of The Erb Group’s executives, accompanied by Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) President Stephen Laskowski and OTA Chairman James Steed, where they discussed key industry issues and toured The Erb Group’s main shop.

Wendell Erb, President and CEO of The Erb Group of Companies, expressed his gratitude for The Minister’s decision to address the Driver Inc. model issue and the need of the industry for the government to follow through in taking action to help correct this injustice.

Driver Inc. is a business model using employee misclassification that allows trucking companies not to contribute their appropriate amount of taxes and source deductions. Industry experts describe it as a “billion-dollar scam.” This directly affects our economy and puts trucking companies who conduct their business playing by the rules at a disadvantage.

The Minister reaffirmed his commitment to work together with trucking businesses and industry associations to correct this. He commended the industry for its essential contributions to the economy and Canadian society, especially during lockdowns and the heat of COVID. “You, your drivers, equipment and teams kept going, and people didn’t pause to think about how their grocery stores stayed full or what it took to have food at their tables.” He reflected.

In addition, they discussed equipment delays and the effects of supply chain issues on inflation. Laskowski urged the government to prioritize the trucking industry when planning new immigration strategies and reminded them that all industries and our economy depend on truck drivers to remain strong.

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