Quebec introducing new rules targeting inadequately trained Ontario truck drivers

The Quebec government says it is tightening the rules to curb dangerous trucking, particularly for drivers from Ontario.

As of today, truck drivers from Ontario with less than two years experience on the road who want to move to Quebec will have to pass a driving exam with Quebec’s auto insurance board to obtain a heavy vehicle licence.

If they fail this exam twice, they will have to complete mandatory training to receive authorization to drive heavy trucks.

The change follows a report in May by Ontario’s auditor general, who highlighted serious shortcomings in training and oversight in the province’s trucking sector and cited Quebec’s stricter rules as a model to follow.

Quebec’s auto insurance board is also promising to tighten road safety requirements for temporary foreign workers.

The provincial government introduced other measures to increase trucking safety over the last year following two fatal accidents in Quebec involving heavy trucks in the summer of 2025.

By Pierre Saint-Arnaud