By Mark Bylsma
As a lifelong resident of Niagara and the owner of Spring Creek Carriers Inc, I see our roads through two lenses: they are the conveyor belts of our economy, but more importantly, they are the routes our children take to school and our families take home.
Recently, the provincial government made a move that deserves our sincere applause. By transitioning the Vineland Truck Inspection Station on the QEW to a 24/7 operation, Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria has recognized that safety doesn’t have a closing time. In doing so, he has effectively created a “safety fortress” for Niagara.
For years, a “closed” sign at a scale was an invitation for the small segment of the industry that cuts corners to keep rolling. Now, in Vineland, that loophole is closing. This move protects Niagara citizens by ensuring that heavy trucks are mechanically sound and drivers are operating within legal Hours of Service limits, no matter what time they cross through our region.
We tip our hat to Minister Sarkaria for this progress. But as an industry leader and a concerned parent, I must also say: we need to go further, faster, and stronger.
While we are safer today in Niagara, the reality is that once a driver leaves this “fortress,” they often enter what feels like a zone of lawlessness. The data doesn’t lie. In recent local enforcement blitzes conducted by the Niagara Regional Police and the MTO, over 50% of trucks pulled over on our regional bypass roads were found to be so dangerous they were immediately ordered out-of-service. We aren’t talking about minor paperwork errors; we are talking about cracked tire rims, broken suspensions, and severed brake lines.
Even worse is the practice of intentional bypassing. We know there are fleets that actively instruct their drivers to exit the QEW and weave through Regional Road 81, Victoria Avenue, or even Highway 20 specifically to avoid an open scale. When a 140,000-pound vehicle rolls through a quiet stretch of Vineland or Jordan just to dodge an inspection, they aren’t just avoiding a delay; they are avoiding the discovery of life-threatening defects. We applaud the MTO when we see random roadside inspections on our local roads and in our local communities.
To truly protect all Ontarians, the province must remain bold. The Ontario Trucking Association has launched the “Stop Illegal Trucking” campaign to address this exact crisis. We are calling on Queen’s Park to end the lawlessness by:
- Committing to 24/7 Operations Everywhere: Every major scale in this province must operate around the clock. Safety shouldn’t be a matter of geography or time of day.
- Deploying Mobile Enforcement Units: We need “roving” teams equipped with technology to intercept those who think they can hide on Niagara’s regional roads.
- Ending the “Driver Inc.” Model: We must crack down on rogue fleets that evade taxes and labor laws to fund their lack of commitment to safety.
At Spring Creek Carriers, we believe a level playing field is a safe playing field. Law-abiding carriers—who use Electronic Logging Devices and rigorous maintenance practices—welcome regular inspections because we have nothing to hide.
The fortress at Vineland is a victory for Niagara. Now, I am asking all residents to join our campaign at StopIllegalTrucking.ca and tell the provincial government to build a wall of safety around all of Ontario. Our families—including yours & mine—deserve nothing less.