By: Marco Beghetto
Every day, professional drivers enter our communities to deliver the essential goods residents need and to keep businesses thriving. But as we all know, there are other trucks which are a threat to our communities – operated by trucking companies that have little regard for public safety or respect for our neighbourhoods. Caledon, flooded with illegal truck yards and storage facilities, is arguably the epicentre of this lawlessness.
The Ontario Trucking Association has been following the chaotic situation in Caledon – specifically along the border with Vaughan – for many years. I want to be clear: the industry stands with the community in demanding that commercial activity remain within the bounds of provincial and municipal law and, more importantly, the growing number of unscrupulous carriers who put untrained, unprepared, and careless drivers on the road with our residents, must be stopped.
We must distinguish between professional carriers and rogue operators. A truck in your community making a delivery is a sign of a healthy economy. But a fleet using a “ghost yard” – a site illegally carved out of vacant agricultural land or literally in the backyards of residential subdivisions – is a violation of the law.
The OTA has been working closely with some local mayors to address these issues. Yet, the problem is expanding because rogue operators are bypassing the rules that law-abiding trucking companies follow. Meanwhile, politicians and enforcement agencies at every level point fingers and debate responsibilities over jurisdiction and enforcement authority, Meanwhile, as time passes without any progress, the problem worsens.
These unauthorized sites create unregulated environments that exist outside the standard oversight of our industry. We must ask a difficult question: If a carrier is comfortable disregarding municipal zoning laws on Mayfield Road or The Gore Road, can the public be certain they are prioritizing other rules and standards, like environmental rules for commercial businesses or the strict maintenance and training requirements the law-abiding portion industry views as non-negotiable?
We know the answer, because we see the evidence every day. Illegal truck yards are more than just a nuisance; they’re also extremely dangerous, as the infrastructure where many of these facilities pop up (seemingly overnight) is not designed for truck traffic. The resulting illegal U-turns, blocked streets and near head-on collisions we witness daily is creating chaos in Caledon and other similar communities across Ontario.
When a carrier operates from the shadows of an illegal yard, they bypass the predictability that comes with established commercial hubs. In Caledon, the tragic loss of life and near-collisions on corridors like Highway 50, Coleraine Drive and Albion Vaughan Rd. have left the community on edge, with no end in sight and few political leaders willing to step up to fix it.
Organizations like the Caledon Community Road Safety Advocacy (CCRSA) rightly point out that when commercial activity is unmonitored and “camped” in the wrong areas, the margin for error on our local roads disappears. Public safety is built on a foundation of compliance. In recent inspections of the area, a concerning number of vehicles were found to have mechanical issues requiring immediate removal from the road. This highlights a potential correlation: those who operate outside the law in one area, such as illegal land use and cargo storage, are likely to create a culture of noncompliance where many other regulatory standards are also disregarded.
By ignoring zoning laws, these operators are disregarding the professional standards that the rest of our industry works hard to uphold.
The OTA is pledging to help make all communities safe. We are calling on the province to work with the Caledon Illegal Land Use Task Force to provide stronger tools, including the review of operating authorities for fleets that refuse to leave these yards. If a carrier refuses to respect the laws of the community, the privilege of operating on Ontario’s roads should be called into question.
We stand with the legitimate, professional drivers who respect our neighbourhoods. Join us in demanding that the province protect our roads. Let’s ensure the only trucks in your area are the ones there to serve you safely.
Have your say at https://stopillegaltrucking.ca/en/ota-home