Florida’s fatal truck crash leads to calls for strict scrutiny of Canada’s Punjabi-dominated trucking industry

The tragic August 12 truck crash in Florida, involving Harjinder Singh — an undocumented Indian Punjabi immigrant with a California-issued commercial driver’s licence (CDL) — has triggered ripples beyond US borders, reaching deep into Canada. The incident has fueled debates over Canada’s commercial driver licensing processes, with critics highlighting loopholes that allow inadequately trained drivers behind the wheels of massive, potentially lethal vehicles.

Singh’s reckless illegal U-turn on the Florida Turnpike blocked all lanes, causing fatalities that were avoidable. Post-crash investigations revealed Singh’s failure in English proficiency and road sign tests, raising alarming questions about how he was ever certified to operate a heavy vehicle. This incident underscores the catastrophic risks posed by poorly trained drivers on North America's highways, where speeds often exceed 110 km/h.

Reflection In Canada’s Mirror

In Canada, the crash has stoked public outcry, particularly on social media platforms like X. A recent viral post highlighted a similar illegal maneuver by a driver, reportedly Punjabi, on a Canadian highway. Responses ranged from calls for stricter industry regulations to xenophobic demands for deportation, reflecting both legitimate safety concerns and underlying racial tensions.

Canada’s trucking industry parallels that of the US in terms of immigrant drivers and licensing standards. Provisions in provinces like Ontario allow temporary residents and asylum seekers with work permits to obtain commercial licenses. However, the system’s integrity is under scrutiny, especially considering that many drivers, like Singh, might struggle with basic English proficiency — a critical skill for reading road signs and understanding safety protocols.

Punjabi dominance in trucking

Punjabi Sikhs significantly influence Canada’s trucking sector. As of 2016, immigrants constituted 32.5 per cent of Canada’s truck drivers, with nearly 20 per cent from South Asia. In cities like Vancouver and Toronto, Punjabis manage over 60 per cent of trucking operations. While their economic contributions are undeniable, incidents like Singh’s crash spotlight concerns about training standards, regulatory compliance, and public safety.

Corruption and Wage Exploitation

Beneath the surface of Canada’s booming trucking industry lies a web of corruption and exploitation. A June 2025 investigation by CBC News unveiled the $1-billion "Driver Inc.” (a controversial business model where truck drivers are classified as incorporated contractors rather than employees) tax evasion scam, where companies — many operated by Indo-Canadians — misclassified drivers to dodge taxes and labour regulations. This malpractice not only deprived workers of fair wages but also distorted market competition and public revenue.

Training Scams and Regulatory Lapses

Driver training in Canada has its dark corners. CBC’s 2024 ‘Marketplace’ investigation exposed rampant fraud among Ontario truck driving schools. Some institutions, particularly in Brampton, engaged in unethical practices like issuing forged certificates, accepting bribes, and rigging tests. These schools circumvented Mandatory Entry-Level Training (MELT) requirements, endangering public safety by certifying unqualified drivers.

Investigations in 2022 by Ontario and Quebec police had uncovered licensing scams involving over 200 students who used falsified documents or interpreters to cheat knowledge tests, bypassing MELT standards. Alberta faced similar issues, revealing the national scope of this regulatory failure.

Racial bias and road safety

The recent Florida crash has unfortunately sparked racial tensions, with Indian, particularly Punjabi, truck drivers becoming targets of online hate. Canadian media and industry groups have drawn parallels to incidents like the 2018 Humboldt Broncos tragedy, where Indian immigrant truck driver Jaskirat Singh Sidhu ran a stop sign, causing a collision that claimed 16 lives. Additionally, the arrest of Navjeet Singh, involved in a fatal crash in Altona, Manitoba, has reignited focus on Indian immigrant drivers.

However, it's crucial to recognise that road accidents transcend race and ethnicity. Canada’s deadliest accident occurred in 1997 in Quebec, killing 43 elderly passengers. The driver, André Desruisseaux, was not of Indian descent, and the crash was attributed to break failure and driver fatigue. The driver had slept for less than five hours on the night before and had been clocking over 50 hours of work-weeks.

This underscores a critical point: accidents result from complex factors, not from any specific community. Targeting Indian drivers or any ethnic group is unjustified and counterproductive. While incidents like Singh’s highlight safety gaps, addressing them requires systemic reforms in Canada’s trucking industry, focusing on rigorous oversight, driver qualifications, and public safety — free from racial bias or xenophobia.

As for Harjinder Singh, he must squarely face the consequences of his actions, no matter how severe. His intent may not have been to kill, but his reckless disregard for safety was a disaster in the making — an undeniable, lethal risk he could not have been oblivious to.