On International Human Trafficking Day, we shine a light on one of Canada’s most hidden crimes labour trafficking within our trucking sector. Drivers from around the world arrive promising to work hard and build a future, only to find themselves trapped in debt bondage, unpaid overtime, and threats of deportation if they speak up.

The Scope of the Problem

In Manitoba, trucking employers hired 1,467 temporary foreign workers in 2023 a surge of nearly 1,300 percent from five years earlier while training and reporting measures for these vulnerable employees remain critically lacking.

A United Nations Human Rights Council report highlights how Canada’s LMIA process can be exploited by recruiters, training schools, temp agencies, and carriers working in concert. Drivers often incur debts of $40,000–$80,000 in recruitment fees and then endure sub-legal wages and withheld pay to service that debt.

How You Can Help

– Educate your drivers and dispatchers on the red flags: isolation from peers, withheld passports or work documents, unexplained debt and contract changes, and threats of deportation.

– Partner with organizations like Know Human Trafficking, Crime Stoppers  and local law enforcement to install posters and helpline information at terminals, rest stops, and training schools.

– Encourage all drivers and dispatchers to complete free training  through Know Human Trafficking to recognize and respond to labour trafficking indicators.

– Advocate for stricter enforcement of labour standards by urging provincial authorities to suspend carriers found guilty of wage theft, worker misclassification, or trafficking offences.

Resources & Reporting

– Call the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-833-900-1010

– Contact your provincial employment standards branch to report wage theft or forced labour

– Reach out to Know Human Trafficking for support and training materials

Together, we can ensure every individual on Canada’s roads works under fair conditions with dignity, legal protections, and the freedom they deserve.

Top 5 Signs of Labour Trafficking in the Trucking Industry in Canada

1. Confiscation or withholding of identification documents

Victims are often forced to hand over passports, driver’s licences or work permits, with employers claiming they “need” them for processing or to ensure compliance. This tactic leaves workers without proof of legal status and makes it nearly impossible to leave or seek help.

2. Excessive recruitment fees or deceptive job offers

Labour traffickers advertise trucking jobs that promise high pay, then require migrants to pay thousands sometimes tens of thousands of dollars in recruitment or “head tax” fees. Such offers turn out to be bait-and-switch schemes, leaving workers indebted and trapped in exploitative contracts.

3. Threats of deportation, retaliation or reporting to authorities

Employers exploit the precarious immigration status of temporary foreign workers by threatening to report them to immigration or police if they complain, attempt to leave or demand fair treatment. Fear of losing their right to remain in Canada silences many victims.

4. Wage theft, withheld pay or unpaid overtime

Common tactics include withholding paychecks, underpaying hourly rates, refusing overtime compensation and imposing arbitrary fines for minor infractions. Workers discover they’re earning far less than agreed, but risk reprisal if they challenge the abuse.

5. Unreasonable work hours, unsafe conditions and isolation

Trafficked drivers often endure excessive hours behind the wheel without mandated breaks, live in company-controlled accommodations with poor hygiene or safety standards, and have little to no contact with the outside world. These conditions endanger both their physical health and legal well-being.