OOIDA supports meal allowance plan for Canadian truckers

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is showing its support for a proposal to adjust the meal allowance to Canadian truck drivers.

OOIDA was involved in a pair of letters in June that pushed for the change.

“Combined with the Canada-U.S. exchange rate decline, it is clear that Canadian truck drivers are still facing significant cost challenges,” OOIDA wrote.

The Association joined the Canadian Trucking Alliance and others in a joint letter to Canadian officials, and also sent a separate letter to Bill Morneau, Canada’s minister of finance.

In the joint letter that was sent to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Minister of Transport Marc Garneau, the Canadian Trucking Alliance asks for an adjustment to the meal allowance to help truckers cope with increasing food costs. The letter was jointly signed by OOIDA, the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada and Teamsters Canada. The adjustment would apply to long- and short-haul drivers.

The letter also requests a three-month deferral of payroll taxes for trucking firms with an 18-month recovery period.

In the letter to Morneau, OOIDA President and CEO Todd Spencer echoed the support of the proposal.

“Truck drivers need relief from soaring food costs out on the road,” Spencer wrote. “The Canadian Trucking Alliance recommended the government of Canada adjust the meal allowance for both long- and short-haul drivers. In short, we strongly support the Canadian Trucking Alliance’s recommendation.

“Adjusting the meal allowance is a reasonable and meaningful way for the government of Canada to recognize the efforts of Canadian truck drivers. We realize there are many requests from other industries as a result of COVID-19, but we eagerly await a positive outcome on this request.” LL

Land Line Now’s Terry Scruton contributed to this report.