The Alberta government has closed five trucking schools and cancelled 13 company licences following investigations into fraudulent behaviour and unsafe practices in the commercial trucking sector, reports the Calgary Herald.

Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen said audits and inspections over six months revealed forged tests, incomplete training and widespread non-compliance. The Driver Training and Oversight Unit led the investigations, many of which were complaint-based.

In addition to closures, authorities issued 39 disciplinary letters, revoked 12 instructor licences, imposed over C$100,000 (US3$71,620) in penalties and warned four driver examiners. Some companies were identified as "chameleon carriers" attempting to rebrand after losing licences in other provinces.

Veteran truck driver Denton Dafoe said the quality of Class-1 operators has declined, with poor driving standards becoming common. He said the government's MELT programme failed to retest drivers from the now-shuttered schools.

Mr Dreeshen said the province is now targeting the "Drivers Inc" scheme, where companies misclassify drivers as contractors to avoid taxes and oversight. A July check stop found 20 per cent of 195 drivers were suspected of being misclassified, including temporary foreign workers.

The minister said Alberta is working with its immigration ministry to examine issues related to foreign workers and English proficiency requirements for Class-1 licences. He urged federal and provincial coordination to monitor chameleon carriers and misclassified drivers.

Mr Dafoe said the government's response came too late, noting that action only followed the Humboldt incident. He welcomed the crackdown but criticised the lack of earlier intervention.