Greetings from your friendly AMTA Course Development team,

In the second week of March, Course Development has been feverishly working on modifying our classroom-based courses for distance delivery. This includes creating computer-based exams and revising activities that are completed in groups in the face-to-face setting.

Effective April 9, 2020, the Government of Alberta is extending the expiry dates of select vehicle inspection certificates until May 15, 2020, if the certificate expires between March 17 and May 15, 2020.

Today, the Alberta Government announced temporary modifications to regulations for commercial drivers and railway operators during the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement was made in order to ensure the province’s supply chain continues necessary delivery of goods such as medical supplies and groceries.

April 11 Update: UPDATE: BC has updated the self isolation plan requirements which now exempts certain occupations, including truck drivers, upon entry to BC from having to create a self-isolation plan.

Alberta is temporarily modifying some regulations for truck drivers and railway operators to protect the supply chain and ensure Canadians can access necessities like medical supplies, groceries and fuel during the COVID-19 crisis.

In response to the COVID-19 recession, the Alberta government will allocate almost $2 billion from the 2020 Capital Plan to resurface roads, repair bridges, restore schools and fill potholes, all to get thousands of Albertans back to work.

CTA: The CBSA is making progress towards the expanded use of email and fax, in lieu of paper submissions of commercial documentation. The first wave of ports to offer email service will be Vancouver, Toronto, Windsor, Montreal and Halifax. Additional offices will come online shortly. Commercial clients are encouraged to communicate with their local CBSA office to determine their state of readiness and the best method currently available.

Press Release: Over the past week, more than 1,100 offers of support have poured in from private and non-profit organizations through the Government of Alberta’s Bits and Pieces program.

*There are yet to be any checkpoints established in Alberta*

The AMTA will be releasing a weekly industry update survey for Carriers in order to get a sense of how industry is affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

CTA Release: All levels of government and the private sector need clear guidance when it comes to determining the services and functions that are essential in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Today I want to issue a call to action in support of a particular group of those unsung heroes, Alberta’s truck drivers.”

In an effort to help serve commercial drivers transporting goods across Alberta and the nation, the AMTA has compiled a database of rest area locales, amenities offered and hotels opening their doors to truck drivers in need of a hot shower and a bed.

CTA release: The Government of Canada today announced that Canadians returning from travel abroad will be required to follow mandatory self-isolation protocols as of midnight tonight, but the Canadian Trucking Alliance is reminding the trucking industry truck drivers remain exempt from these requirements – unless an individual becomes symptomatic – since trucking has been named an essential service in our battle to contain the COVID-19 virus.

In a letter to AMTA President Chris Nash, McDonald’s Canada announced an addition to their app to help keep commercial drivers both fed, and safe.

CTA Release: Transport Canada, the Provinces and Territories, through the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA), have approved an hours of service exemption for federally regulated carriers related to the fight against COVID-19.

CTA Release: The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) has answered calls from members to produce a living document cataloguing best practices, tips and resources for trucking companies as they attempt to continue their operations while battling the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

CTA Release: Keeping Canada and America’s trucking industry moving during this ongoing battle against the spread of COVID-19 means that commercial truck rest areas must remain open and accessible to North American truck drivers at the front lines of keeping both economies functioning.

CTA Press Release: Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unequivocally stated that commercial truck drivers will not be impacted by new measures that will close the Canada-U.S. border to all non-essential travel.