The Trucking Statistics Program is about the collection of bills of lading information (waybills) from freight trucking businesses. The information collected will substantially increase our detailed knowledge of the industry, which in turn will allow to:
- position Canada’s government better in the current context of trade negotiations with the United States,
- bring informed decisions around the push to remove barriers to interprovincial/interterritorial trade and
- improve preparation for future supply chain logistical matters (such as its disruptions).
Overall, the information collected will allow for better policy development and investment decisions.
The information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes.
Collection period:
From September 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026
Mail-out date: 2026-06-18
Collection methods:
Telephone interview and Electronic File Transfer system vault for respondents to upload their data.
Survey participation:
Mandatory under the Statistics Act
Confidentiality
Data are collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19.
By law, Statistics Canada is prohibited from releasing any information it collects that could identify any person, business, or organization, unless consent has been given by the respondent, or as permitted by the Statistics Act. Statistics Canada will use the information from this survey for statistical purposes only.
Data sharing agreements and record linkage
To reduce respondent burden, Statistics Canada has entered into data-sharing agreements with provincial and territorial statistical agencies and other government organizations, which have agreed to keep the data confidential and use them only for statistical purposes. Statistics Canada will only share data from this survey with those organizations that have demonstrated a requirement to use the data.
Section 11 of the Statistics Act provides for the sharing of information with provincial and territorial statistical agencies that meet certain conditions. These agencies must have the legislative authority to collect the same information, on a mandatory basis, and the legislation must provide substantially the same provisions for confidentiality and penalties for disclosure of confidential information as the Statistics Act. Because these agencies have the legal authority to compel businesses to provide the same information, consent is not requested and businesses may not object to the sharing of the data.
For this survey, there are Section 11 agreements with the provincial and territorial statistical agencies of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon.
The shared data will be limited to information pertaining to business establishments located within the jurisdiction of the respective province or territory.
Section 12 of the Statistics Act provides for the sharing of information with federal, provincial or territorial government organizations. Under Section 12, you may refuse to share your information with any of these organizations by writing a letter of objection to the Chief Statistician specifying the organizations with which you do not want Statistics Canada to share your data and mailing it to the following address:
Chief Statistician of Canada
Statistics Canada
Attention of Director, Centre for Energy and Transportation Statistics
150 Tunney’s Pasture Driveway
Ottawa, ON, K1A 0T6
For this survey, there are Section 12 agreements with the statistical agencies of Prince Edward Island, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, as well as with Transport Canada, and the provincial and territorial departments and ministries responsible for transportation.
For agreements with provincial and territorial government organizations, the shared data will be limited to information pertaining to business establishments located within the jurisdiction of the respective province or territory.
To enhance the data from this survey and reduce response burden, Statistics Canada may combine the information you provide with data from other surveys or administrative sources.
Topics covered in the survey
The survey asks questions about:
- Trucking freight movements
- Goods transportation