The Manitoba government says it has shut down, for the second time, the operators of a trucking company linked to a fatal collision in May − an accident that has become a rallying cry across the industry for better information sharing between transport regulators.
Conquer Transport was first decertified in Manitoba over chronic safety issues in 2021. However, the company reincarnated several months later in Alberta under a slightly different name, according to transport authorities. That Alberta carrier was involved in a deadly crash in Brandon, Man., earlier this year that killed a 49-year-old woman. Alberta subsequently revoked its safety credentials.
Now, the Manitoba government says it has uncovered a third company related to Conquer Transport and shuttered it.
In a statement to The Globe and Mail, the Manitoba government said regulators began investigating the company after receiving a tip from another province. The probe found the carrier was “operating under the direct control” of individuals connected to Conquer.
The province has now revoked the third company’s safety credentials, eliminating its ability to operate in Manitoba.
Manitoba transport records obtained by The Globe under freedom-of-information laws show that a Winnipeg-based carrier named 7Star used a phone number that also appears on corporate records for Conquer Transport. When asked if 7Star was the related carrier, the Manitoba government responded that the province recently cancelled 7Star’s safety fitness certificate.
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7Star did not respond to The Globe’s requests for comment. When The Globe called a phone number affiliated with Conquer Transport, an individual who did not identify themselves denied any connection with 7Star.
The fatal Brandon accident this May prompted calls for a national trucking registry to better share safety data and crack down on so-called chameleon carriers – companies who move jurisdictions or change names to dodge safety regulation.
Chameleon carriers can typically be identified through the use of shared phone numbers, addresses or vehicle identification numbers. However, trucking experts have long argued that poor data collection and slow information-sharing between jurisdictions hamstring efforts to do so.
Aaron Dolyniuk, executive director of the Manitoba Trucking Association, said a national trucking database is a crucial first step to addressing communication gaps that some companies exploit.
“It’s having one consistent system with consistent information from coast to coast to coast,” he said. “If all jurisdictions are managing that appropriately, they’ll have line of sight when a bad actor tries to start up a trucking company.”
Canada’s current carrier information-sharing system was developed more than 20 years ago, with few updates since, and makes it difficult to share data between provinces in real time. Last month, the body that brings together federal and provincial transport regulators said it had approved a plan to modernize the system.
Manitoba authorities have said that after Conquer Transport was decertified in 2021, the province’s motor-carrier enforcement officers observed a company on its roads named Conquer Transportation using the same trucks previously registered in Manitoba under a new Alberta-issued safety fitness certificate.
This May, a Conquer Transportation truck blew through a stop sign and collided with an SUV at “highway speeds,” killing a 49-year-old woman, Brandon police have said.
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After the fatal crash, Alberta authorities said they were investigating Conquer Transportation. In August, the provincial transport regulator shut down the carrier after its probe identified “chameleon practices” at the company.
Brijpal Panwar, the driver of the truck, has also been charged with dangerous driving causing death. He was released on bail and is scheduled to appear in Brandon court later this month.
Earlier this year, The Globe revealed that Conquer Transport was granted permission by the federal government on three occasions to hire temporary foreign workers after its safety fitness certificate was revoked by Manitoba regulators in 2021.
It’s unclear when 7Star established itself in Manitoba or when individuals connected to Conquer allegedly became involved with the carrier. Records from the U.S. Transportation Department show the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration granted 7Star authority to send trucks to the U.S. in 2022, but revoked it in 2024.
On top of stronger government enforcement, Mr. Dolyniuk said companies that rely on contracts with trucking firms need to vet carriers more rigorously.
“Good trucking companies that really care about safety are having to compete with companies that are cutting corners, and are getting jobs simply because they have the cheapest prices,” said Mr. Dolyniuk.
“What we really need is the general public to take notice.”