Trucking company involved in fatal crash already had licence pulled for violations
Brijpal Panwar, had previously worked for Conquer Transportation Inc. in Alberta, the company formerly known as Conquer Transport Inc. in Manitoba.
Author: Quinn Patrick
A trucking company linked to a fatal crash in Brandon, Man., had its safety permit revoked several years ago before resurfacing under a new name, a practice that has become increasingly common among bad actors in the transportation industry.
Manitoba Transportation Minister Lisa Naylor confirmed the driver, Brijpal Panwar, had previously worked for Conquer Transportation Inc. in Alberta, formerly known as Conquer Transport Inc. in Manitoba.
Panwar, 35, allegedly failed to stop at a stop sign at the intersection of Richmond Avenue and Highway 110 last week and collided with a westbound SUV at highway speeds.
The crash killed the 49-year-old woman driving the SUV. Panwar has been charged with dangerous driving causing death.
In 2021, Conquer Transport lost its Manitoba safety certification “for ongoing deficiencies in safe operation and non-compliance” after racking up 30 convictions over three years across five provinces.
“Alberta Transportation is actively working with Manitoba Motor Carrier Enforcement and the Brandon Police Service to confirm the identity of the two (2) carriers involved,” a spokesperson for Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen told Juno News. “If it is confirmed that an Alberta-based carrier was involved in, or responsible for, this tragic incident, Alberta will take decisive action without hesitation, in accordance with applicable legislation and enforcement authorities.”
Companies with lengthy violation records have been known to re-emerge in new jurisdictions after losing their permits elsewhere. They are commonly referred to as “chameleon carriers.”
Naylor is calling on federal Transportation Minister Steven MacKinnon to crack down on bad actors in the trucking industry by launching a national database to flag safety issues early and track repeat violations.
The database would be designed to identify companies such as Conquer Transport Inc., which re-emerged after losing its Manitoba safety permit, shifting from a Manitoba-based company in 2018 to Conquer Transportation Inc. in Alberta in 2022 after six convictions.
Three of those convictions occurred between 2023 and 2025 and involved Conquer vehicles operating in Manitoba with maintenance or equipment standard violations.
Last year, Conquer vehicles were taken out of service at least four times after failing inspections.
The company was also ranked among the 225 highest-risk carriers in Alberta out of more than 18,000 companies registered in the province.