Yes it was an incredible tragedy and for me it was just a matter of time until events like this became more common. I've been retired for 6 years from 46 years in the repair trade as an inter-provincial red seal certified mechanic. I spent about 15 years of my career in the motor transport industry at Truck Dealerships (Kenworth, Navistar & Ford) and held a CVSA (commercial vehicle) inspectors license. I left the commercial vehicle business in the mid 1990's and returned to my roots where I began, the construction machinery business, staying there for 15 years until I retired. I became fed up with the motor transport business because I could see the writing on the wall back in the 90's seeing a trend that was driving ever more truckers out of business due to being undercut by ever lower cost operators. I also became aware that the system was being gamed in the area of driver training, licensing and even in the area of the mandatory vehicle mechanical inspections having found out that "favorable inspections" could be performed at certain independent facilities with cash "tips" to some inspectors. I got to the point that I despised interactions with certain drivers and their companies. Given the direction the industry was heading I have no regrets having left the industry and I'm sad that it had to get to this current disaster, it was only a matter of time.
CBC Marketplace had an interesting episode covering the really weak training and testing (notably) out West. Ontario's system is not great, but considerably better than many provinces. The Feds really should step in and establish a better National training and examination system.