I'm looking for clarity regarding commuting expenses as a private contractor. I have been told I can claim them all, but I am now seeing I can't claim gas on a commute.

You can't claim any motor vehicle expenses for your commute to and from work. You can only claim expenses incurred while you were "at work". Ex: if you are sales person, you can't claim expenses for driving to (or from) your office, but you can claim expenses for when you travel from the office to a client's place, or between clients.

If you have TurboTax Live Assist & Review, here is how to talk to a Tax Expert: https://turbotax.community.intuit.ca/community/navigating-turbotax/help/i-m-using-turbotax-live-assist-review-how-do-i-talk-to-a-tax-expert/00/873764