TTSAO reacts to MTO’s proposed MELT standards
HAMILTON, Ont. — The Truck Training Schools Association of Ontario (TTSAO) said today that it believes great strides have been achieved with the recently proposed Mandatory Entry Level Training standards, but that the standard still needs work before it can fully endorse them.
The TTSAO, and other industry subject matter experts from various carriers, training institutions and insurance fields were on the task force to provide their input and feedback on the standards.
The TTSAO said for it to fully endorsed the proposed MELT standards, the following suggestions must be addressed:
- Instructor qualifications needs to be discussed
- Minimum requirements for training on a standard transmission should be included
- A clear definition of online education needs to be outlines
- Procedures for booking of road tests should be included
- Vehicle configurations for training and testing need to be clear
- Observation time in training yard should be included in the defined hours
- Night time training should not be a requirement of the standard
- Maximum training of 6 hours per day in cab is unacceptable
- Clearly defined documentation to verify training hours are met is required
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The MELT Program looks good and sounds great. My concern is that there needs to be a MTO, TTSAO and School Programs that should have Certificate Of Training given by Each Province and their respected Provincial or Territorial Governments. And should be visual in ALL institutions of Truck Training for everyone to see. Possibly placed on the Certificates stating MELT Approved.
Any schools not given this Certificate, would not be Classed as An Approved School. And would then be classified as unaccredited and below standards.
There should be a Standard of Training in these schools, that training to receive a Class A or D plus Z.
As it is Law that the minimum age requirement to receive Class D training is 18, there should be a minimum of 20 or 21 to receive training for a Class A.
There should also be an understanding at any age over 21 that in order to receive a Class A, the person MUST train on Class D first and working that classification for 1 year in order to being training for Class A and Not just receive a Class D without basic knowledge of a Straight trucks.
ALL Schools should have a program that provides adequate training load securement. Load distribution on ALL trailers and straight trucks.
ALL school Need to have the Student understand that when Backing up any vehicle, he is SOLEY Responsible for any accidents by any means. Whether instructed or not. To understand that if he is unsure, then he must know the Acronym of ” G.O.A.L. ” — Get Out And Look. When a Student is training, there should be a Measurement Of Qualification or M.O.Q, this will show every instructor the level of understanding of each student, and if there areas of concern in that student, ( Included in the cost of training ) then the areas that could be worked on more intensely to bring the student to a level of Satisfaction. Even if I means an extra week.
I noticed there was a concern over Night Time training. I side with TTSAO, there is no need. Schools would literally need to be open 24 hours day. And areas that are sensitive to Truck Noise in residential areas, would be opening a slew of future problems.
MELT sound Great and should be implemented. The problem I see, is that other than a few words of encouragement, MELT is really nothing more than a re-write of the rules of what is in place now.
The Quality of Drivers these days is despicable. Drivers are learning on Automatic trucks and will have NO training on a Manual Transmission. The situation of a driver being trained on a 2016 Automatic truck and the company sends a 1990’s truck with15 speed, and the poor driver would have absolutely no idea of how to start it let alone drive it.
Thank you
HKDA- Ontario
Stephen D James
As usual the MTO is pushing the liability from themselves onto others. A 60 minute test with no opening the hood is all it takes to get your AZ and that’s not being changed here. With testing being done by a private company for profit not by the government. So after a 20 minute inspection, 10 minute backing/couple/uncouple, what do you have for driving ? 30 minutes on an automatic transmission if you so choose. You can set all the school standards you want, but unless they are tested by the MTO, it will mean squat.
I agree with the TTSAO, everything has to be clearly laid out with guidelines, definitions and documented or M.E.L.T. will be no better than what we are dealing with at the present.