Alberta’s government has amended the eligibility criteria in the Class 1 Experience and Equivalency Program to allow Ukraine evacuees who hold or have held category CE licences to reduce the time and cost to obtain their Alberta Class 1 driver’s licences.

The province currently has a shortage of about 4,000 commercial truck drivers, which has been a factor in ongoing supply chain issues over the past few years, according to a government news release.

“Allowing Ukrainian evacuees with truck driving experience to enter the commercial driving industry is a win-win. It will help alleviate the ongoing driver shortage and support evacuees from Ukraine who have had so much to deal with over the past two and a half years,” said Devin Dreeshen, minister of transportation and economic corridors.

Transportation and Economic Corridors will also expand the Driving Back to Work (DBTW) grant criteria to include Ukraine evacuees. As part of the implementation of the new learning pathway in 2025-26, Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors will monitor driver competency to inform possible expansion of Class 1 driver licence recognition to other foreign countries to further reduce the truck driver shortage in Alberta.

Ukrainian driver licensing standards meet or exceed Alberta’s standards in most cases, particularly in driver training requirements, the news release noted.

MELT waiver

Ukrainian drivers with five or more years of equivalent experience within the last 10 years are eligible for a waiver from the Mandatory Entry-Level Training (MELT) program. Ukrainian drivers with between two and five years of driving experience will need to take the Class 1 Experience and Equivalency Program, which includes 40 hours of training.

“Accelerated training for Ukrainian evacuee commercial truck drivers will alleviate the province wide shortage,” said Tim Bennett, chairman of Alberta Motor Transport Association. “Having worked in conditions almost identical to those in Canada, these experienced commercial drivers are a natural choice to get behind the wheel and keep Alberta’s supply chains flowing. AMTA applauds the Government of Alberta for a policy that prioritizes efficacy and safety.”

Regardless of which path is taken, qualified candidates will still be required to successfully complete a Class 1 driver’s knowledge and road test, to have their vision screened, to submit a driver’s medical assessment and to complete air brake training.

The Class 1 Experience and Equivalency Program reduces the time and cost for drivers with experience to obtain their Class 1 driver’s licence. It takes 40 hours to complete and costs up to $4,000, compared to the MELT program, which takes 113 hours to complete and costs up to $10,000.