Driving school making false representation, Ontario associations warn

Avatar photo

The Truck Training School Association of Ontario (TTSAO) is warning that there is a school in the province that falsely claims to be a member of the association, but is not.

TTSAO provided TruckNews.com with a driver’s certificate from Great Canada Driving School that carried the association’s logo. The school has no legal standing to claim they are a part of the association, the TTSAO said.

Picture of a driving school certificate
(Photo: Submitted by TTSAO)

“I have a problem with people doing that to us internally and as an industry,” Philip Fletcher, TTSAO president said. A cease-and-desist order was delivered to the school by hand last month.

‘Just decoration’

When questioned about the use of the logo on his school’s certificate, Michael Schwartsburd, president, Great Canada Driving School said, “Once I was a member of the association, a long time ago. I promise not to use it. It is just decoration. So, I stop it.”

The certificate also includes Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) and Ontario Safety League (OSL) logos.

“The school is not a member of the OTA,” Marco Beghetto, the association’s vice-president communications and new media said in an email.

Legal letter

Brian Patterson, OSL president and CEO said the league’s lawyers in the process of sending a letter to the school.

“The school stopped being a signing authority four-and-a-half years ago,” he said.

TTSAO’s Fletcher said he contacted the Ministry of Colleges and Universities and the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario to put an end to the fraudulent practice.

The TTSAO got wind of the issue when a student visited an accredited school to upgrade their skills and presented the certificate. “The school recognized that it was not a TTSAO member and informed us,” Fletcher said.

“This can further muddy the water …”

Philip Fletcher, TTSAO president

“This can further muddy the water by having carriers believe they are looking to hire a new driver who has successfully completed the MELT program from a reputable TTSAO school, when they haven’t,” he added.

OSL’s Patterson said, “It speaks to the honesty and integrity of the organization to misrepresent their position within the trucking community. Beware, beware, beware.”

Carriers can check if drivers have successfully completed the MELT program from a TTASO member school by visiting ttsao.com/accredited-schools.

Avatar photo

Leo Barros is the associate editor of Today’s Trucking. He has been a journalist for more than two decades, holds a CDL and has worked as a longhaul truck driver. Reach him at leo@newcom.ca


Have your say


This is a moderated forum. Comments will no longer be published unless they are accompanied by a first and last name and a verifiable email address. (Today's Trucking will not publish or share the email address.) Profane language and content deemed to be libelous, racist, or threatening in nature will not be published under any circumstances.

*

  • A logo is not just a “decoration”. Logos convey accreditation by and / or membership in that organization.

    Reply

  • I am sure there is many schools in the GTA and across Canada that do not have the accreditation that they persist to have, or train commercial drivers to the standards that are required in the industry. This is a massive problem and needs to be corrected immediately.

    Reply