OTA program offers $4,000 for onboarding, driver mentorships

A new Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) program will support the training of 500 job seekers and commercial drivers, giving employers up to $4,000 for each participant who completes related onboarding, additional training, and driver-to-driver mentorships.

Known as Explore Trucking Careers, the project will be administered by the non-profit Toronto Business Development Centre and supported by federal and provincial funding.

Toronto traffic
(Photo: istock)

“Support for training in our sector boosts employment and growth in our industry while bolstering road safety,” OTA chairman James Steed said in a press release. “It also pays dividends to all other sectors of the supply chain and economy that rely on transportation services to deliver products Ontarians rely on.”

Examples of qualifying training in soft and hard skills include:

  • Truck driver orientation and onboarding
  • Enhanced curriculum such as safety awareness and mechanical skills
  • Using electronic logging devices
  • Route planning
  • Pre- and post-inspection routines
  • Cross-border compliance
  • Driver shadowing and one-on-one mentoring
  • Defensive driving
  • Air brake refresher courses
  • Loading and unloading procedures
  • Transportation of dangerous goods and hazardous material endorsements
  • Load securement and cargo handling

“Ontario’s truck drivers are everyday heroes who keep food on tables and ensure our families and businesses get the goods and services they need most,” added Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development Monte McNaughton.

“Our government is proud to support programs like Explore Trucking Careers so more young people get a shot at landing bigger paycheques and purpose-driven work.”

  • This story has been updated with details about eligible training.


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  • I could not understand How came in Canada for Visitors Visa then they get commercial truck License and International students get commercial License During study

    Reply

    • We have 10 000 too many trucks in Canada
      We need a program to insure new drivers like B C has
      This a program to have cheap foreign drivers often came over as students
      Certain trucking companies are recruiting people to come over as students
      truck drivers wages are 30 percent more in the U S
      Many people have left trucking in ont because of low wage or low income as lease ops
      We need a system that protects these people so they get a hourly wage with overtime pay. Our tax $ should not be used to train cheaper offshore drivers

      Reply