PTTAC aims to standardize truck driver training across Canada
Commercial truck driver training businesses have launched the Professional Truck Training Alliance of Canada (PTTAC) with a mandate to standardize and support driver training programs offered in all provinces and territories.
PTTAC was founded by chairman Jim Campbell, president and general manager of First Class Training Centre in Winnipeg, and like-minded stakeholders.
The alliance’s objectives are to: make commercial truck driving a recognized Red Seal trade in Canada; create nationally approved truck training instructor programs; remove barriers and bring accessibility to funding and tuition for truck driver training programs; and ensure truck training schools are standardized and compliant, provincially and nationally.
“As we build this alliance, our goal is to become the unified voice of commercial truck training in Canada: the trusted group who makes a difference to the industry, road safety, and education. Working with like-minded stakeholders is the direction we are headed in and we encourage all schools to join our movement,” Campbell said in a news release.
The alliance’s kick-off campaign will include a tour of Western Canada, where Campbell and other founding members will meet with provincial and federal representatives to discuss their mandate and objectives in further detail.
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It needs to be a red seal trade for drivers and mechanical repair people . We need a tiered wage based on experience with a min hourly rate with overtime pay after 10 hours a day
We need a system to train and insure new drivers for all fleet sizes and farm and construction. All drivers should have to pay a English or French exam before being lead driver or driving sWe need to come down very hard on those companies that use the foreign student program to get cheap drivers that are poorly trained
The trucking industry needs to put 50 cents per hour or 1 cent per mile into a training fund if they have 5 or more units
The first problem is “define truck driver “ , even specifically “tractor trailer driver” has many skill categories that will not transfer from commodity to commodity. Bull haulers start over when they move to driving dump trucks. There are different driving conditions that are job specific that need to be filtered into different groupings to create Red Seal Categories of Truck Driver , there are a lot different categories of Truck Driver that can be measured to create a Red Seal driver in a particular commodity/equipment/driving environment.
In deed, the driving profession is a “Trade”, I have been saying this for years. The industry does not, and is hesitant to recognize this as a profession as they concerned that will equal higher wages. We need to get beyond this , and I think that a standardized true training program is needed that is recognized Canada wide. Over the years with the increase of new Canadian drivers to fill the openings that we have, there must not be pressure to push the candidates through. This is not only costly to our industry but it is not doing the new driver any favors, and really sets them up for failure.
Having only approved standardized training/schools, and only passing truly qualified drivers is a big part of moving our industry forward. This will not only help our drivers to be seen as professionals with a trade, but it will provide comfort for the employer knowing the training/education their drivers receive. There is a lot to consider on this topic but think this would be a step in the right direction. Thanks.