Truck driver training schools and industry organizations are pushing back hard against the Ontario Ministry of Transportation’s (MTO) decision to once again extend the deadline for lesson plan compliance in the mandatory entry-level training (MELT) program.

The ministry announced schools now have until July 1, 2026, to submit detailed lesson plans, a move that has sparked widespread frustration.

The Truck Training Schools Association of Ontario (TTSAO) said it is both shocked and deeply disappointed. Philip Fletcher, TTSAO president, noted that while the official bulletin was distributed Sept. 24, media outlets reported the news a day earlier.

“This lack of direct communication leaves many of our member schools who have already devoted countless hours, resources, and significant funds to meet the original compliance requirements feeling undermined and disregarded,” he said.

Fletcher added that TTSAO and other safety organizations were not consulted. He argued a short grace period of two to three weeks would have been reasonable, but a nine-month extension is “excessive” and “rewards non-compliance.”

WTFC urges minister to reverse extension

The Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada (WTFC) also appealed directly to Prabmeet Sarkaria, the transportation minister, to reverse the extension. In a letter, WTFC president Shelley Walker said the decision undermines compliant schools that had already invested in curriculum software, instructor training, upgraded simulators, and other administrative costs.

“Beyond the critical public safety implications, this repeated extension places a significant financial burden on compliant schools during these difficult times,” Walker said. WTFC warned that the delay sends a troubling signal that compliance is optional. The group called for a transparent explanation from the ministry, fast-tracking of early adopters, targeted support for compliant schools, and enforcement measures to deter those exploiting the reprieve.

Frustration among training schools has also been sharp. Jeff McKay, president of Kitchener, Ont.-based Transport Driver Training, said he was “appalled and absolutely disgusted.”

School owner warns lives will be lost

“This extension will cost lives. More lives to add to the growing number of fatalities as a result of the corrupt schools in the truck driver training industry taking shortcuts in training. The bad actors are being protected,” he said.

McKay argued that schools had already been given 10 months to prepare lesson plans, and the new delay simply gives dishonest operators more time to “figure out how to beat the system.” He warned that until rule-breakers and those enabling them are held accountable, unsafe training practices will persist. Each extension, he added, undermines road safety and penalizes schools that have worked hard to meet the requirements.

School says it was not consulted

At Crossroads Truck & Career Academy in Ottawa, director of operations Shea Merriman called the announcement a “serious and concerning setback.” She said the academy, which invested early in compliance, was not consulted and only learned of the extension through media reports.

Merriman stressed that the lack of transparency undermines trust at a time when collaboration is badly needed. For schools working to provide high-quality, safe training, the decision feels like progress is being rolled back, while non-compliant operators gain yet another reprieve. Each delay, she warned, erodes confidence in the system and increases risks on Ontario’s roads.