TTSAO launches Smart Driver Mentor Program to support new Ontario truck drivers
The Truck Training Schools Association of Ontario (TTSAO) is launching the Smart Driver Mentor Program, which aims to help TTSAO graduates transition to employment with companies that have adopted or are prepared to implement in-house mentorship programs.
“The program is the pre-eminent method of allowing new drivers entry into the industry in a safe, structured, and monitored manner, which carriers and insurers will appreciate,” said Philip Fletcher, president of TTSAO, in a news release.
The program is designed to bridge the gap between successfully completing the entry-level training curriculum and the requirements needed for employment with a carrier.
The program, in collaboration with Cutler TCMS and DriverVerified, ensures that new drivers are assessed and viable for employment. TTSAO schools conduct the assessment, Cutler TCMS provides real-time monitoring, and DriverVerified collects all documentation.
“This wrap-around program will work with carriers to onboard and train their new drivers to learn all of the necessary knowledge and obligations of employment while being overseen by qualified individuals and industry experts,” said Shane Cutler of Cutler TCMS.
“DriverVerified is pleased to support professional drivers as they upgrade their skills and comply with important industry criteria,” added Caleb Krahn, president of DriverVerified. “We have already created systems required to manage the Smart Driver Mentor Program for our clients.”
The program has been available in the industry since 2020 and, according to the release, has helped companies put drivers in their seats with the acceptance of their insurance partner.
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 Profane language and content deemed to be libelous, racist, or threatening in nature will not be published under any circumstances.
Robert, your point of how drivers become professionals is one that bears merit. Having a structured training regimen for the new driver coming into the industry is the best way to have a driver put on the right track to become that professional.
The oversight, leadership and accountability is managed to bring that sense of professionalism into the driver’s mindset, and the form and function of our mentorship gives a clear path to how to conduct oneself out on the road, from that point on.
We need to transition our new drivers into ones that can be productive, compliant and safe for their driving career. Smart Driver Mentorship is our answer as to how to get there.
It is great to have a program like the Smart Driver Program but it does not make the new want to be professional to become one. Becoming a professional takes years of having good driving records and dedication towards the company that relies on him to achieve the ongoing task given at the time.
Knowing all aspects of how equipment performs in many situations plus being aware of regulations from DOT and other regulating bodies.
Even having programs and implementing those don’t replace real-life teaching and working with problem-solving.