MTO orders truck drivers to retest for A/Z licence after audit finds irregularities at test provider
Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has sent letters to some truck drivers to retake A/Z knowledge and road tests.
“Due to irregularities discovered during an audit of your test provider, the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) cannot verify that your A/Z knowledge and road tests were conducted to Ontario standards,” a ministry letter obtained by trucknews.com states.
To maintain their Class A/Z licence, MTO has ordered the drivers to successfully complete a vision and knowledge test within 60 days of the date of the letter and a road test within 120 days, at a DriveTest center.
Trucknews.com knows of at least two truck drivers who have received the letter. One of them, who got their licence a year ago, has been working as a longhaul driver making trips to the U.S., according to a source who requested anonymity.
The source, who owns and operates a truck driving school, said that two drivers approached the school to brush up their skills for the road test.
An MTO official told trucknews.com that the ministry conducts audits of driver training organizations as part of its oversight to ensure compliance with program standards and guidelines.
Drivers must pay for knowledge and road test
“An audit of a Driver Certification Program organization found that knowledge and road tests may not have been conducted in accordance with MTO requirements and standards. MTO is requiring affected drivers, including Class A/Z licence holders, to retake these tests to confirm they meet licensing standards,” she said.
In the letter to drivers, MTO noted that the action is authorized under the Ontario Highway Traffic Act, section 32(5), and Ontario Regulation 340/94, section 15.
The drivers not only pay to retake the tests, but must also supply their own vehicle for the road test, which includes a Class A truck and trailer combination with a full air brake system.
Failure will lead to licence downgrade
“You are advised to have a driver who is licensed to drive [a] Class A truck and trailer combination accompany you to your road test or prepare alternative means of returning your vehicle if you do not successfully complete your road test,” the MTO letter says.
The ministry warned the drivers that their A/Z licence will be downgraded to the next highest class of licence they are qualified to hold without any retesting if they: fail the vison, knowledge or road tests; fail to successfully complete the vision and knowledge test within 60 days from the date of the letter; or fail to successfully complete the road test within 120 days from the date of the letter.
If their A/Z licence is downgraded, the driver can upgrade it by completing all required testing at a future date, MTO said.
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Mike is absolutely correct. MTO dropped the ball years ago. Check out several Auditor General reports, including those from pre-Covid times…
This has been long long overdue and MTO has not been doing these inspections all along or all these schools would not be allowed to sell licenses to inqualified drivers in the first place.
I drove truck for 17 years. I loved it. But things started to take a turn for the worse. And I myself didn’t want to be a part of it anymore. I took pride in what I did and my license meant something. The e log was the last straw for me. It is a useless tool that forced me to drive tired or ill in bad weather or heavy traffic it took away my ability to do my job safely . As I read about this retesting process. The mto has no one to blame but themselves. For years I sat back and watched the new level of drivers and thought how is this even possible? What is happening out here. I truly hope they stick with it and clean up the mess they have created.
Irregularities code word for somebody got paid off
I can’t wait for someone to sue the Ontario Government and that American company DriveTest for selling drivers licenses. Ever been to one of those so-called driving schools that the MOT have authorized to train transport drivers. Left the one I went to shaking my head, this must have been caught by accident as this is not new. Notice they never mentioned DriveTest or the school involved. Quit covering for crooks and your mistakes Minister of Transport/Dougie Ford
Canadian Skilled Truckers Alliance (CSTA)
SO, the MTO has discovered a flaw in the Class A (D also, I assume) Testing of newbies in our industry. Quote: “Due to irregularities discovered during an audit of your test provider, the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) cannot verify that your A/Z knowledge and road tests were conducted to Ontario standards,” a ministry letter obtained by trucknews.com states.
And again, it is the truck drivers who pay for it, and they get the blame for the “Below Par” of the Drive Centre. Yet, the drivers are supposed to: “To maintain their Class A/Z licence, MTO has ordered the drivers to successfully complete a vision and knowledge test within 60 days of the date of the letter and a road test within 120 days, at a DriveTest center.”, the very road test centre, that is in question…how smart is that.
The MTO has put out a “WARNING” tho which the drivers are to redo the entire test, at their own expense, because “THEY” discovered a problem. They don’t say how many were affected or where these centres are.
The Ministry of Transport of Ontario has a lot more to worry about than the practices of the Drive Centre, including driver shortages, TFWP, and the involvement of Immigration in that program.
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Stephen is also absolutely correct. Through their own failures and incompetence, MTO is punishing the drivers who went through the process and must repeat the process at their own expense. No culpability or admittance of fault on the shoulders of those who administer the system. DCP is a ‘Swiss cheese’ program, fraught with inadequate checks and balances. In addition, the commercial driving schools are not being inspected–and enforced– in a reasonable and timely manner. Last, but not least, Serco, a UK-based service provider–not U.S. based as some have posited–has dropped the ball when testing of Class A drivers is performed. Unqualified and corrupted examiners are the theme of the day. Our MTO Ministers are also unqualified and are too busy with photo ops to address and confront the true extent of the various issues and inadequacies while road safety has deteriorated significantly and negatively impacted insurance rates, shipping costs, public perception of the industry, etc.
There is no information available for employers who may be employing one or more of these drivers affected by this. Looks like employers are solely dependent on the driver to inform them. In case the driver doesn’t tell the employer, now the employer will be on the hook to have a driver with an improper class of license. There is a need to have some transparency for the employer to verify such.
DCP… Not sure I’ve ever thought it was a good plan… Too easy for the less honest to manipulate.
Not sure I care too much for DriveTest either.
Signed; skeptical.
Should be completed in English or French it’s ridiculous the amount of languages offered. No signs offered in other languages besides English & French this is a safety issue
It sounds like the MTO failed to provide adequate oversight to ensure top quality testing at some test facilities. Requiring drivers who took the tests in good faith to pay again for the entire process isn’t what should happen: the institution that failed to provide “regular” testing (to avoid it being deemed irregular) should be paying the full cost for the vehicles required to complete a retesting and pay the qualified testers, and also pay the driver a lost days wages.
If on the other hand the “irregular” testing involved a pay to pass situation they should really revoke the license in the spot the way they would if caught under the influence etc.
When I posted this possible wrong doings 3 yrs ago I was called very bad names and then when i contacted a news agency I had my life threatened .
I believe all the other provinces should follow suit, maybe we will have a safer highways to drive on, I believe there is a lot of shady stuff going under the table elsewhere in Canada not just Ontario.
DCP should not exist, massive conflict of interest to test the same people you trained. Testing should be independent of the training provider. On a positive note, glad to see there is some oversight occurring!