Ontario extends deadline to Oct. 1 for detailed MELT lesson plans
The Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has extended the deadline to Oct. 1, for truck driving schools to incorporate detailed lesson plans in their mandatory entry-level training (MELT) programs.
On Dec. 24, 2024, the MTO had issued a bulletin to all MELT providers clarifying existing requirements for lesson plans in all programs conforming to the Commercial Truck Driver Training Standard (Class A). The bulletin mentioned that the driving schools had until July 1, 2025, to submit the minute-by-minute lesson plans to the ministry.
Responding to a query from trucknews.com, an MTO official said, “Course providers are expected to submit updated curricula, including lesson plans, to the Ministry of Colleges, Universities and Research Excellence and Security by the new deadline of Oct. 1, 2025. Those that fail to do so may be subject to compliance actions. This includes any course providers found delivering non-compliant lesson plans after the deadline.”
Narinderpal Jaswal of A2Z Driving School in Waterloo, Ont., who is also the president the Ontario Commercial Truck Training Association (OCTTA) is asking the group’s members to hold off on preparing the minute-by-minute plan until the MTO provides clarifications.
OCTTA requests standard plan for all schools
He said that minute-by-minute lesson plans can be implemented in the classroom but do not work on the road. The association has consulted with the MTO and requested that it provide a standard lesson plan for all driving schools in the province.
Jaswal noted that hiring a consultant for the updated curricula costs around $2,000. In the current economic situation, driving schools are already feeling the pinch and this will add to the burden, he said.
Traffic and weather woes
Philip Fletcher, president of the Truck Training Schools Association of Ontario (TTSAO) said that member schools had concerns about the detailed plans during on-the-road classes.
Given the traffic conditions in the Greater Toronto Area, it will be difficult to list out what will be happening every minute on the road, including observing, teaching and talking.
Construction during the warmer months and bad weather in the colder months will create issues as well, Fletcher noted. He added that it will be difficult to provide oversight.
He said that TTSAO has plans underway to provide a collective lesson plan that all members could utilize.
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.
If a school can’t afford $2,000 to make their program compliant, they aren’t a financially viable business.
-
John you know the reality. $2000 multiplay into 250 schools means half million why mto not provide standardized lesson plan for all school.
John did you made any change in your curriculum since 2017 if not than what is wrong with old lesson plan.
We can come to your school please show us how you can manage min by min lesson plan on road.
I feel there should be stricter training for new drivers, my opinion of being a driver of 25+years and no accidents
the trainers should go back to the old school ways ,trainers where drivers and not somebody who thinks they can train,myself I’ve been ask to train and yes I’ve tried but I was told I’m to strick. If I’m training you ,you will understand when driving a big truck there is never to much safety and you will respect your truck,meaning two thing either you drive like a professional and have respect your truck and the public or will hurt someone or even kill them and this is no excuse.Just my opinion.
-
True
We are keep asking why the road test is so easy make this tuffer.
Road test must be more than 2 hrs and students must test in all maneuver.
Examiner at test center many of never drove big rig just pass AZ test and start testing.
Yes, we need stricter regulations for truck drivers and companies.
He also need truck drivers to be paid the proper way as a professional driver truck drivers are paid not like a minimum wage paying job for the amount of work and hours they do. Wages should be set on a 40 hour work week not a 70 and 80 hour work week .Like most drivers are putting in before they even stop at the end of there week . We need a regulated rate that pays a driver for the work that they do even if you’re paid by the mile no more of giving up free time. This will make the roads a lot safer. This way driver can concentrate on driving and getting a load there safely without worrying about not making enough money to pay their bills someone out there is making a hell of a lot of money and it’s not the truck drivers.
No different than classroom instruction, on road and in yard instruction needs to be structured. Every school should have a system for teaching any of the skills related to Professional driving. The theory in the classroom supports the driving and yard skill training and vice versa. Integrating the learning across all situations greatly increases student knowledge retention as well. The schools that actually want their students to succeed as professional drivers won’t have an issue with this and in all likelihood the exercise of putting this on paper will improve their courses. The schools that want the government to provide the lesson plans have no internal structure and are just looking to make a fast buck, hence why they can’t afford a $2K invoice.
We have similar issues in BC and our regulator (ICBC Driver Training and Certification) has audited (paper only) all of the MELT schools in BC with a number of them having their agreements terminated. I do agree somewhat with Mr. Jaswal that road tests need to get longer and also more expensive. I would like to see them get longer so there is time to evaluate more skills and verify students are actually being taught the curriculum to a level of mastery. I would like to see them get more expensive so there is some financial pain associated with an unsuccessful result. There is a movement to make this a Red Seal trade and Red Seal exams are much longer than 2 hours and the $60 fee we have in BC.
As a certified industrial education teacher with more than a decade of proven experience in the developing and delivering highly functional training programs for a commercial motor carrier, it’s my opinion that the development of minute by minute curriculum and lesson plans for the MELT program is not clearly understood by either the ministry or the training schools.
The idea of a minute by minute lesson plan is either not understood or has not been properly articulated. There is far more to proper teaching techniques than can be covered here but let try to provide one example related to lesson plans. Properly designed lesson plans are a critical element of instruction but only a portion of what is required to built and effective training program.
Lesson plans must be based on a performance objective that is expressed in terms of a specific behaviour that the learner can demonstrate and the instructor can observe. The performance objective must state: 1)what the learner must be able to do, 2) under what conditions it must be done, and 3) what level of mastery must be demonstrated. Each lesson plan must focus on a specific task that builds the learners knowledge and skill set. Lessons must be grouped in related modules or skill sets. When each lesson in the module in mastered the learner is approved to do those tasks. When each module in the curriculum plan is mastered the driver is approved to work independently.
Mastery for learning is not measured in time. Skills must be developed by guided practice be observed by competent trainer.
Andy Roberts is correct, “…on road and in yard instruction needs to be structured.”
Oversight and Enforcement
Sink some teeth into Provincial regs
Some Carriers need to take some accountability
How are these poorly trained drivers getting hired, put on the road and insured?
It was no problem to submit for all of our school locations. The ones who object don’t want to be accountable and probably aren’t delivering what they should.