driver training
Ontario training schools call for tuition hike
HAMILTON, ON - The Truck Training Schools Association of Ontario (TTSAO) is calling on the province to raise the $40 hourly cap on tuition governed by the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development - and it has already found industry support in the call. Select carriers, insurance providers, and the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada are all supporting the bid. The cap has not been adjusted since 2009, but since then training school insurance costs have risen an average of 200%, equipment leases are up 45%, instructor wages are up 15%, and maintenance fees are up 20%, TTSAO argues. Costs also increased with the province's recent introduction of Mandatory Entry Level Training. "When you factor in the cost of fuel, insurance and wages for your staff and other capital expenses the $40.00 cap seems unreasonable for any kind of operation," says Guy Broderick, a driver training supervisor at APPS Transport Group and chairman of the association's carrier group.
Ontario driver training schools warned
TORONTO, ON - Ontario's private career colleges have received a stern warning from the ministry that oversees them, after complaints that some schools are trying to bypass newly introduced mandatory training for commercial drivers. The Mandatory Entry Level Training (MELT) program was introduced by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation on July 1, and sets a minimum of 103.5 hours of training for anyone looking to earn a Class A licence. It's the first jurisdiction in North America to introduce such a standard. In a memo obtained by Today's Trucking, the Ontario Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development says it has heard some schools may not be complying with approved training programs and conditions. The issue includes programs designed to upgrade BZ or DZ licence holders to AZ licences, or simple hourly lessons.
Association releases “DCP in a box”
TORONTO, ON -- The Ontario Trucking Association has released its Essential Driving Skills: Tractor-Trailer Driver curriculum for fleets that want to upgrade their Driver Certification Program (DCP) ahead of the province's Mandatory Entry-Level Training (MELT) regime that takes effect July 1.
When good isn’t good enough
Should "professional" drivers be held to a higher standard when it comes to care and control of their vehicles, and indeed, the actions they take or don't take to avoid a collision? An Ontario appeals court judge thinks they should be and has ruled accordingly. I think the decision opens some dangerous doors for Ontario truck drivers.
Vnomics’ True Fuel Part One: Bad Jim
PITTSFORD, NY -- Since you can't physically sit beside your drivers all day, observing and coaching their driving habits and performance, some sort of monitoring tool can be quite useful. However, if drivers see such devices as annoying or impeding their ability to drive the truck, they won't happily accept the intrusion.
Temporary delay in U.S. driver training bill
WASHINGTON, DC -- Thanks to a "Regulatory Freeze Pending Review" issued by the White House on January 20, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has "temporarily delayed" the effective date of its final rule on minimum entry-level CDL training requirements until March 21. However, while the rule's effective date has been extended, the agency did not adjust the rule's all-important compliance date- which remains February 7, 2020. In practical terms, that means this delay is only a move on paper.
U.S. funding driver training for vets
WASHINGTON, DC - The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has granted US $1 million to seven schools to help train more than 250 veterans and their family members as commercial drivers. The funding is provided through its Commercial Motor Vehicle Operator Safety Training (CMV-OST) grant program.
