mandatory entry level training

Humboldt’s Legacy: The lessons truck drivers will learn

Few events have shaken Canada’s trucking industry more than last spring’s crash between a truck and Humboldt Broncos bus near Armley, Sask. Families were left to mourn 16 dead and support the 13 wounded. The charges against Adesh Deol Trucking and its driver are now making their way through the courts. But there are already signs that this collision will have a lasting legacy – especially as provinces look to refine the skills of those behind the wheel.

Drivers ‘deserve to be trained’, says BC widow calling for nation-wide standards

FALKLAND, B.C. – Pattie Babij is on a mission to make new driver training mandatory nation-wide. It’s been a difficult year for Babij. A little more than 12 months ago her husband Steve was driving his truck near Revelstoke, B.C. when another semi crossed the median and hit him head on – neither he nor the couple’s dog Zak survived the crash. To add to the grief, she’s being forced to sell her dairy farm because she’s unable to run it without her husband’s help.

Mandatory training won’t fix everything, but it will help

The chorus calling for improved and mandatory training for truck drivers is growing louder as the days pass following the Humboldt, Sask. truck/bus crash. We still don't know the official cause of that crash, or what role driver training -- or the lack thereof -- played in the incident. I'm not inclined to believe it was a primary factor. I think what is playing in most peoples' minds is the driver's reported lack of experience.

SPECIAL REPORT: The early days of mandatory training

TORONTO, ON -- Darryl Robitaille belongs to a rare graduating class, one of the first future truck drivers to study under Ontario's new Mandatory Entry-Level Training (MELT) regime. That means he had to complete at least 103.5 hours of approved training before the Ontario Ministry of Transportation would allow him to take the road test for an AZ licence to drive tractor-trailers. He failed on the first attempt. "The road test I did fine on," says the resident of Caledonia, Ontario, referring to actions like steering and backing. His challenge was with new questions linked to pre-trip inspections. "I was extremely nervous," Robitaille adds. This despite the fact that he personally completed a 200-hour training program, well above the mandated minimum introduced on July 1. But with a little extra studying he passed the test on his second attempt. Now he is looking to secure his first job behind the wheel. Robitaille can take comfort in knowing he wasn't alone.

Driver exam crush ahead of mandatory training

TORONTO, ON -- An increasing number of would-be truck drivers are lining up for licensing tests at Ontario DriveTest centers as the province approaches a July 1 deadline to introduce Mandatory Entry-Level Training (MELT). The number of appointments has increased since the beginning of 2017 and was up 20% last March when compared to the same month in 2016, an Ontario Ministry of Transportation spokesman confirms. The surge was not unexpected, either. Extra examiners were trained, and more classified test slots had been allocated to respond to an increase in demand.