OTTAWA, Ont. — The Canadian Trucking Human Resources Council (CTHRC) has launched their new, updated entry-level driver training program, Earning Your Wheels (EYW).

The program has undergone several revisions since it was first developed in 1995. In the latest revision, the CTHRC worked with a committee that included representative from carriers, schools, insurance and other trucking stakeholders to finalize the new curriculum.

“The technology in the trucking industry has changed so much in the past few years, that the material wasn’t relevant anymore,” said Andy Roberts, president of Mountain Transport Institute LTD., a school in British Columbia that delivers the EYW curriculum. “Carriers want employees who can work with the new equipment and technology that they use in their businesses, and this updated curriculum addresses that need.”

Twelve new streamlined modules replace the original six, with topics that include trip planning (reading maps, planning routes), a new communication module (how to speak to customers and interact with difficult people) and an overview of new technology. In addition to the new modules, the number of behind-the-wheel hours will also be increased.

“We’re very excited about starting the new curriculum,” said Ted Sparkes, owner of the Atlantic Transport Training Institute in New Brunswick. “This new curriculum is more in line with what the trucking industry is looking for in its drivers, and as a school using the new EYW program, we’ll be able to pass those skills on to our students.”

For more information visit www.cthrc.com.