Driver apprenticeship program confirmed in Ontario

TORONTO — A group of carriers and driver trainers lobbying for a truckers’ apprenticeship program finally got their wish.

The McGuinty government officially gave the green light to a voluntary apprenticeship curriculum for truck drivers — making the profession a skilled trade.

Chris Bentley, the Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities, made the announcement at the Ontario Trucking Association convention last week. “Truck driving is one of the most common occupations in Canada. This new apprenticeship will improve driver education, support the trucking industry’s commitment to training and the growth of the sector, and build a
pool of skilled drivers,” said Bentley.

The new program will touch on the
life-style adjustments of long-haul driving

The program — which will be based on “accredited” driver curriculums like CTHRC’s Earning Your Wheels and the Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI) — will begin in early 2006.

The “finishing” program will train apprentice tractor-trailer drivers for about 12 weeks with a mentor and 40 weeks of on-the-job training. Drivers will learn to plan trips and inspect equipment, safely handle cargo, conduct routine vehicle checks, and prepare documentation, including bills of lading, border crossing security and custom forms.

Participants will also learn other critical skills, such as developing a deeper understanding of the life-style adjustments of long-distance driving,
application of appropriate laws, customer service, safety regulations and the principles of the trucking business.

Training will be voluntary for both drivers and carriers. The government has introduced the Apprenticeship Training Tax Credit to encourage more employers to train apprentices.

The movement toward a quasi-structured truck-driving apprenticeship program, was led by Kim Richardson of Kim Richardson Transportation Specialists in Caledonia, Ont. and Ray Haight, CEO of Guelph, Ont.-based MacKinnon Transport, as well as TST Truckload. The Ontario Trucking Association and the Owner-Operator’s Business Association of Canada also threw in their support in 2004.

“For the first time the government has recognized that a truck driver is a skilled professional, not an unskilled worker. This is a big step forward
for the trucking industry,” said David Bradley, president of the OTA.

The program also has the backing of unions. “With the number of drivers in the workforce that are retiring and the shortage of skilled drivers, it is of the utmost importance to replace these drivers and hire additional drivers,” said Bud McAulay, assistant freight director at Teamsters Canada.

Ontario has Canada’s largest apprenticeship training system with over 140 trades.

According to Brian Botham, manager of safety and driver resources for MacKinnon, the program could act as a bridge between young drivers and a good cross-border job in trucking. Currently, drivers must be 21 to qualify for U.S. service, but Canadians allow 18-year-olds.

“If we took these young drivers into the program, by the time they reach 21, they’ll already have a couple of years of experience on Canadian highways,” he told Today’s Trucking earlier this year.


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