OAKVILLE, ON – Training always comes with a price tag, but private fleet managers who attend an annual event can learn how they can get $10,000 per apprentice driver to help offset the costs.

Organizers of the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada‘s 2015 Annual Conference have invited Kim Richardson, president of KRTS Transportation Specialists, who will lead discussions about the Ontario Tractor-Trailer Voluntary Apprenticeship Program.

He will offer insight into reporting requirements and exactly what it takes to access the $10,000 tax credit for each of the first four years a program participant stays on the job.

Apprentices are eligible for $2,000 after completing the program.

“This is a valuable incentive for any recruiting and retention initiative, and many leading private fleets are already using it,” said Richardson. “But many people don’t know there are also ways to customize the program to reflect specific training needs.”

The PMTC 2015 Annual Conference, scheduled for June 17 and 18 and will be at the Kingbridge Conference Centre in King City, just north of Toronto.

The event will also feature an array of educational sessions, awards, networking events and exhibitor showcases.

Other conference seminars will address:

• Distracted driving — Examining distracted driving hazards, how to implement preventative measures, the latest research around “inattentional blindness”, and related legal implications.
• Transportation trends and private fleet benchmarks — The latest research into private fleets and other trends in the transportation industry.
• Driver shortage and retention strategies — An industry panel will discuss how to find, attract and keep the best employees.
• Legal updates from the firm of Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP will cover trends in the last year, and help to clarify the differences between federally and provincially regulated carriers.
• 6×2 axle configurations – Interest around these fuel-saving configurations is on the rise in the U.S., but how is their use restricted in Canada?
• The trouble with trucks — Will explore the evolution of Canada’s weights and dimensions regulations, the rules that affect everything you load on a truck or trailer.

More information, including registration, is on the PMTC website.