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.

“There has been no increase to this cap in eight years, which has simply not kept up with today’s truck training world. If schools can’t make enough money to cover their costs, they will be forced to cut costs in other areas to be able to stay in business,” says Mike Millian, president of the Private Motor Council of Canada.

Lisa Arseneau of Staebler Insurance added: “If the cap is not increased to reflect today’s economy, we run the risk of losing many of the best private career college truck driver training schools due to underfunding and cost prohibition.”