TORONTO, ON – Ontario is on track to unveil changes to its truck driver training and licencing regime by the end of this month – introducing a minimum of 103.5 hours of training, tougher licensing tests, and a registration system designed to force unproven training schools out of business.

Details of the Mandatory Entry Level Training (MELT) program were unveiled by Ontario Ministry of Transportation officials during the annual meeting of the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada, and take effect in July 2017.

Those who want to earn a Class A licence will now face a minimum of 103.5 hours of mandatory training, including 36.5 hours in the classroom, 17 hours in yard, 18 hours behind the wheel and off the road, and 32 hours on the road. Another 12 hours of air brake training would be in addition to that, but not be mandated.

Put another way, it will take four to six weeks of training before being licensed as an entry-level driver, says Kim MacCarl, the team leader involved in the project.

There is currently no minimum training standard, which has allowed some schools to teach students to pass the licensing tests alone.

The tests themselves will also be tougher than ever before.

Written knowledge tests, which currently draw from a bank of 88 questions, will now focus entirely on truck-specific issues, and draw from a bank of more than 150 questions.

Tests around vehicle inspections, meanwhile, will focus on three to five random vehicle components, requiring drivers to describe what they’re looking for, the difference between major and minor defects, and how they would respond to each. The existing approach has been criticized because it can be passed by simply memorizing the components to be inspected. Some test locations do not even require drivers to open truck hoods.

On-road driving tests will require a minimum number of specific tasks. Those looking for a licence will need to perform offset backing to the left or right, or an alley-dock maneuver. Once on the road, they will need to perform four right turns, left turns and intersections; two lane changes; one driving along and expressway section; two curves; and an emergency roadside stop and start.

“Once the driver has completed the course, it’s valid for life,” added MacCarl. “No re-certification is required.” All drivers who hold an AZ licence as of July 1, 2017 will have existing licences grandfathered.

“The goal of the standards is to set high and consistent entry-level training,” said Franca Ambrosio, manager – evaluation and training office with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.

The training itself can be delivered through Driver Certification Programs, private career colleges registered with the Ministry of Colleges and Universities, and colleges such as Durham, Humber and Mohawk.

Schools that want to offer training will need to have curriculum approved by July 1, 2017. Only after being approved will they be allowed access to a Web-based system that will be used to identify students who have completed the course. “Unregistered schools that are out there, they can no longer train,” said MacCarl.

Any curricula will have to be assessed by a qualified educator and subject matter expert, Ambrosio added.

There will still be issues to address later this summer. Instructor qualifications are being reviewed, as are requirements for vehicle configurations to be used in the training and tests. Some questions remain about whether to require manual transmissions or allowed Automated Manual Transmissions.

The province is also considering how to address those who are licensed in other provinces. “What we want to avoid is the jumping,” MacCarl said. “We definitely know there is a gap there.”

The tests for other licence classes are also being updated.

The training and testing requirements have been aligned with National Occupational Standards, developed by Trucking HR Canada. Ministry officials also reviewed standards set by the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and training developed by the Professional Truck Driver Institute (PTDI).

The province continues to monitor plans to require mandatory training in the U.S., MacCarl said. A proposal there is requiring 30 hours of behind-the-wheel training for Class A drivers, with the first 10 hours in a practice yard. Trainees would then need to drive 10 hours on a public road, or take 10 trips that last at least 50 minutes. Trainers will need to issue certificates that prove students demonstrated “proficiency” at the wheel.

Ontario committed to Mandatory Entry Level Training two years ago.