Cutting Corners No More: How Truck Driver Training Courses in Canada are Raising the Bar

The transportation and logistics industry is more competitive than ever. Along with labour shortages, retirements, and high truck operating costs, some companies have been caught cutting corners.

But there’s a price to be paid if safety takes a back seat to expediency – safe driving plays a critical role in supply chain resilience and reliability to ensure that goods keep moving across North America. Competition between freight companies for customers and drivers should not get in the way of adequate comprehensive training and certification for drivers.  

In Canada, Ontario is looking to shore up the mandatory entry-level training (MELT), initially set up to outline the minimum training and expected level of competency before someone could be licenced to drive a truck. Ontario’s MELT framework drew competencies from the national occupational standard developed by Trucking HR Canada. At the same time, 2020 saw the federal government pledge to introduce a national entry-level training standard that would become National Safety Code Standard 16.

Hiring high-quality commercial truck driving instructors is just as essential for ensuring safety on the road as having trained and certified drivers – you can’t have one without the other. The association is pushing for instructors to undergo a three-day course approved by Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation and a full MELT course.  

Beyond safety on the road, there are many business-related reasons for fleet operators to invest in driver certification and training. Training saves a trucking company time and money by:

• Reducing insurance costs
• Minimizing legal consequences that result from a safety-related incident
• Improving the long-term health of drivers

There’s no reason to cut corners on driver safety because there are plenty of options available in North America for certification and training. Canada’s top truck driving schools, including some of the country’s community colleges, are ready for the industry’s challenges. 

Training programs exist across the industry, including programs for:

• Cross-border and long-haul runs
• Dry van and refrigeration van (reefer) hauling
• Specialized driving (including flatbed, tank, and fuel hauling)
• New drivers
• Veterans who want a refresher
• Companies wanting to keep their fleets and drivers as safe and productive as possible

These schools are geared to ensure drivers are fully qualified to merit their licences, including their AZ licence in Ontario, otherwise known as a Class 1 licence in all other provinces and territories. And there are plenty of resources beyond for the uninitiated to learn how to become a truck driver.

Suppose you’re running a fleet of tractor-trailers – any truck or trailer combination weighing more than 4,600 kg or 10,000 lbs. Your driver must be certified with an AZ / Class 1 licence. Typically, driving training programs range from five weeks to 12 weeks, with prices ranging from $5,300 to $15,400. Any good truck driving school will ensure drivers have the road-ready knowledge they need to drive safely, including the fundamentals of tractor-trailer operation, air brake usage, the rules of the road, workplace safety, and hours of service guidelines.

Driver safety benefits everyone on the road and the supply chain. Well-rested, alert drivers with a robust knowledge of how their vehicle operates are essential in maintaining North American supply chains. Training and certification are the most worthwhile investments any fleet owner can make.  

Gary Hilson has written and edited thousands of words for print and pixel over the past 20 years, primarily as a journalist covering technology, sustainable vehicles, green technology, and education across North America. His work has appeared in Computing Canada, The Ottawa Citizen, Toronto Business Times, Strategy Magazine, Canadian Woodworking, and the Winchester Press, among many others. He is also a regular contributor to CourseCompare, Canada’s marketplace for education, which serves Canadians and international students in more than 100 countries -- including those interested in careers in the trucking industry.