CHET has earned a reputation as one of Ontario’s premiere truck driver training schools in large part because of our commitment to ensuring graduates are ready to hit the ground running and begin earning immediately upon graduation. This requires having a knowledge base and diverse skillsets that reflect the reality of the rapidly evolving industry.
In order to ensure students are job-ready, CHET is constantly reviewing and adapting its curriculum to the multifarious changes in the industry. For instance, CHET has embraced state-of-the-art VS600M simulator training, providing students the ability to develop skill sets necessary to execute maneuvers in various loading and driving conditions. Students that complete a simulator training course achieve the same degree of gear-shifting competence to those who have completed on-the-road training, but in far less time.
CHET students benefit from our use of multimedia in training. We utilize multimedia instructional videos, video tutorials and training materials that demonstrate lessons which are hard to convey through traditional oral presentations alone. Our instructional videos bring training modules to life, making them easier to conceptualize and understand.
Another CHET feature students appreciate is our recently launched Student Portal which pushes the standards of higher learning in our sector. The Portal was adapted for greater convenience, simplicity and ease of use. It makes important educational tools and resources available through a secure site so they can be reviewed wherever and whenever is most convenient for students.
These are just a few examples of the tools and features that set CHET apart from other driving schools in the province, giving our graduates a cutting edge when it comes time to seek employment.
Embracing ELDs
One of the cutting edge technologies that drivers need to be familiar with to be competitive in the rapidly evolving transportation industry is electronic logging devices (ELDs). New regulations and policies have made utilizing these tools not just a luxury, but a necessity.
In 2012, the United States Congress enacted the “Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century” bill, also known as MAP-21, outlining the criteria for highway funding. The bill included a provision requiring the development of a rule mandating the use of ELDs – devices that electronically records a driver’s Record of Duty Status (RODS). ELDs replace the paper logbooks some drivers currently use to record their compliance with Hours of Service (HOS) requirements. Fleets have been moving to integrate ELDs to record HOS. As of December 18, 2017, Canadian companies with fleets traveling across US borders are required to submit HOS records electronically. Fleets have until December of 2019 to ensure compliance with the published specifications.
By 2020, use of ELDs will be required in Canada. Canadian Transport Minister Marc Garneau explains that “We’re constantly looking at how technology can improve road safety, and electronic stability control and electronic logging devices fit the bill…These new measures not only make trucks and buses safer, but they also have a trickle-down effect of making the roads safer for all Canadians.” Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) president Stephen Laskowski adds that “ELDs are going to reduce fatigue in commercial drivers, which will have a positive impact on reducing distracted driving collisions and increasing safety for our sector.”
Consequently, Musket Transport has made it a priority to ensure its drivers learn to adapt to wireless communications systems and electronic ELDs. Back in December of 2017, Musket took massive action and flipped our US fleet onto ELDS as well as introduced a weekly driver newsletter keeping drivers aware of ELD-related news. CHET is excited to announce that we are taking further steps to make ELD training an essential component of our curriculum. Our team went to great lengths to vet and research ELD service providers, and we’re confident in our decision. Students will train on ELD devices as well as Android phones, enabling them to be better prepared for their roles and responsibilities on the road after graduation.