(Musket President Andy Balij, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie, CHET Operations Manager Sandra Graham, Musket Head of Operations Jaime Rosa)
Twenty-five years ago, Commercial Heavy Equipment Training Ltd. started operations in Ontario as the first truck driving school setup for use for any carrier. That model of training, backed by Musket Transport, has sustained for over two decades, making CHET a model of quality and credibility built on experienced and professional training.
As a sister company to Musket Transport, CHET joined the TTSAO (Truck Training Schools Association of Ontario) in 1999 and to this day remains to be the longest continuous member. CHET believes in the value of the training they provide. The goal has always been to train the best to work for the best, and to get people into a career in the transportation and trucking industry. With the transportation field offering a variety of different opportunities, outside of truck driving, CHET’s training has become the gateway into the industry for numerous students over the years.
“Transportation is a rewarding career for many reasons,” says Sandra Graham, CHET Operations Manager. “Being a professional commercial driver is a career you can support your family comfortably, even being a new driver, and as you grow into the career and stay being a professional driver, your career aspirations are endless with all the different types of work you can complete and all the different areas you can travel on this continent.”
With around 200 hundred students per year, it’s easy to see how CHET is contributing to the growth of the transportation industry in Ontario and beyond. But the true testament to the school lies in the experiences of the students.
We sat down and spoke with a number of graduates to hear their stories . . .
Janoi “Jay” – Musket Mechanic Foreman
“I started with CHET early this year, around January. I’ve been with the company [Musket] since November 2019, and I currently work as the foreman for the trailer department. For me as a mechanic, being able to drive the trucks was a good asset to have in case I ever needed to road test the equipment. But over the years, having to shunt trucks, I’ve gained experience, and I also like the feeling of just being on the road. You feel freer. It’s open. I just like cross country and so going across the border for me is one of those things I look forward to. My experience at CHET has been great. They’re very strict when it comes to being disciplined, teaching the correct information and are very informative.”
Shira S – AZ Female Scholarship Winner
“Getting into trucking was kind of an amazing fluke. It’s not something that was ever on my radar. I was managing a non-profit and I was so beaten down by it, and I knew I love driving,
I knew I loved being hands on. I wanted a different challenge every day. Somehow I stumbled upon Musket’s female AZ scholarship. Why would they consider me? You know, I’m a tiny Jewish girl. I don’t fit what I thought was the demographic. I applied and I was shocked when I got a call “You’re a finalist.” And even more shocked when I found out they were going to give me training at CHET to learn how to drive. I started training and I went to class and I couldn’t believe how supportive the environment was. Everybody treated me like a daughter. I’ve never felt more supported in a job. I’ve done three days now of on-the-job training with Omar, who is an absolute blessing. He taught me things that I didn’t even know I didn’t know—the real world experience that we didn’t get in school. I just can’t imagine having gone to another school. I can’t imagine getting into a different career. For one, all of the instructors have invaluable experience, so they give you tips and tricks that they’ve picked up along the way that would never be in a textbook. I know I’m guilty of having so many misconceptions about the trucking industry and truckers. I know my family really grilled me about it. My friends were concerned, but everybody has been warm. Everybody has been so intelligent, so experienced, and so supportive. You know, it’ll be something different every day. I’ll be on the road. I’ll be out of the office. I can’t even predict what it’s going to look like, but it’ll be great.”
Omar R – Driver Instructor
(edited slightly to accommodate Omar’s accent, but most remains intact)
“One story I always try share with the drivers, it doesn’t matter if you’re with Musket or an outside carrier, it’s about how I started. So, I get my training, before I get my driver’s license as a truck driver with a different school, then I pass the test the first time. But when I get hired, for the first company as instructor driver, the first day I realized I’m not ready because there is a lot of stuff is not covered [by his training], and was safety issues. I decided to start over because I care about public safety and also about my future career. I’m lucky, one of my friends he trained at Musket and CHET, so he recommended to me. I take a refresh course, and I was amazed. I cover a lot of stuff I don’t know at that time. And to be honest, I believe it saved my life, and it saved me financially because maybe at that time without the refresh course, I do something maybe it’s going to cost me also financially and cost me my career. It’s really worth it, like, especially Mr. Dwight. He taught me a lot of stuff, a lot of skills, is avoid me made mistakes. Even if it’s something I’m never think about it, he give me the keys how to deal with it, how to avoid the problems, or how avoid causing something affect the public safety. So I really appreciate it. And even I mentioned that to the people they not work with Musket. I really recommend it.”
Jacob – Driver
“I enjoyed CHET because it’s a good company, honestly speaking. They train good, they have a lot of experience.”
Julius T – Driver
“I graduated from CHET and now I currently work for Musket Transport. I started doing the Montreal run and now I switched to the New Jersey run. Working for Musket’s been great for me. I’ve met a lot of nice drivers, a lot of nice people there, and I’ve seen a lot of nice people go as well, like retire. The school has helped me tremendously. If it wasn’t for Dwight doing the hours of service, it would have been a very difficult time for me. So I’m very grateful to Dwight and Richard—they taught us all the practical skills, and the Schedule 1 with George is phenomenal. George will make you never forget. He’s one of the great instructors as well.”
Craig G – Driver
“I graduated from Chet in 2018. And so I’ve been with the company since the end of 2018 and, you know, they give lots of experiences. The in-vehicle [in-cab] teachers were very good and very patient and kept working with you to get through what you had to know for the test. And I’ve used all that throughout my career.”
Steve J – Driver
“I started with Musket in 2006. I went to the trade school, got my lessons with them, and I’ve been with Musket ever since. The school was awesome. Instructors were very good. They made sure to teach in a way to [help you] get your license.”
Please join us in celebrating this amazing milestone as we look forward to 25 more years of educating amazing students so they can pursue an exciting, rewarding, and meaningful career in the transportation industry!
