Following the OTA’s lead, Ontario truck driving schools and insurers in the trucking industry are calling for mandatory entry-level driver training standards in Ontario. The OTA has the support of the Truck Training Schools Association of Ontario (TTSAO) and such noteworthy insurers as Northbridge Insurance, The Guarantee Company of North America, Old Republic Insurance of Canada and Zurich Canada.
Why exactly is the OTA rallying support to make the case that entry-level commercial truck drivers should be required to carry out an entry level training program? The Association is trying to convince the likes of Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne that mandatory training would help encourage the recognition of truck driving as a respectable, skilled and valuable occupation.
According to Northbridge Insurance, one insurer supporting the OTA’s position, mandatory training with clear, uniform benchmarks, is crucial. If such training standards were implemented, it would bring deserved respect to the trucking industry and recognition of commercial truck driving as a skilled trade. Making such standards a requirement at all training schools would also guarantee that truck drivers are properly qualified for the job, further increasing the standard of new truck drivers.
According to David Bradley, President of the OTA, while much work remains to be done in implementing a standardized training program, steps forward have been made. In several provinces there is now more reception to dialogue about the issues raised. The OTA is hopeful that with the support of the TTSAO and a group of top insurers, their case will be strengthened.
Another insurer, Old Republic, raised another benefit of mandatory entry-level training. With all new commercial truck drivers completing uniform training, they will have the skills necessary to drive their cargos across Canada safely and on schedule. Setting benchmark criteria for entrance into the industry will improve driver confidence, performance, and – most importantly – road safety.
Training schools registered with Ontario’s Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) delivers the 200-hour training curriculum to men and women seeking quality professional truck driver training. These schools have curriculums designed around important, measurable benchmarks. CHET (Commercial Heavy Equipment Training Ltd.), a subsidiary of Musket Transportation Ltd., is one such training school. A leader in the industry that understands the importance of positioning truck driving as a skilled occupation, CHET offers competitively priced professional driver training that produces graduates who are sought after by top carriers in the industry.
Contact us to learn more about CHET’s flexible, affordable programs.
Source: Truck News
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