Ontario First in Canada to Introduce Mandatory Entry-Level Training for Class A Truck Drivers

• Mandatory entry-level training will be delivered by Private Career Colleges, Ontario Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology and recognized authorities under the Ministry of Transportation’s Driver Certification Program.
• A Class A licence is needed to drive a commercial truck exceeding 4,600 kg.
• Mandatory entry-level training course completion will be recorded by approved training providers on a provincial web-based system and verified by Drive Test Centres prior to allowing an applicant to attempt a Class A road test.
• In 2014, there were approximately 291,155 large trucks in Ontario and 191,291 Class A drivers, representing 1.83 per cent of the entire driving population

To keep the province’s roads among the safest in North America, Ontario is introducing mandatory entry-level training for new commercial Class A truck drivers.
Individuals seeking a Class A licence in Ontario on or after July 1, 2017 will need to successfully complete mandatory entry-level training before attempting the Class A road test. Individuals who already have a Class A licence before this date will not be required to take training.
The mandatory entry-level course will take approximately four to six weeks to complete and course fees will be set by individual training providers. Schools approved by the province have a year to develop a curriculum using a consistent provincial training standard. The new Commercial Truck Driver Training Standard (Class A) will be available early July, 2016.
These changes will improve road safety and address the trucking industry’s need for qualified and well trained commercial Class A truck drivers while eliminating inadequate training through unregistered truck schools.
Investing in mandatory entry-level training is part of the government’s economic plan to build Ontario up and deliver on its number-one priority to grow the economy and create jobs. The four-part plan includes helping more people get and create the jobs of the future by expanding access to high-quality college and university education. The plan is making the largest infrastructure investment in hospitals, schools, roads, bridges and transit in Ontario’s history and is investing in a low-carbon economy driven by innovative, high-growth, export-oriented businesses. The plan is also helping working Ontarians achieve a more secure retirement.