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First Western Canadian Salute to Women Behind the Wheel at Truxpo.
Group calls for reduced truck speed in Salmon Arm, B.C.
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By Derek Clouthier
Following the Humboldt Broncos bus tragedy, mandatory entry-level driver training has been thrust into the spotlight.
Driver training in the spotlight Associations have been advocating for mandatory entry-level driver training for a long time By Derek Clouthier REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN The call for a mandatory entry-level driver training program is nothing new for the trucking industry. The recent tragedy that struck the community of Humboldt, Sask., has shined a light on programs like Ontario’s Mandatory Entry-Level Training (MELT) and the need for other provinces to implement their own standards for commercial driver training. Several provinces in Western Canada – Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan – have taken steps following the Humboldt Broncos bus collision with a tractor-trailer, looking at adopting entry-level driver training requirements, and for many in the industry, it is an effort long overdue. “Drivers have the opportunity to attend the quickest and lowest cost course just to have training on their resume,” said Chris Nash, president of the Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA), pointing out that entrylevel driver training is not yet mandatory in the province. “This does not effectively train the driver. The AMTA looks forward to working with industry and government to find a mandatory solution to this problem.” The AMTA has been working with stakeholders and government on the groundwork of a mandatory
Full speed ahead for B.C. trucking industry
entry-level driver training program since 2017, and was pushing for the program for years prior to that. “Considerations were to build effective ways to ensure driver competency by designing commercial driving as a trade, as a designation, or some sort of prerequisite to driving as possible solutions,” said Nash. At present, the legal requirements for a Class 1 licence in Alberta are to be at least 18 years of age, be on non-probationary status, have completed air-brake training, complete a written knowledge test, medical and vision test, and finally, pass a road test. “The AMTA believes a MELT standard is a must,” said Nash, “and effective competency assessments will be the backbone of the program.” The Manitoba Trucking Association (MTA) has also been advocating for mandatory entry-level training for a long time, and has successfully advocated to the province for full funding to truck driver training. As of April 18, the province indicated that more than 60 had taken advantage of that full funding, which was above expectations. But as MTA executive director Terry Shaw points out, though there is funding and an accompanying training retention program for participating companies, it remains voluntary. Continued on page 16
ABBOTSFORD, BRITISH COLUMBIA The trucking industry is thriving in B.C., with recent growth around 5%, and expected to remain at that level, which is well above the national average. That’s according to Helmut Pastrick, chief economist for Central 1 Credit Union, who told Truxpo 2018 conference attendees that the trucking industry would grow faster moving forward than it had in recent years, with employment numbers also expected to continue to rise. “It does look promising,” said Pastrick. “As long as we have longterm growth it should go well. In a growing economy there is a growing demand for the movement of goods, and that is certainly depicted here.” Pastrick highlighted that B.C.’s overall economy was much stronger than the rest Canada, with recent growth around the 3.5%-4% range compared to 1.5%-2% in the remainder of the country. He did anticipate B.C.’s economic growth to slow slightly in the coming years to the 2.5% range, but remain higher than Canada as a whole. “I expect your industry to outperform the B.C. economy, which has typically been the case,” Pastrick Continued on page 9
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JUNE 2018 VOLUME 29, ISSUE 5
Reach us at our Western Canada news bureau Contact Derek Clouthier Derek@Newcom.ca or call 403-969-1506