The most recent Ontario Provincial Auditors General report states that the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) is allowing some partners of the Ontario Driver Certification Program (DCP) with a poor history of collisions to test their own employees for commercial driver licenses. In the case of the community colleges in the DCP Program, they are testing their own students who are not going to be employees of the college. A number of industry stakeholders including the Truck Training Association of Ontario (TTSAO) believe the DCP is being abused and it is time for the government to take action.

The TTSAO is calling on government to put a stop to the abuse of the DCP Program. The TTSAO would like a full audit on all community colleges, government organizations, safety organizations and private businesses who offer the DCP Program. Additionally, the TTSAO believes a moratorium should be put on all community colleges who offer AZ testing and those students until an official investigation and audit can be facilitated. During the moratorium period the students should be tested by DriveTest like every other new commercial driver in the province of Ontario. The TTSAO recently had information provided stating that the community college first time pass rate is over 90% compared to approximately a 60% first time pass rate at DriveTest for all other drivers.

The Auditor General’s report also revealed that from 2014-2018 those involved the DCP Program had a pass rate of 95% compared to a 69% at the Drive Test center’s pass rate . The TTSAO believes the program is flawed and requires attention specifically in regards to community colleges having the ability to test their own students who are not ultimately employed by that college. Currently Carriers and Private organizations are testing those who are their employees or going to be employed as a commercial driver at their specific companies.

Some industry organizations have stated that they feel that no company should get to license their own people.

Mike Millian President of the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada (PMTC) says” The PMTC has been vocal over the years in it’s disapproval of the DCP Program. The PMTC believes it is a massive conflict of interest to allow anyone to test their own drivers and/or students. Whether intentional or not, we have always believed the conflict puts a perceived pressure on the DCP Program employee who is performing the road test to pass the students for their employer. The most recent Auditor General’s report confirms our beliefs. We are firm in our stance that the practice of allowing DCP Program’s to test and issue licenses must be put to a stop as soon as possible.”

TTSAO officials say they notified government with their concerns long before the Auditor General’s report was released. The TTSAO is hopeful that action will now be taken.

For more information on this press release, please contact:

Kim Richardson – President, TTSAO – KRTS office – 1-800-771-8171 x 201 or cell – 905-512-0254 or by email at kim@ttsao.com

Mike Millian – President of the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada – (905) 827-0587 or email at trucks@pmtc.ca