When you have been involved I in the education of entry level driver training for Commercial Truck Drivers for over 40 years some think you know a thing or two about the sector of the industry. I do not call myself an expert but I do believe that over the years there has been a fare bit of intellectual capital (IC) learned from many great people and organizations that I have had the pleasure of being around. To all of you, thank you!
Since early in 2024 I have had the pleasure to act as a Senior Advisor to the newly founded Professional Truck Training Alliance of Canada (PTTAC). Quickly this group of dedicated industry professional’s is making a name for themselves. Check them out at www.pttac.com.
Insurance plays a key role in improving the current problems in our industry. Back in April of this year the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) commissioned MNP, one of Canada’s leading professional service firms, to identify key factors impacting the cost of insurance for commercial truck operators. My question is what has been done since the issuing of this report by industry and government?
Here is a summary with some key points of what was in the report;
New commercial truck drivers who have not received adequate training are putting the safety of Canada’s roads and highways in jeopardy, according to the report. MNP found drivers with less training and experience are more likely to be involved in collisions and make more costly claims than drivers with more training and experience. Insurance claims related to commercial trucking accidents have been increasing rapidly in recent years.
”Canada’s trucking sector is critical to the success of our economy, transporting over 90% of all food, consumer goods and materials to consumers across the country,” said Celyeste Power, President and CEO, IBC. “The property and casualty insurance industry is working closely with the trucking sector to find solutions to some of the challenges it currently faces, including driver shortages and access to adequate training and risk management. This third-party report echoes many of the recommendations that our industry has put forward and we encourage governments across the country to use this report as a call to action to update and improve training and enforcement standards.”
To identify best practices in truck driver training, MNP conducted a review of driver training programs in various Canadian and international jurisdictions. It then offered recommendations on how to improve training requirements. Key findings in the report include the following:
- Truck drivers with less than three years of experience have a greater likelihood of being involved in a collision.
- Collisions involving heavy loads or dangerous goods tend to be more severe and have potential for greater damage. As a result, the level of required liability coverage increases when these goods are transported, affecting premiums.
- Premiums for vehicles travelling outside of Canada are impacted by exposure to excessive jury verdicts in the United States – court verdicts where juries award plaintiffs exceptionally high amounts.
- The enforcement of commercial truck regulations violations is inadequate.
- Mandatory Entry-Level Training (MELT) has yet to be implemented across Canada.
- Training quality varies by school; there needs to be oversight, and standards need to be enforced.
- Specifically, MNP concludes that the MELT program does not fully prepare drivers to operate a heavy truck in all conditions and additional one-on-one onboarding and mentorship is needed.
- Other recommendations in the report include piloting the use of telematics to provide feedback to commercial truck drivers, and adopting a graduated or progressive licensing system.
The PTTAC is aligned with IBC in the recommendations found in the MNP report and look forward to working with all insurance groups and insurance providers as we ask all to Join the Movement for improving Commercial Truck Training in Canada.
Please follow and like us:
