Mandatory training sought for truckers
Experts say aspiring Alberta truckers should have a mandatory minimum level of training before testing for their licence, something the province currently doesn’t require.
The calls for change come following the fatal Humboldt Broncos team bus crash last week that killed 16 people and injured 13 others.
Under current rules in Alberta, all that is required to challenge the Class 1 road test to become a licensed truck driver is an hour and a half of free time and a truck.
“If you turned up at a registry and you had access to a piece of equipment that would qualify as a Class 1 vehicle, then you can challenge the road test and get your licence,” said Emmet Callaghan, owner of Calgary-based CCA Truck Driver Training and former president of the Truck Training Schools Association of Alberta.
In July, Ontario introduced mandatory entry-level driving regulations, requiring all drivers to complete a minimum 103.5 hours of training before they can take a semi-truck out for a road test.
Transport Canada said each province and territory is responsible for “driver licensing, vehicle inspections and the enforcement of federal and provincial requirements.”
Callaghan, who said he’s been training drivers for almost 40 years, said a mandatory training program would “solve a lot of problems for the industry.”
“If you’re a trucking company looking for drivers, well, then you know where they’re coming from — how many hours of wheel time they ’ve had initially,” he said. “Whereas — currently — here, we don’t know.”
Driving schools in Alberta offer different training packages ranging “anywhere from four hours to 50,” said Callaghan.
In a statement, Alberta Transportation said it is considering mandatory training and met with stakeholders in June to gather feedback on a possible training program.
“When it comes to driver training policy we are examining the initiatives of other jurisdictions as part of comprehensive government research,” the statement reads. “We are continuing to look at (mandatory entry-level training) as we prepare a comprehensive package outlining various driver training options for government to consider.”
On Friday, a driver employed by Adesh Deol Trucking Ltd. was briefly taken into police custody before being released after the truck he was driving collided with the Broncos’ team bus near the intersection of Highway 335 and Highway 35. The driver has not been charged.
Alberta Transportation ordered the company to cease operations until a full investigation is completed, a move that is standard after a serious incident, the province said.
Sukhmander Singh, owner of Adesh Deol, said the driver has only been his employee for “about a month,” adding he checked the driver’s credentials before hiring him. Singh said he gave the driver another 15 days of training after his hiring.
Alberta Transportation and the RCMP continue to investigate the incident. Collision experts have said it could be months before investigators determine what caused the crash.
In a statement, the president of the Alberta Motor Transport Association, Chris Nash, said just because you have a licence doesn’t mean you have the right amount of training.