Trucker test exemptions don’t compromise safety

New requirements here to stay for Class 1 and 2 drivers, Ric Mciver says.

All Canadians share the pain of the families of those young people who lost their lives or were injured, and those who were affected by the trauma of the Humboldt Broncos bus crash.

My family and I drive hundreds of kilometres on Alberta highways every week. My wife could get that next tragic phone call, or my kids, or me. I pray that it doesn’t happen and it means safety is at the top of my mind every day.

We will not make any changes that compromise safety on our roads.

Alberta began developing more stringent training requirements for heavy truck and bus drivers (Class 1 and 2 licences) and brought in Mandatory Entry Level Training (MELT) in March 2019. It involves dozens of hours of extensive safety training, in addition to the previous comprehensive written exam and lengthy driving exam.

I fully support MELT. It is the right step forward to strengthen Alberta and Canada’s trucking industry, and will lead to safer roads. These stringent training requirements are here to stay — including for farmers and school bus drivers.

When MELT was announced, the NDP government rightly recognized that an experienced trucker with decades of experience and a good driving record did not need to be sent back to school. Over 150,000 existing Class 1 and 2 drivers were grandfathered by the previous government and not required to take the new training. The new training requirement was designed to apply to new drivers.

At the same time, the previous government gutted the exam system by cutting the number of driver examiners available to Albertans almost in half, which led to massive wait times for road tests — in some cases up to 12 weeks.

The previous government itself recognized the problem it had created, and issued an extension to agricultural and school bus drivers to comply with the new training in order to get through the busy harvest and back-to-school seasons. After hearing continued concerns, our government further extended that extension.

Neither farmers nor school bus drivers will be permanently exempted. We will work with those affected to ensure an orderly transition to the new training requirement.

In addition, while the previous government grandfathered over 150,000 existing Class 1 and 2 drivers, a comparatively small number of drivers — roughly 6,800 — passed their exams after the intent to implement new training was announced, but before it was required. They were expected to eventually re-test under the new requirement — after already earning and driving with their Class 1 or 2 licence for months.

To make matters worse, a crippled driver exam system meant they could lose their licence — and livelihoods — while waiting to take the exam.

These drivers have jobs and families. They played by the rules as they stood at the time, and earned their licences in good faith under the rules that existed in Alberta for decades. They are no different than the grandfathered 150,000 Class 1 and 2 drivers who are working and driving in Alberta every day.

Our officials are examining the driving records of these 6,800 individuals. If they have received any infractions since earning their licence, they will be required to retest under Alberta’s new safety requirements. If they have a clean safety record, they will be treated the same as every other Class 1 and 2 driver on the road.

Additionally, after meeting with some Humboldt families and hearing their concerns, we are exploring ways to hold these 6,800 drivers to a zero-tolerance safety standard with a probationary period.

The new training requirements are here to stay for all new Class 1 and 2 drivers. Our government will work with truck drivers, including farmers and school bus drivers, to make sure the transition is smooth going forward.

Safety is and will always be my top priority.