CBC covers fake trucking schools
“It’s not new to us:” TTSAO
Ontario’s Truck driver training industry was the subject of a scathing CBC Marketplace segment on October 11th.
Journalists went undercover with a student looking for truck driver training at several trucking schools located in the Brampton area. They found varying levels of incompetence, dishonesty and law-breaking in areas which have been highlighted by trucking industry professionals and Road Warrior News over the past several years.
“While it’s new to the CBC, it’s not new to us,” says Philip Fletcher, president of the Truck Training Schools Association of Ontario (TTSAO).
Since Canada’s Mandatory Entry Level Training requirements for Truckers were mandated seven years ago after the Humbolt tragedy, numerous trucking schools have popped up offering driver training. The training offered, and the prices charged, vary wildly and are often of dubious value.
“TTSAO was pleased to see that the only one of our member schools mentioned in the CBC segment used our school was covered in a positive light, as the ‘good example,’” Fletcher added. “KRTS in Caledonia, which is one of our leading schools.”
Based in Hamilton, the TTSAO is the only association of professional trucking schools in Ontario and one of only two in Canada. Its 51 members must remain in full compliance with the training and business practice standards established by TTSAO in order remain certified members in good standing.
Fletcher was not surprised to see one of the schools featured negatively in the CBC coverage was one which had been kicked out the TTSAO two years ago.
“We had them as a member school for a short time, but then once we found out what was going on there in more detail, then we revoked their TTSAO membership. I had enough evidence to do that without them even contravening it or trying to complain their way back out of it. They were out.”
Even trucking industry professionals who are well aware of the problems associated with shadowy schools using questionable curricula and teaching methods were surprised to learn in 2023 that Ontario has only eight inspectors overseeing 550 career colleges, including trucking schools.
Fletcher often visits TTSAO schools personally to ensure they continue to maintain high standards after they have been accepted as a certified member.
“We check on the schools. I go and visit the schools on a ‘drop-in’ basis to see what is happening and to make sure everyone is feeling comfortable, and they can ask questions, and we can help them maintain compliance.
“TTASO aspires to the gold standard of training, which is a 200-hour program. And a lot of our schools run the gold standard at 200 hours, and that’s basically twice what the MELT requirement is. We ensure their reporting is done through the Ministry of Transportation, to make sure that they are submitting their information on the document basis properly. And in addition to that, there is a degree of self-compliance to which they all adhere on their own.
“We also have quarterly meetings with Serco, which runs the drive test centers, to hash out any issues that may be occurring between our schools and the drive test centers. We work hard to maintain a very positive relationship there and deal with problems that arise in a small way, before they become much larger issues.”
Further, Fletcher points out, on October 17th the professional instructors who train Ontario’s truck drivers will have access to the world-leading Instructor Certification Program of the Commercial Vehicle Training Association (CVTA) through the TTSAO’s new Instructor Certification Program (ICP). The CVTA is the largest association representing commercial truck driver training programs. The ICP was previously available only in the United States.
