Manitoba to require entry-level training for truck drivers
On Sept. 1, entry-level training for commercial truck drivers in the Canadian province of Manitoba will become mandatory, Manitoba Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler announced on Tuesday, March 26.
Manitoba’s mandatory entry-level training, or MELT, will include 121.5 hours of training and be consistent with the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan.
“Our government is focused on public safety on our roads and highways in this province, and mandatory training for new truck drivers will make Manitoba safer,” Schuler said in a news release. “Commercial truck drivers play an important role in moving our economy forward, and we are focused on ensuring they have the necessary skills and qualifications to do their job in a way that ensures everyone is safe on the road.”
There will be a one-year deferral of new training requirements for the agriculture sector. According to the news release, the deferral will “allow for additional consultations with the industry in order to determine an appropriate phase-in strategy that mitigates impacts on the start of the 2019 farming season.”
Current regulations in Manitoba allow an individual to obtain a Class 1 commercial driver’s license by successfully completing a knowledge-based written test and a practical road test. There is no mandatory training required before the test.
Manitoba is the fourth Canadian province to pass mandatory entry-level education requirements for commercial truck drivers.
Effective March 1, Alberta now requires standardized, entry-level training for all new Class 1 and 2 commercial drivers.
Since March 15, Saskatchewan has required drivers seeking Class 1 commercial licenses to undergo mandatory training.
Ontario has had mandatory entry-level driver training for commercial truckers since 2017.
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