Ontario authorities are stepping up oversight of truck driver training schools, with the Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU) issuing a memo declaring unannounced inspections at registered career colleges under its purview.
The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) and MCU will jointly inspect facilities that deliver the province’s Class A commercial driver training program.
The memo, signed by Charlotte Smaglinski, superintendent of career colleges and director of the Career Colleges Branch, says the coordinated initiative is intended to strengthen oversight and ensure educational standards and driver-training requirements are being met consistently and effectively.
Inspectors will focus on helping schools meet legislated requirements, ensuring new commercial truck drivers are properly prepared, and improving compliance enforcement through joint ministry action.
Schools were also reminded that they must remain fully compliant with the Ontario Career Colleges Act, 2005, and the Highway Traffic Act.
Industry associations and training providers welcomed the announcement.
TTSAO, OCTTA, PTTAC welcome decision
Philip Fletcher, president of the Truck Training Schools Association of Ontario, said he was pleased to be advised of the upcoming unannounced inspections.
“The addition of MTO inspectors is something we have asked for in past stakeholder meetings and is sincerely appreciated. Having an experienced eye for the actual practical instructions is imperative to examine the required completion of the learning aspects of road safety,” he told trucknews.com.
Narinder Singh Jaswal, president of the Ontario Commercial Truck Training Association, said his members supported the move and noted that MTO officers’ trucking knowledge will help enforce regulations.
He also called for tougher road tests to ensure schools are training students properly.
Support for enforcement
The Professional Truck Training Alliance of Canada (PTTAC), which is advocating for Red Seal certification for truck drivers, also applauded the announcement, saying regulation, compliance and enforcement must improve. It called for appropriate fines and suspensions for those not following the rules.
Driving school owners echoed the support.
Surinder Batth, director of Global Truck Academy, called the memo “positive” and said it is only the tip of the iceberg.
Radek Rogowski, operations manager of Richards Truck Driving School, added that schools providing proper training and following regulations have nothing to fear and said he is always ready for an inspection.
