It should be easier and less expensive to comply with regulations than to cheat. This is Angelo DiCicco’s mindset as he settles into the role of president and CEO at the Ontario Safety League (OSL).
DiCicco, 63, aims to use technology to deliver driver programs that are easy to complete and comply with. “The amount of time, effort and money for compliance needs to be streamlined. I’m here to help streamline the paperwork,” he said.
The veteran driver-trainer said that his more than 35 years in the industry have helped reinforce the value of road safety and extensive training.
He started off as a driving instructor for Young Drivers of Canada in Guelph, Ont., in 1987. Within a year he was tasked with assembling a commercial training program for car manufacturing engineers who were flying over from Japan to open a plant in the city. He also drove a school bus for a while.
DiCicco and his wife purchased a Young Drivers of Canada franchise in North Bay, Ont., in 1990. They operated it until 1997, developing programs for large corporate fleets and mining companies.
He relocated to Toronto to become the general manager of Young Drivers of Canada, helping to buy out franchises and amalgamating them. Moving on to the corporate part of the organization, he developed the advanced driving center and was appointed its director.
He arrived at OSL in 2020 as a special project manager when the Covid pandemic hit and things were shutting down. He helped keep the place open and provided in-class training.
In 2021, he was promoted to general manager. In March, DiCicco took the helm from long-time president and CEO Brian Patterson who retired.
Navigating audits
DiCicco said that OSL’s strength lies in training air brake instructors and fleet driver-trainers. It also provides defensive driving certifications to truck drivers.
His near-term focus is on successfully getting through several audits. The organization has just completed a Canada Revenue Agency financial audit and school bus driver improvement course audit. The driver certification program audit is nearing completion.
The OSL issued 22,000 air brake endorsements in 2023, about 20,000 last year and this year it will likely be 17,000. The OSL boss is keen on smoothing out and easing the amount of paperwork that air brake instructors and the organization must deal with.
Relationship with driving schools
The organization will also look at how to be more useful to truck driving schools. “Our relationship with the schools needs to be clarified. We have an arm’s length relationship,” he said.
DiCicco wants to expand OSL’s footprint in the auditing and compliance portion of driver hiring by introducing a digital identification that assures insurance companies and fleets that the individual has taken a course at the organization. DiCicco is also keen on tracking drivers using a digital portal.
He is exploring options to lead a coalition of the willing, including industry stakeholders, insurance companies, truck driving schools and municipalities. If something is amiss with their licence or CVOR, the portal will have that information readily available, he noted.
