Surveyed Canadian truckers want future truck drivers to undergo substantially more training than they did themselves, with almost half expressing concerns about mandatory entry-level training (MELT) requirements.
Fifty-one percent of those who responded to a monthly Pulse survey of Today’s Trucking readers said mandatory entry-level training has failed to improve the quality of entry-level truck drivers.
Twenty-six percent said students should complete up to 125 hours of formal training before being licensed to drive, while 12% set the benchmark at 125-149 hours, 29% at 150-299 hours, 18% at 300-599 hours, and 15% at 600 hours or more.
In contrast, 59% of those who were surveyed received less than 100 hours of formal training before being licensed themselves.
(Photo: istock)
Provinces have agreed to set minimum standards at 103.5 hours of driver training, and 8.5 hours for air brake endorsements, although several jurisdictions have set higher benchmarks. Saskatchewan and Alberta, for example, require 121.5 hours of training, and B.C. requires 140 hours.
About three in every four (74%) respondents said the activities of newly licensed tractor-trailer drivers should be restricted by a graduated licensing system, and 82% said newly licensed tractor-trailer drivers should need to complete formal apprenticeships.
Thirty-seven percent said newly licensed drivers should spend one to six months with an experience co-driver and in-cab mentor before working on their own. Twenty-seven percent said two to four weeks would suffice.
However, 40% said today’s tractor-trailers are “definitely” easier and safer to operate than previous generations of equipment, and 45% said they were “somewhat” easier and safer.
The survey had 222 respondents.
Complete survey results will be published in the coming edition of Today’s Trucking magazine.
