The Manitoba government is set to enhance the safety, training, and retention of truck drivers in the industry by following recommendations from an independent report.
This report, conducted by the professional services firm MNP and commissioned by a joint committee of government and industry, includes over 40 recommendations and was released nearly a year ago.
Transportation and Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor announced that the government would begin implementing these recommendations by streamlining training regulatory oversight, aimed at elevating safety standards within the trucking sector.
Enhancing Training Standards
Current truck driver training is managed through the Mandatory Entry-Level Training and Private Vocational Institution programs, each with distinct regulatory frameworks under the Drivers and Vehicles Act and Private Vocational Institutions Act, featuring different curriculums and standards.
Naylor emphasized that a unified regulatory oversight framework will improve safety for both drivers and the general public by enhancing the regulation, monitoring, and outcomes of training and testing standards. She stated that driver training schools would gain from this initiative, allowing them to provide the “highest quality training possible” to new entrants in the industry.
Aaron Dolyniuk, the executive director of the Manitoba Trucking Association and a participant in the joint steering committee, acknowledged the report’s emphasis on improving professional driver training outcomes and noted that establishing a regulatory oversight body is a significant initial step.
Focus on Diversity and Resources
The report also highlights the importance of inclusive and diverse recruitment strategies that aim to attract women, Indigenous individuals, and youth into the trucking workforce. Additionally, it recommends increasing resources for enforcing training standards, limiting the number of license testing attempts before re-training is mandated, and initiating a graduated licensing system that includes a minimum on-the-job training period prior to obtaining a Class 1 license.
These recommendations were informed by practices from other provinces, such as Quebec, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Ontario, regarding recruitment, retention, and training in the trucking sector.
Michael Arpin, a trucker from Lac du Bonnet, northeast of Winnipeg, expressed serious concerns about safety in the trucking industry. He described, “Trucking has turned into such a dysfunctional nightmare, it’s unbelievable,” citing issues with trucking companies and dispatchers instructing drivers to continue operating vehicles even when problems arise. Arpin called for accountability, suggesting that dispatchers should also undergo the same training and licensing as drivers.
