National Trucking Week

4 NATIONAL TRUCKING WEEK By Geoff Kirbyson A fter years of advocating for stricter regulations for truck drivers, the Manitoba Trucking Association is finally getting its wish. Effective Sept. 1, all Manitoba-based truck drivers will have to take 121.5 hours of mandatory entry-level training (MELT ) be- fore they can get their Class 1 licence to drive a semi- trailer truck. The new rules, which will bring Manitoba trucking requirements in line with those of Saskatchewan and Alberta, were announced by the province last spring. Truck drivers have always been trained but it hasn't been a provincial requirement, so oversight of the train- ing providers was "minimal," said Terry Shaw, executive director of the Manitoba Trucking Association. And while the pre-licensing standards may not be to the level many MTA members would like to see, the fact it's now a legal requirement is a step in the right direction. "It has oversight to it and it should have a positive im- pact on road safety. The roads will be safer because drivers will be better trained," he said. "It doesn't train over as much time or in as much de- tail (as some would like) but we're going from noth- ing to something. It's an excellent first step." MELT verifies that you have a minimum awareness of the rules of the road and should be able to pilot the truck safely. Compared to this is pre-employment training, which offers a greater amount of instruction on all of those elements but also incorporates a more detailed understanding of the non-driving regula- tory or safety components. This sort of pre-training isn't unique to trucking. Motorcyclists need pre-licensing training, too, as do certain tradespeople, such as electricians. The Manitoba government consulted with more than 100 industry stakeholders prior to establishing the new regulations. The MTA is finalizing the MELT curriculum in consul- tation with Manitoba Public Insurance while also es- tablishing training standards. It is planning to admin- ister the instructor preparation course, too. The driver training will be available at schools or trucking companies that have applied to MPI and have received their MELT certification. Would-be drivers can only book their road tests once they are MELT certified. The new regulations will only apply to new drivers. Anybody with a Class 1 licence prior to Sept. 1 will be grandfathered in under the old rules. Despite the complexity of the machines they drive, the technology at their fingertips and the valuable cargo that they transport, truck driving is considered unskilled labour by Employment and Social Develop- ment Canada. "We're in the same category as dish washers," Shaw said. "I'd like to see somebody without training grab the keys, drive a truck safely and then call the job 'un- skilled.' It requires a huge amount of skill." Manitoba's trucking industry either directly or in- directly represents nearly five per cent of the provin- cial labour force. In fact, the vast majority of items available for sale in Manitoba came here via truck. They include fruit and vegetables, dry goods, clothing, textiles as well as li- quor and beer. It's difficult to think back to a time when there hasn't been a shortage of truck drivers in Manitoba. Ac- cording to the Province of Manitoba's labour market information, the occupation of truck driver is in the top one per cent of in-demand occupations in the province. That is, today and for the next eight years, it is projected to have one of the highest number of net job openings. "We need to create one truck driver per day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year for the next eight years without fail. Otherwise, we won't be able to meet the needs of our economy," he said. ENTRY-LEVEL TRAINING A GOOD FIRST STEP According to the Province of Manitoba's labour market information, the occupation of truck driver is in the top one per cent of in-demand occupations in the province.

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