National Trucking Week

6 Manitoba Trucking Week 2014 Supplement to the Winnipeg Free Press Wednesday, September 10 A n innovative program promises participants a new career in just six weeks. The Entry Level Professional Truck Driver Training Program is a partnership between the Manitoba Trucking Association (MTA) and Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI). "This program was developed to help with the driver shortage," said Danielle Ruttan, MTA program administrator. "The current population of drivers are ready to retire, and there just isn't the people to replace them." After six weeks of schooling, the students undergo 240 hours of on-the-job training with a coach. This training generally takes three months, and during that time participants are paid by their employers. The students are then mentored for an additional six months. "They do the day-to-day stuff on their own, but a mentor will be checking in with them. The candidates will work out the remainder of their two-year contract with the employer," Ruttan said. "This program puts professionally-trained drivers with a better standard of training on the road." Codey Park was working in a lutmberyard before he applied to the program. He'd always wanted to be a truck driver like his father and grandfather. Park started his on-the-job training with Jade Transport in late January. "I love it. I get to see a lot of the country, which was one of the things I was most looking forward to — getting to see all the awesome views from all over North America," he said. "I can be gone for two to three days or a week. It's all part of the industry, but I enjoy it." MPI's Special Risk Extension Group finances the tuition for qualified participants. Upon completion of the two-year contract their tuition is forgiven. If they do not complete the program then they have to reimburse for the tuition paid, to a current maximum of $8,400. "Many of our candidates stay with their employers well beyond the two years," said Ruttan. "The employers want them to stay. Companies that use this program get to maintain stability with some of their drivers. The impact is huge for smaller companies, and one more tool for larger companies to use." The Entry Level Professional Truck Driver Training Program started in 2008. Brian Smiley, MPI's media relations co-ordinator, said the program has been successful in a number of ways. "We've had positive feedback from the participating trucking companies, and the number of candidates and graduates is increasing," he said. "Recruiting drivers is always challenging. Trucking is a demanding career, and anyone who thinks it isn't has never tried it." Ensuring that drivers are highly trained reduces the risk of collisions and high-risk driving, said Smiley. "Truck drivers face a number of driving challenges — not only the size of the rig, but weather and the volume of traffic around them. It's important that they are able to competently handle their rigs," he said. "A trained driver is a safe driver." Potential candidates must apply to Employment Manitoba to make sure they're not eligible for similar programs. Once they've received a letter of denial, they need a criminal record check, commercial driver abstract (record of driving history), and a Class 1 learner's licence, which is the written part of the test. "Once they're approved to the program, I give them a list of employers and schools. They have to apply to the employers. Once they're accepted by an employer, that's when they apply to a school," said Ruttan. "There are five schools with different start dates, and new classes starting every four weeks. There's always a class going, and no cap on the amount of students we can accept into the program." A long-distance driver typically earns a minimum of $60,000 per year, she said. "I don't know too many careers where you can turn around after six weeks of schooling and make $60,000. The positions are there. We just need people to fill the seats," Ruttan said. "The demand is there and it's not going anywhere." Park said he would recommend the program to anyone interested in a new career. "I thought it was great. I had great instructors, and I learned a lot," he said. "I knew some stuff about trucks, but there was a lot I learned about the industry. Being on the road, having the trucker experience — I wouldn't trade it for anything." Danielle Ruttan of the Manitoba Trucking Association. Photo by Darcy Finley Amandeep Sanger (left) and Codey Park are students in the MPI Entry Level Professional Truck Driver Training Program. By Holli Moncrieff For the Free Press www.quereltrailers.com www.truckpaper.com/querel 1585NiakwaRd.Winnipeg,MBR2J3T3 In Stock and Available Now at Querel Trailers! 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