On February 22, 2016 the Ontario Government posted proposal
number 16-MT0014 concerning Mandatory Entry Level Training, or MELT, as we have
come to know it. The summary of proposal contained the following statement.
“The introduction or
mandatory training, in addition to the testing requirements, is designed to
ensure that commercial truck drivers are properly trained before they are
licensed.”
Much will be made of this statement by all involved. It
implies that MELT is a solution to the lack of driver training that currently
exists across the trucking industry. It is not. It is merely the first step
down the road. Why is that so? Because the proposal closes with the following
statement.
“This proposal is not
designed to impose new training obligations on existing Class A driver’s
licence holders.”
Now I’m not saying that MELT is not needed. It definitely
is. But existing licence holders don’t receive any training as a result of this
proposal and new drivers will face an expectation from employers and the
traveling public that they are far more competent than their predecessors. As
professional drivers we should not allow the public, or our carriers, to perceive
that MELT is the solution to fix everything that is wrong with driver training
and truck safety.
I spent 3 years as a mentor to graduates of a few different
truck driving academies. Those new drivers received excellent entry level
training. But what really mattered to those drivers was to be hired by a
reputable employer and put their new found skills into practice under the
tutelage of an experienced driver in real world situations. To these drivers
entry level training is just that, a foot in the door to a new and exciting
chapter in their lives. Why doesn’t the industry exploit this incredible
learning opportunity? Probably because it is so labour intensive and difficult
to envision beyond the expense line on a company’s operating statement.
The program I was able to put together with the help of my
employer was based on the knowledge I had garnered through numerous trainer
training courses and experience as a manager and business owner prior to my
rebirth as a trucker. I spent a minimum of 3 months with each new driver. The
first month was demonstrate and repeat, repeat, repeat, increasing the
challenges in the training process day by day and discussing skills in detail.
It was a period to develop trust and comfort in the cab. The second month saw
drivers taking full responsibility under my supervision asking for support as
they needed it. The third month saw the addition of some extreme driving
conditions in which we reverted to the demonstrate and repeat, repeat, repeat
model of the first month but now the new driver was instilled with a level of
confidence and a stronger skill set to cope with the challenges. It was a
program that was very well received by the new recruits and my employer.
But at the end of 3 years I was of the mind that no single
individual or single carrier can carry on this intense level of training in
perpetuity without broad support from across the industry. Ironically this is
how the MELT program has been developed.
To act as a mentor is to serve as a trusted counselor or
teacher, especially in occupational settings. Safety is embodied by an intense
period of mentoring provided by professional driver/trainers that make permanent
the skills drivers have learned through introductory training. Practice only
makes perfect if a learned skill is repeated under the supervision of a
qualified coach and mentor. That process needs to be institutionalized across
the trucking industry.
Now is the time for professional drivers to step up and take
possession of this critical file. Road safety is a driver issue, drivers own it.
Drivers should be involved heavily in every step of the training process and
its development. The answer as to how drivers will accomplish this is
straightforward. Get involved. But we can’t do it as individuals, we have to
take on this challenge as a group. Therein lies the hurdle drivers have been
unable to overcome because we not only have to bring our skills together as a
group but we then have to interact with carriers, enforcement, training
institutions, and legislative bodies. That’s a huge task and is usually met
with people throwing up their arms and saying it can’t be done. But it can be
done in four distinct stages.
I.
MELT
II.
Mentoring for 3-6 months
III.
Team driving for a period of 1 year
IV.
Remedial/Ongoing training developed by all
partners and made available universally across the industry
This is the path to recognizing our profession for what it
is, a skilled trade, and it will only come to fruition is professional drivers
take an active role in its development. At the moment there are too few
experienced drivers engaged in the training process. We can change that.
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