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Sept. 1st, entry-level training for commercial truck drivers in the province of Manitoba will become mandatory, Manitoba Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler announced on Tuesday, March 26.
Manitobaโs mandatory entry-level training, or MELT, will include 121.5 hours of training and be consistent with the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan.
โOur government is focused on public safety on our roads and highways in this province, and mandatory training for new truck drivers will make Manitoba safer,โ Schuler said in a news release. โCommercial truck drivers play an important role in moving our economy forward, and we are focused on ensuring they have the necessary skills and qualifications to do their job in a way that ensures everyone is safe on the road.โ
There will be a one-year deferral of new training requirements for the agriculture sector. According to the news release, the deferral will โallow for additional consultations with the industry in order to determine an appropriate phase-in strategy that mitigates impacts on the start of the 2019 farming season.โ
Current regulations in Manitoba allow an individual to obtain a Class 1 commercial driverโs license by successfully completing a knowledge-based written test and a practical road test. There is no mandatory training required before the test.
Manitoba is the fourth Canadian province to pass mandatory entry-level education requirements for commercial truck drivers.
Effective March 1, Alberta now requires standardized, entry-level training for all new Class 1 and 2 commercial drivers.
Since March 15, Saskatchewan has required drivers seeking Class 1 commercial licenses to undergo mandatory training.
Ontario has had mandatory entry-level driver training for commercial truckers since 2017.
