Auditor general flags problems with commercial trucker training and licensing in Ontario | CBC News

"“We found that two private career colleges delivered 59.5 and 81 hours of the required minimum of 103.5 training hours. Two of our students were not taught key truck driving elements such as left turns at major intersections, reverse parking and emergency stopping.”"

"“Between 2019 and 2024 the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security ‘found that three registered private career colleges had falsified or altered student training records, four did not have records to demonstrate that some or all of their students had completed the required [entry level training] components, and three did not teach all of the required components.’”"

"“As of March 2025, ‘had never inspected’ 54 of the 216 registered private career colleges offering entry level commercial truck training.”"

"“Commercial truck drivers account for a disproportionate number of fatalities on Ontario's roads and the problem is especially acute in northern Ontario.”"

Ontario’s monitoring of commercial truck driver training and licensing is not effective, leading to unqualified drivers on the roads. An auditor general found career colleges cut corners by delivering fewer training hours than required and failing to teach key driving elements such as left turns at major intersections, reverse parking, and emergency stopping. Undercover testing of training providers found major gaps in instruction. The auditor general also found that provincial ministries had limited oversight, including falsified or altered training records and missing evidence that required components were completed. As of March 2025, inspections had never occurred for 54 of 216 registered private career colleges offering entry-level commercial truck training. The province accepted all 13 recommendations.

Read at www.cbc.ca