New mandatory training for Class A driver’s licence applicants

Mandatory entry-level training will include at least 103.5 hours of instruction and cover the entry-level knowledge and skills needed to safely operate a large truck on Ontario’s roads.

Once you’ve completed the training, your driving record will be updated automatically.

If you meet all the other Class A requirements you can take a Class A road test at a DriveTest centre.

The training will be valid for life.

MELT is going to look much different from what earning a Class A licence looks like today, said MacCarl. Gone are the days when one could simply pass a test and driver a transport truck on the highway.

After fully implemented in Ontario, MELT will require drivers looking to earn a class A licence with a minimum of 103.5 hours of training. Thirty-six and half hours are to be spent in the classroom, 17 hours in the yard (pre-trip inspection), 18 hours in the truck off-road and 32 hours on road.

The on-road test will ensure new drivers can safely complete four right turns, four left turns, four intersections (two stop and two through), two lane changes, one driving along, one expressway section, two curves (one left and one right), and one emergency roadside stop/start. Drivers will also have to complete either an offset backing (left or right) or an alley dock 90 degree backing to demonstrate their backing skills.

In addition, the knowledge test will now be 30 questions (before MELT tests were only 20 questions) selected at random from a new set of 120 competency-based questions the MTO and partners developed.