LAKELAND - The government of Alberta recently announced changes to Mandatory Entry Level Training (MELT) regarding licensing requirements for Class 1 drivers, but the costs associated with training are a concern for some.
According to information from the Ministry of Transportation and Economic Corridors, the new learning pathway is an apprenticeship-type model with a Red Seal designation at the end that will also allow drivers to obtain on-the-job training.
The announcement, made on March 27, states that since MELT became a new pre-licensing requirement for Class 1 commercial drivers in Alberta on March 1, 2019, insurance claims for Class 1 drivers have risen. MELT was identified by the trucking industry as one of the leading factors for the ongoing driver shortage in the province, increasing time and costs for the process of recruiting drivers.
While this new regulation is meant to be a solution to these issues, not all trucking companies are on board for the ride.
Wade Fleury, general manager of CEDA in Bonnyville, said while most of his drivers would be grandfathered in once these changes come into effect, they may create a barrier for companies such as CEDA to attract new drivers to the industry. He said finding drivers is already difficult and this exasperates the issue.
“It makes it harder for us to recruit new people to the business,” he told Lakeland This Week.
Fleury says cost is another downside to these changes. He gave an example of a driver who recently went from a Class 3 to Class 1 license, which cost roughly $10,000 along with three weeks of training.
Not all companies have the means to pay for this type of training.
“Not everybody pays for their people to go do that,” he said, adding, it can be especially tough when people must pay out of their own pocket.
Jim Szmyrko, owner and operator of another Boyle-area company, All Night Trucking, said the announcement could be problematic for smaller companies who may not be able to afford training.
“The trucking industry is a very tight industry; the money isn’t there. The companies can’t afford to train these people,” said Szmyrko.
Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors, stated that this new learning pathway provides more appropriate training for drivers, ensuring truck drivers in Alberta are the best-trained in the country.
“This is a proactive approach to ensure truck drivers in Alberta have the right training with the right vehicle to perform their jobs professionally and safely,” Dreeshen said.
The MELT program takes 113 hours to complete, not including an additional air brake program, which requires eight-and-a-half hours itself. Driver training schools are not allowed to charge more than $10,000 for MELT courses.
Alberta’s Budget 2024 will invest $41 million over the next three years to set up a grant to support the new pathway, with the program expected to begin in March 2025.
*With files from Cole Brennan
