Training and Certification for Entry-Level Drivers

Professional drivers do not learn their skills in a day. It is impossible to learn everything after a few trips in a truck. But with a properly structured training program, you can establish the foundation of skills that are needed for a successful career in trucking.

Earning Your Wheels is an intensive 12-week program that includes a minimum of 120 hours in the classroom and 85 hours behind the wheel of an articulated tractor-trailer. This is followed by a minimum of 100 hours behind the wheel during four weeks of supervised workplace experience with a partnering carrier.

The program is delivered exclusively through accredited schools, and by certified coaches and instructors.

List of Accredited Schools

Those who earn certification* through the CTHRC are able to prove they meet the needs identified in National Occupational Standards.

Graduates are:

• Trained to national standards developed with the Canadian trucking industry
• Trained to operate an articulated tractor-trailer
• Awarded a National Standard Certificate as a Graduate Professional Entry-level Truck Driver
• Endorsed by Northbridge Insurance Company of Canada as having the equivalent of three years over the road experience
• Endorsed by Old Republic Insurance Company of Canada as having the equivalent of one year over the road experience
• Recruited by some of the best trucking companies in Canada

In many provinces, Earning Your Wheels is also the only entry-level truck driver training program that qualifies students for government financial assistance.

A Checklist for Comparing Schools

There are some important questions that every trainee should ask a training school.

Use this checklist to see how schools compare when trying to meet the needs of Canada’s trucking industry:

1. How many hours of on-the-road driving are given to each student?
2. Is the training one-on-one when in the truck?
3. How many hours of in-class instruction are offered?
4. How many students are there per instructor?
5. Is all the training done on a tandem tractor and tandem trailer?
6. Does the school train on loaded equipment? How much weight?
7. Can the school provide verifiable placement statistics?
8. Does the school keep report sheets on each student that are signed by both the student and the instructor?
9. Is the school willing to be inspected by funding agencies
10. Do insurance companies recognize the program?
11. Does the school provide you with your own copy of the student manual?
12. Does the school train to an industry-recognized standard?

* What does your certificate mean?

There are plenty of valuable training programs in the trucking industry, but there are some important questions to ask before investing your time and hard earned money on a certificate:

1. What standard are you being certified to? Is it the industry approved National Occupational Standard?
2. Who recognizes the certification (which carriers)?
3. How long does the training take and how much does it cost? If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
4. Has the certification program been assessed by a trusted professional organization such as the Canadian Vocational Association?
5. Is the certification national or provincial?
6. Is the certification based on an assessment of skills, training content, or a combination of both?
7. Is this just a day of training, or does it lead to certification?
8. Does your current or future employer recognize the certification? Ask them directly.