Mandatory Training for Truckers

[dle]

Pretty sure there was a thread started on this topic a while back but I don't seem to be able to put my finger on it so I'm starting a new one for now....

What's up with BC? We have some of the worst drivers! This article doesn't mention BC at all in the list of Provinces that have stepped up and made the training mandatory. The people who drive on our roads should be afforded the same courtesy of well trained professional drivers - but not just BC - the other Provinces who were not listed should also be changing their laws.

It just makes sense and they are big rigs capable of serious damage as we know and since long-haul truckers travel back and forth between Provinces perhaps it should be federally regulated so ALL truckers, bus drivers etc have to have the same standard of care and expertise. That would make it safer for everyone on the roads I think.

There are of course no guarantees that there would never be another horrific accident, but it would certainly go a long way towards preventing any that happen out of inexperience or lack of professional training.

https://www.castanet.net/news/Canada/26 ... ck-drivers

[1791]

This whole thing is stupid. Time to shrink government.

[GordonH]

This whole thing is stupid. Time to shrink government.

Since roughly 1 in 10 semi drivers I see delivering can back up to unloading dock in timely manner (longest taking 30 minutes, which should only take 5 to 7 minutes).
Tells me that part of the training is lacking, so what other areas are also lacking.

[1791]

I dont care. Gotta learn somehow. Time to take the training wheels off. We can not afford all this government

[GordonH]

I dont care. Gotta learn somehow. Time to take the training wheels off. We can not afford all this government

Doesn't matter how innocent people are killed on the highways by these under trained semi drivers. It's just a learning curve

[1791]

Honestly if there is a problem. It is in BC. Worst truckers I ever seen were running Trans Can out of Surrey.

[OKkayak]

Commercial vehicle licensing should be federal, plain and simple.

[1791]

Commercial vehicle licensing should be federal, plain and simple.

Still involves even a larger government than we currently suffer under. Not for me thank you

[t76turbo]

While doing my air brake certification here in Kelowna few years ago I ran into an old acquaintance . After completing the training we got talking about class 1 license. I enrolled here in town and he said he is going to Surrey where it would take him 2 days to get his license opposed to the 2 weeks it takes here . Mind you that’s 2 full days compared to 2 weeks at 2 hrs a day.
He also mentioned no one fails down there.

Truck driver training rests with the employer. There are mountain driving classes available when doing schooling for class 1 however they cost quite a bit extra and not necessary to pass the driving test. That’s what schools teach you. To pass the test, nothing more. Almost every ad for class 1 drivers is looking for minimum of 2 years driving experience. Not sure how to get that without being hired somewhere without experience.

After I received my class 1 I went out and bought my own truck. I hardly knew anything about truck driving industry and no real experience driving one. Now, I’ve been towing trailers all my life, had my heavy endorsement for years and am a gearhead so driving is fun for me. I can back trailers blindfolded. I still think boat launches on a Sunday summer morning hold tons of entertainment here in Kelowna, watching inexperienced launching boats.

Back to training. I prefer to drive my big trucks (class 8) over my smaller trucks like F350/450. Better breaks, way more comfort, stability and safety. Only thing that sucks is insurance costs (astronomical) and fuel.

I’m rarely in a rush while driving, but see plenty that are. In B C we have constant hwy closures that shut traffic down and for most truckers, if the wheels aren’t turning they are not earning. Truckers get paid by mile driven, mostly.
Companies that have switched to hourly wage have found that truck drivers have slowed down and although fully expecting to lose some money have found that saved fuel, brakes and mechanical breakdown costs have bridged the gap. Not to mention customer service provided by drivers has also gone up. Drivers aren’t rushing anymore.
This is where the biggest change needs to be. Hourly wage not millage driven daily.

For me I’d never want to be a ”trucker”. It’s a crappy gig especially long haul if your a family man. Lots of regulation and a thankless job. Name me one truck stop in Kelowna where you can park, fuel, eat, shower and sleep? Where can you pull over legally roadside to grab a coffee or meal? No room anywhere! Kelowna and plenty of other cities are not truck driver friendly. Edmonton or Calgary for instance are.

Let’s treat our truck drivers with more curtesy as very few here in town do Everyone here is constantly rushing not just truckers. Most, not all, truck crash fatalities are to blame on other drivers. I could go on and on about the old, the young and the stupid but we surely all understand. Cut a truck driver a break today. I do every chance I get.

And to add, lots of inexperience does come out of Surrey, come across plenty of totally inexperienced drivers that for instance never saw snow before and are in control of 40 to 50 tons, jackknifed in snow wearing flip flops. Young drivers making next to nothing, driving a beast their new boss or family member threw them into hoping for the best. Yet cannot speak up in fear of loosing the new gig and only form of income. Think they were ever shown how to chain up?

End of Sunday morning rant, time for coffee!

[dogspoiler]

First thing is to check in with the doc. I have seen many cases where a trip to the E.R. will disclose what some ones usual doc misses.

[dirtybiker]

Got my class 1 in Alta long ago.
Rent the truck for a few hours with the instructor.
No course, just pass the drivers test.
On my own after that to learn.

Question though.
Your back-ground before that ?

I took a basic 5 day combined air brake/driving course for $500.00
back in '82-'83. Saskatchewan.

It's my background in the usage of all things motorized before -hand that
attributes to my knowledge and usage of all things truck though.
From farming and construction equipment, from small tractors to dual engine earth scrapers.
All things motorsport, including organized competition.
And trailering from a single digit age.

Many of those newer to trucking though may have little understanding of the
equipment itself, or have even driven standard transmission vehicles.
Let alone even being hooked to a utility trailer or pulled any amount of weight.
Read weather patterns and terrain.

There are many variables that go into someone being safe and efficient and
it starts a heck of a lot sooner than paying for a training class.

[dle]

I started getting light headed in the morning while doing my walkaround pretrip for the last month.
Haven't quit sweating- hands and feet for the last 5 weeks. Nervous, shaking sometimes.
Feeling sick, dizzy sometimes when I do things with the truck- but not sitting and driving.
Zoning out for periods of up to 10 seconds-eyes open but not awake. Doing stupid stuff with things I've done a million times before- like putting the noodles by the sink to get washed and putting the lid of the pot in the fridge and getting back to the couch before I realised what I did kind of stuff. Making stupid braindead mistakes.

Been dealing with a sleep disorder for years.
Been dealing with migraines for years from the sleep disorder.
Chronic back, neck ,shoulder pain.

I quit my job about 10 days ago to prevent another Humboldt.
Don't know what I'm going to do.

You did the right thing and the smart thing - hope you see the doc and all goes well - best wishes for the future!

[NotNorthAnymore]

You did the right thing and the smart thing - hope you see the doc and all goes well - best wishes for the future!

I agree with dle - I hope you are able to get to a Doctor soon and that all goes well for you.

Best of luck to you.

[Jsane922]

Commercial vehicle licensing should be federal, plain and simple.

Couldn't agree more... If training is left up to the trucking companies it'll never happen. Bison is about the only company I've heard of that mentors new drivers, but their pay is low and equipment is questionable. The company I went to in 2012 was supposed to offer mentoring, but that didn't happen in reality. The office manager was under the impression that the mentoring was being done, but it wasn't.

How a driver can be licensed without touching a tire chain is beyond stupid and risks the lives of every other road user.

[alanjh595]

How a driver can be licensed without touching a tire chain is beyond stupid and risks the lives of every other road user.

The same could be said for negotiating high mountain passes, uphill and downhill, in all weather conditions, when the prairies don't have any mountains. Just like driving on a 6 lane highway, like there are near LA.
Why would a driver need to know how to hang chains, when they only drive a grain truck from the fields to the silo in the summer?
Driving a fuel truck is a lot different from driving a low-bed with an oversize/overweight D-10 cat on it.

There is no way that drivers can be trained and tested for all circumstances.