Kriska Job Fair today

Just found out from a friend that Kriska's Mississauga terminal is having a job fair today, if anyone is interested. I'd be there myself, but am still on my AZ course and don't have my licence yet.

CORRECTION: The job fair is actually hosted by the Ontario Truck Training Academy, 11 to 3pm today. Lots of carriers & recruiters there. Address is: 199 Wentworth Street in Oshawa. Exit 418 Ritson Road, south to Wentworth, you'll see it on the corner.

 

Went to the job fair anyway and it was well worth the trip. Talked at length with the people from Kriska and was very impressed with what they had to say. Not just the recruiter, but their OTR trainer and regular company drivers, too.

Got to sit in the cab of one of their new 2010 International ProStars, what a beautiful truck! Was very surprised to see that it was an automatic, but apparently 80% of their fleet are slushboxes and they are in the process of replacing their last few 2005 standard transmission units with new 2010 automatics.

 

I'm not sure, as I don't know when the old one stopped or what it consisted of. But they were handing out brochures with apps in them and I was told to send one in when I get my AZ. They told me that they have gone full bore into the apprenticeship program now and any new hires will undergo a year long training program, approx one week of classroom, approx three months of OTR with a trainer, then solo for the rest of the year but with regular performance evaluations and a final test at the end of the apprenticeship period.

I would expect more of the major carriers will be doing the same in the very near future, if they haven't already. Never did go talk to the Yanke and Schneiders reps while I was there, so I can't say for sure if they have similar programs yet or not.