Canadian truckings dirty little secret... we all knew it.

I never took any training at all. I simply took a one day class room air brake course.
Took out a company truck on two Sundays to practice a bit of driving and backing into docks.
Drove the tractor trailer full of LTL freight to another town, did the morning deliveries. Drove myself to the government testing facility, did the road test, passed and went back to work.
Total out of pocket expenses $150.
But I did already have three years experience driving straight truck, which at the time was the only way any company would let you graduate up to a semi truck.

 

Makes sense, probably already know that driving a 18 wheeler differs very greatly compared to a straight truck. The driving schools teach you the bare minimum to pass the road test, even in Ontario with the new MELT program. None of them teach you the reality of trucking, like how to back at a very tight dock or driving with a fully loaded trailer. My trainer told me how his dad got his AZ back in the 80s with a pickup truck that had a trailer, yet he's been driving 30+ years accident free. So the idea that these "programs" will reduce accidents is a total sham. Just another way for the public to "feel" safer. 104 hours of training won't make you magically a better driver. Time behind the wheel will.

 

Whats the secret? Sounds like drivers getting their license was easier in the old days. I completed driver training at a school last year and the main focus is to get the license, many students fail the test and retry it later and some never do, sorry about the $8300 bucks you just spent. Its up to the carriers to train from that point on.
My employer has newb drivers train for up to 6 weeks, I had 3 different trainers and drove autos, 18 and 13 spd manuals, learned load securement for drywall, lumber, steel in various configurations as well as other frieght.
I applied to this company as my first choice based on their training plan, I knew I didn’t know #### after getting my license.
Flatbed especially needs more training not to mention pulling trains there is a lot going on. I dont know if its true that driver in Sask. had only been driving for 3mos. but of thats the case then his boss is a POS who should get jail time for putting him in that situation. JMO

 

Holy ####, I didn’t kmow that.

 

‘Difficult to imagine’: Canadian truck lobby alarmed at Humboldt crash driver’s lack of experience | The Star

Honestly though I don't get what training has to do with it.

Don't drink bleach. Don't stick your head in a fire. Don't run a stop sign. It doesn't get more basic.

 

Guy on YouTube does a great amateur physics analysis of the crash.
Comes to the conclusion that the truck blew through the stop sign at full speed.

 

Exactly! Stop means stop. I never took driving course, read the book and followed the rules.
Experience won't make any difference for some people. What we are seeing is gov't grandstanding and avoiding the real issue. A person should have a couple years driving a automobile before getting into a big truck.

 

Pretty much driving 101, you stop for a stop sign, doesn't matter what you're in.