Northern Ont. MPP calls for increased winter training for truckers

A Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) from northern Ontario presented a bill at Queen’s Park calling for increased winter driving training for truckers.

Mushkegowuk-James Bay MPP Guy Bourgouin presented a private members’ bill on Tuesday to increase safety on northern Ontario highways.

The bill would see an additional 20 hours of simulated training geared toward winter driving for A and D licence commercial truck drivers.

“What we're seeing right now is that we have a lot of inexperienced drivers who have never driven during harsh winter road conditions,” he said.

During the media conference, Bourgouin was accompanied by Travis McDougall, co-founder of advocacy group Truckers for Safer Highways.

McDougall said he’s also seeing a lot of inexperienced truck drivers on the road.

“Too many drivers are entering the industry without the essential skills to navigate our harsh winter conditions,” he said.

“They lack the knowledge of how a truck behaves on icy roads, how to adjust their driving techniques and the importance of recognizing their limits. It’s putting countless lives at risk.”

McDougall said many are leaving the industry due to safety concerns and unsustainable conditions.

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“As a truck driver, I see reckless driving, poor decision making and a lack of respect for the road,” he said.

“We, as truck drivers used to be called ‘brothers of the highway.’ Now, it would be more realistic to call us ‘survivors of the highway.’”

Danny Whalen, president of the Federation of Northern Municipalities (FONOM), used to serve as co-chair of the Northern Ontario Transportation Task Force.

He said increased training was something many advocated for.

“Many of the drivers that are coming through northern Ontario are hitting their first snowstorm and they've never seen anything like that before,” Whalen said.

“So, this new private member's bill, we fully support the draft, sent in a letter of support for it and we think it's a great, great step forward.”

Adam Delamorandiere, head of driver training for Northern Academy of Transport Training, said simulated training has its downfalls because it can’t prepare for all weather conditions and circumstances.

“It's very, very difficult for me to say that I wholeheartedly agree with an additional 20 hours of simulated winter driving,” Delamorandiere said.

“But, again, I do also favour the side of additional training and anything over and above is always going to help.”

He added he would like to see more benefits from the additional training built into a program offered by driving schools strictly in the winter, where students could receive in-truck training with a coach.