The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has started consultations with industry to determine the feasibility of aligning medical, vision and knowledge requirements for Class-D licence holders with all other commercial classes (A, B, C, E & F).
The class D driver’s licence allows the operation of what would be typically termed a heavy straight-truck and by definition those vehicles exceeding 11,000 kilograms (24,000 lb) gross weight or registered gross weight, or any combination of motor vehicle exceeding a total gross weight or registered gross weight of 11,000 kilograms (24,000 lb) and towed vehicle not exceeding a total gross weight of 4,600 kilograms (10,000 lb).
Specifically, the regulatory proposal would align Class D renewal requirements so that:
- All Class D drivers up to age 64 would be subject to knowledge and vision tests every 5 years;
- All Class D drivers under the age of 46 would be required to submit a medical report every 5 years;
- All Class D drivers age 46-64 would be required to submit a medical report every 3 years; and
- All Class D drivers age 65 and older would be required to submit a medical report annually.
Current licensing requirements for Class D licence holders are not consistent with other commercial classes and are not in alignment with CCMTA national medical standards. These standards are the basis for the Canada/U.S. medical reciprocity agreement.
No timelines have been set for this proposal and MTO is currently reviewing the logistics of what would be required to realistically make the transition including education, capacity of the medical community and medical review office.
For the knowledge test portion upon licence renewal, the test would be the same as required upon licence application and based on the information found in the Official MTO Truck Handbook.
The mandatory entry level training (MELT) initiative underway by MTO does not apply to Class-D drivers (only Class-A drivers are covered).
OTA’s position on the issue is that Class-D licence holders should be brought into line with the cyclical medical requirements that exist for Class-A licence holders, but in doing so, recommends that: The changes are properly communicated to the public and to the affected drivers; A practical implementation plan is developed that is manageable both by industry and by MTO; MTO work to accelerate its review timelines (currently at 30 days) of medical reports; and, MTO continue to provide priority medical review for all commercial drivers.
OTA will be submitting comments to the regulatory registry to this effect this month.
OTA members with specific questions can contact operations&safety@ontruck.org