Truck drivers of all stripes are joining the Ontario Trucking Association in applauding the Ontario government’s intentions to reduce the burden for drivers to renew their licence air brake endorsement.
But to get the proposal past the finish line, OTA is asking truck drivers, carriers and other industry workers to go to Supportchange.ca to send a letter to Transportation Minister Mulroney and other key officials, telling them how replacing the knowledge test with new, contemporary learning modules will benefit all drivers and enhance knowledge, especially for older drivers and those whose second language in English.
The website and auto-generated email is accessible in English, Punjabi, Hindi and French.
Many drivers have expressed to OTA over the years that after already completing and passing a comprehensive air brake exam when they first obtained their AZ, the ongoing renewal tests are outdated and redundant and, if required to retake the test multiple times, can be very costly for truck drivers.
“The new learning modules as an alternative to the knowledge test renewal will provide much greater flexibility and better address various learning styles, while reducing burdens and red tape for hard-working truck drivers, says OTA chair James Steed. “This proposal is fully supported by carriers and drivers alike. It clearly demonstrates MTO is listening to what truck drivers and the industry needs right now.”
The new modules taken online, at the driver’s convenience, and do not contain a pass/fail criteria. Most importantly, the new option will also minimize the number of drivers losing their Z endorsement during their renewals due to various extraneous issues that do not reflect their level of actual knowledge.
Simply click here: (EN), (Punjabi), (Hindi), (FR) and hit ‘Share your Support Today’ to view and send a message to the Ontario government.
Tell Queen’s Park you support this change!