Despite several recent crashes on Hwy. 401 involving truckers from the Toronto area, Ontario's Ministry of Transportation (MTO) says driver testing standards across the province are the same.
According to the MTO, "driver testing standards in Ontario are amongst the most stringent in North America and that examiners are trained and certified to apply the same set of standards and marking guidelines across the province."
"Driving standards are applied to all licence applicants equally at all 'DriveTest' locations and that all applicants must demonstrate the same skills and abilities to successfully complete the road test," says spokesman Bob Nichols in an emailed statement to Blackburn News.
Mandatory entry-level training for new commercial Class A truck drivers came into effect in Ontario on July 1 and includes at least 103.5 hours of instruction to cover the entry-level knowledge and skills needed to safely operate a large truck on Ontario’s roads. The MTO says those requirements "are among the highest training standards in North America and are designed to ensure that all Class A applicants are trained to the same minimum standard and can demonstrate consistent knowledge and skills on our roads and highways."
Several drivers charged in recent crashes across Southwestern Ontario are truckers from the Toronto area.