Towards establishing effective commercial driver training standards: analysis of industry opinions from Alberta

Abstract

Commercial driver licensing programs ensure that drivers have the appropriate skills to perform their duties in a safe and efficient manner. Establishing such standards with good compliance requires understanding industry professionals’ opinions on aspects of current training. In this paper achieving that objective is attempted through analyzing opinions of employees of Alberta Motor Transportation Association’s member companies. Participants included commercial drivers, managers, and training staff. Participants were questioned about the commercial driving and training experience, and attitudes towards standard training. Also, the survey questioned respondents on specific training courses when considering them from several different perspectives. Overall, the results show high acceptance and need for standard training. The results support establishment of a program that increases basic pre-licensing training, requires specific training classes to be taken by drivers, and specifies financial responsibility. The findings of this paper provide a foundation for forming unified policies on standard driver training in Canada.