BC Trucking Association

The BC Professional (Truck) Driver Training Program is the result of an industry-led initiative to establish a training standard for professional truck drivers in this province. The program combines research on driver training programs, standards and best practices across Canada with input from trucking industry experts to meet the needs of the truck transportation industry in BC for entry-level professional drivers. The program also provides potential driver trainees with a reliable and respected training alternative as a base for their careers.

The Professional Driver Training Program includes the following components for trainees:

• eight weeks of classroom and practical training
• four weeks of unpaid Supervised Work Experience with a trained coach at a trucking company
• 1000 hours of paid Work-Based Learning with a trucking company

The BC Industry Training Authority (ITA), the agency that oversees the province's industry training and apprenticeship system has granted provisional approval for the program and a pilot test was conducted in 2010.

The pilot project is now undergoing a comprehensive evaluation under the oversight of ITA, BCTA and the Transportation Career Development Association of BC (transCDA), the recognised catalyst for efficient industry training programs and career development services for BC's transportation industry. If all goes well, full program delivery will begin in 2012. For more information contact the ITA