Admiral Beez
Superstar
Jeez, we’re ten minutes into the Jan 25th snowstorm and transport trucks are already jackknifed on the 400 series highways. These guys need proper winter training.
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Bring on the self driving transport trucks!
- Thread starter Admiral Beez
- Start date
lenaitch
Senior Member
gabe
Senior Member
Not one bit surprised.
Hidden cameras reveal how unqualified truckers are getting on our roads | Marketplace
It's too easy to get not only a drivers license but also a trucking license, thanks to these mickey mouse driving schools.
i already knew the driver was from Brampton, before i even clicked the article.
Driver charged after OPP stop truck missing tires on QEW
Driver charged after OPP stop truck missing tires on QEW | Globalnews.ca
Ontario Provincial Police say officers were able to see and hear the truck approaching before they stopped it near Casablanca Boulevard in Grimsby.
globalnews.ca
Admiral Beez
Superstar
If I ran a transport business I wouldn’t know how to hire legit drivers.Not one bit surprised.
Hidden cameras reveal how unqualified truckers are getting on our roads | Marketplace
It's too easy to get not only a drivers license but also a trucking license, thanks to these mickey mouse driving schools.
i already knew the driver was from Brampton, before i even clicked the article.
Driver charged after OPP stop truck missing tires on QEW
Driver charged after OPP stop truck missing tires on QEW | Globalnews.ca
Ontario Provincial Police say officers were able to see and hear the truck approaching before they stopped it near Casablanca Boulevard in Grimsby.
lenaitch
Senior Member
Without getting into race and culture, the trucking industry has substantially changed in the past number of years, and not for the better. It used to be that the industry was dominated by two types of operations; company fleets, where the tractor and possibly trailer were owned by either the a cartage company or the product producer, and the drivers were employees; and owner-operators ('brokers'), where the tractor was owned by the driver (or he was at least a shareholder). Companies had a vested interest in their fleet and staff (particularly ones like the beer companies) and the owner-operator had a lot of money at stake. Most owner-operators were pretty much backyard mechanics, either out of natural interest and/or a need to keep costs down.
A lot of the large company fleets were certified to issue training qualifications but, regardless, you still had to be qualified by a state (province/US state) examiner.
Now, many tractors are now leased fleets and drivers are supplied by driver pool companies who just show up as assigned, so you have drivers that are likely unfamiliar with the tractor, the load and the route. Layer onto that the provinces (mostly) have downloaded training and certification to private companies with virtually no oversight or quality control. Competition has driven wages down and compelled drivers to 'get the miles on' and any cost so they can get paid and get on to the next job.
In northern Ontario terms, layer on top of all of that is the fact that MTO winter maintenance standards are lower than in the south. This is something northern politicians have been hammering on for a while. I'm old enough that my 'road warrior' time was when the MTO plowed the roads. When they first contracted winter maintenance, patrol supervision (the guy who calls out the plows) stayed with the MTO and, frankly, we didn't really notice the difference. Probably most of the operators just changed shirts. When they downloaded supervision, it all went to heck. Contract companies will work to the minimum standard. I argue some don't even do that, but the MTO compliance folks are at the MTO district office and mostly do paper contract compliance monitoring.
To be clear, this has been a challenging winter. Highways get closed for weather all the time and that won't change. There is also a reported salt shortage, which probably doesn't have a huge impact in the north due to temperatures. But the number of transports jack-knifed, in the ditch, in the back of the transport in front of them is off the dial and should be a concern to anyone who regulates the industry. Take a under-maintained road, add in poorly trained drivers operating equipment they are not fully familiar with and, quite frankly, don't really care about, and you get what we have.
A lot of the large company fleets were certified to issue training qualifications but, regardless, you still had to be qualified by a state (province/US state) examiner.
Now, many tractors are now leased fleets and drivers are supplied by driver pool companies who just show up as assigned, so you have drivers that are likely unfamiliar with the tractor, the load and the route. Layer onto that the provinces (mostly) have downloaded training and certification to private companies with virtually no oversight or quality control. Competition has driven wages down and compelled drivers to 'get the miles on' and any cost so they can get paid and get on to the next job.
In northern Ontario terms, layer on top of all of that is the fact that MTO winter maintenance standards are lower than in the south. This is something northern politicians have been hammering on for a while. I'm old enough that my 'road warrior' time was when the MTO plowed the roads. When they first contracted winter maintenance, patrol supervision (the guy who calls out the plows) stayed with the MTO and, frankly, we didn't really notice the difference. Probably most of the operators just changed shirts. When they downloaded supervision, it all went to heck. Contract companies will work to the minimum standard. I argue some don't even do that, but the MTO compliance folks are at the MTO district office and mostly do paper contract compliance monitoring.
To be clear, this has been a challenging winter. Highways get closed for weather all the time and that won't change. There is also a reported salt shortage, which probably doesn't have a huge impact in the north due to temperatures. But the number of transports jack-knifed, in the ditch, in the back of the transport in front of them is off the dial and should be a concern to anyone who regulates the industry. Take a under-maintained road, add in poorly trained drivers operating equipment they are not fully familiar with and, quite frankly, don't really care about, and you get what we have.
gabe
Senior Member
Transport truck driver flees scene of crash on Hwy. 401 at London: OPP
One person was injured in a crash on Highway 401 at London involving a transport truck that left the scene, Ontario Provincial Police say.
lfpress.com
One person was injured in a crash on Highway 401 at London involving a transport truck that left the scene, Ontario Provincial Police say.
Transport truck driver flees scene of crash on Hwy. 401 at London: OPP
One person was injured in a crash on Highway 401 at London involving a transport truck that left the scene, Ontario Provincial Police say.
lfpress.com
gabe
Senior Member
My anecdotal observations while driving, this practice is not limited to truck drivers.
www.baytoday.ca
Ontario police bust fraudulent truck driving test scheme
Eight individuals are facing a total of 24 criminal charges following a Serious Fraud Office investigation into alleged bribery during commercial driver examinations across Kingston and the Greater Toronto Area.
www.baytoday.ca