Language proficiency plays a critical role in road safety for commercial truck drivers. From reading traffic signs to communicating with law enforcement and shippers, ensuring that drivers can effectively understand and use English or French is essential for maintaining safety on Canada’s highways.
Current Language Standards for Truck Drivers
Canada does not have a national language proficiency requirement for commercial drivers, but licensing exams and work permit requirements vary by province. Some key benchmarks include:
Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB): Many immigration programs require commercial drivers to meet a minimum CLB 4 or 5, ensuring basic communication skills.
Multilingual Licensing Exams: Some provinces offer knowledge tests in multiple languages, allowing non-English/French speakers to obtain a commercial license.
Provincial Differences: Quebec mandates French proficiency, while provinces like Ontario and British Columbia allow exams in several languages but still emphasize English road signs and communication.
The Argument for Standardizing Language Requirements
Advocates for stricter language rules argue that all commercial driver knowledge tests should be in English or French to verify proficiency before drivers operate on public roads. Benefits of this approach include:
Improved Road Safety: Drivers must read signs, understand warnings, and follow complex regulations.
Clear Communication: In case of breakdowns, accidents, or law enforcement interactions, language barriers can slow response times and create risks.
Industry Standards Alignment: Many Canadian trucking employers already require English proficiency for hiring, so enforcing this nationally would create consistency.
Ensuring Secure Language Testing
To implement standardized CLB 6 proficiency testing and prevent cheating, Canada could adopt security measures used in other industries:
Biometric Verification: Require facial recognition or fingerprint scanning to confirm the test-taker’s identity.
AI-Powered Proctoring: Use automated monitoring systems to detect suspicious behavior during online testing.
Randomized Question Banks: Rotate large pools of test questions to prevent memorization and answer sharing.
Secure Testing Centers: Conduct exams at designated locations with trained proctors overseeing candidates.
Multi-Step Authentication: Ensure test-takers verify their identity using government-issued IDs before accessing exams.
A Call to Action: Strengthening Language Standards for Truck Drivers
As Canada continues to refine road safety and commercial driver training, it’s time to prioritize standardized language proficiency. A minimum CLB 6 benchmark and secure testing methods could enhance safety, ensuring all commercial drivers can effectively communicate, read road signs, and follow industry regulations.
Would you support a national CLB 6 language requirement for truck drivers? Let’s start the conversation and advocate for safer roadways.
The Private Motor Truck Council of Canada (PMTC) has worked in collaboration with Transport Canada, (TC) the CCMTA as well as the Provinces & Territories (PT’s) for more than 10 years, to shape an electronic logging device mandate that will improve health and safety for the general public, as well as improve compliance with the regulations, and thus level the playing field and improve conditions for the entire Canadian Trucking Industry. Working together, we learned from the mistakes made in the US, and introduced an independent 3rd party certification process, to ensure ELD’s that are approved, go through a rigorous process to ensure they are compliant with the regulations.
In March of 2021 CCMTA, TC and the Provinces and Territories all agreed to delay full enforcement of the Federal ELD regulation until June 12th of 2022. This change had to be made, in part, as there were no certified devices that existed at the time. While we all hoped the delay in full enforcement would allow enough time for a fulsome list of devices to be approved, as well as solve other compliance and enforcement related issues, the fact is we still have many items to address. For these reasons, the PMTC was pleased to hear of a further delay in enforcement until January 1, 2023. We believe this was a prudent and responsible decision to allow enough time for issues to be rectified and provide a smoother roll out of full enforcement.
Saturation of approved devices
As of writing this on March 15th, we have 25 certified ELD’s on the marketplace, from 14 different suppliers. While still more will be needed to provide a good saturation and options for carriers to select from, we believe the extra time provided allows ELD providers with enough time to get their devices submitted for approval in advance of the new date and allow carriers to select from a fulsome list and transition to ensure compliance by January of 2023. The PMTC would not be in favour of any further delays in enforcement as a result of a lack of devices. We believe, with this most recent delay in full enforcement, enough time has now been provided for suppliers & industry.
Items that need addressed prior to January 1, 2023
As we understand it currently, a total of 8 Provinces and Territories have regulations in place or will have them in place in time to enforce the federal regulation on January 1st of 2023. As National uniformity in enforcement is important, we believe the remaining jurisdictions need to take the steps necessary to ensure they can enforce the mandate by January 1st as well. While we believe uniformity is important, regardless of the readiness of the remaining jurisdictions, we believe we must move forward with enforcement for those that are ready by January of 2023 with no further delays.
To ensure a driver’s Records of Duty Status (RODS) is securely transmitted over the air from the truck to law enforcement, a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) infrastructure is required. We have learned that TC just recently selected a vendor to develop and implement a system that allows an encrypted ELD Output File transferred securely from truck to the officer, as required by the Technical Standards (TS), to decrypt the message and allow the content to be viewed. The vendor now must ensure the system is in place in a timely fashion to ensure the system is functional & understood well in advance of the new full enforcement date.
We have heard from concerned parties that analyzing RODS at roadside to verify HOS compliance is going to be very challenging. The ELD Output File is required to provide a driver’s RODS in two standard file formats, PDF and CSV. Currently Canada does not have a method like the United States’ ERODS system for translating the CSV file to a format usable by enforcement. Therefore, to verify 15 days of RODS, enforcement is currently limited to reviewing the PDF, which can be 50 pages or more in length. In addition, certain ELD event codes such as Event Record of Origin and Event Record Status, are not explained in words, but remain in code format otherwise found only in the TS. This means enforcement officers need to understand the meaning of codes wherever such code appears in the PDF. There is a significant concern if RODS verification is too time consuming and difficult to understand, enforcement may simply look at the graph grid on the display and make assumptions regarding a driver’s HOS compliance without looking at event details. We need to ensure these issues are rectified, and significant enforcement training of the items in the TS displayed on the device and in the PDF occurs well in advance of full enforcement taking hold. The main purpose of mandating the use of ELDs is to ensure easier and more accurate verification of HOS compliance leading to a reduction in the instances of operating a commercial motor vehicle while fatigued. We need to ensure the proper tools are in place to ensure this is what occurs.
We need to ensure ELD violations are applied onto a carrier’s Provincial safety rating no matter which jurisdiction they are based out of or charged in. As we understand it, currently no such system is in place with ELD violations to ensure this occurs.
Ontario has a robust exemption for Drive-away tow away operators, which are also exempt in the US Federal regulations. Quebec is also indicating they may exempt this. PMTC has learned through discussions with regulators and drive-away tow away operators that it appears the remaining provinces and territories will not exempt this, which will lead to massive confusion and harm to this industry. Can Transport Canada adopt this exemption in the federal regulations, or address it in another manner to ensure we have uniformity across jurisdictions?
The PMTC and its members are appreciative of the common-sense approach to this delay in full enforcement. We know significant pressure existed to move forward with the June 12th enforcement date, however we are in full support of the delay and believe it was the only decision that could be made to ensure a smooth rollout. At the same time, we need to ensure this extra time is not wasted, and work needs to begin immediately to remedy the issues raised above to ensure we have everything in place required to ensure we are prepared for full enforcement well in advance of what we hope is the final delay in enforcement that will be required.
Mike Millian President Private Motor Truck Council of Canada
Established in 1977, the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada (PMTC) is the only Canadian association dedicated to the interests of private fleet operators. The PMTC provides forums for fleet operators and industry stakeholders to exchange views and resolve issues together, and is at the forefront in representing your views to government, protecting your rights, and promoting your interests. Want to learn more about the PMTC , visit their website https://www.pmtc.ca/
The Highway Traffic Act authorizes the province and municipalities to restrict truck weights during spring thaw to protect roads and highways:
Spring weight restrictions may be applied to schedule 1 King’s Highways at any time during March and April, to schedule 2 King’s Highways during March through May, and to schedule 3 King’s Highways during March through June depending on local conditions and weather. A list of highways that may be affected is included in this [MTO memo]. Up-to-date information about actual weight restrictions can be viewed at: https://511on.ca/list/seasonalloads and drivers /carriers who use the listed highways are encouraged to carefully monitor this website. The 511 interactive map also provides up-to-date visual information – choose map menu item “Truck and Bus info”, then check “Seasonal Loads”.
Municipalities may also pass by-laws and set dates when spring weight restrictions apply to specified roads under their jurisdiction. Watch for on-road signage.
During Reduced Load Periods, weights are generally limited to 5,000 kg per axle, although certain exemptions apply as set out in Highway Traffic Act, Section 122: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK217
Unless otherwise specified on the permit, ‘annual’ and ‘project’ overweight permits are not valid during March and April in southern Ontario, and during March, April and May in northern Ontario.
The Ministry of Transportation is committed to creating an environment for economic success for commercial vehicle clients through program efficiency, burden reduction, and engaging industry on opportunities to improve how our programs serve Ontario’s commercial vehicle industry.
As a result, the Ministry of Transportation has developed a new product for commercial vehicle clients called the “Online Carrier Record”. This new portal provides clients with instant access to all of their CVOR safety records in real time. Users will be able to filter and sort using a variety of functions and view these records online or download into a PDF or Excel file to help manage their safety performance.
You will have full access to the service and all your CVOR safety records.Access will be granted based on the email provided on the CVOR record.The service will be available for use 24/7.There will be no fee associated with this service.
Please note that in order to access this service, your email address must be listed on the CVOR file. If you need to update the record or have any questions or comments regarding the service, please contact Client Services by email CVOR@ontario.ca or by phone 1-800-387-7736.
(TORONTO, May 18, 2021) — The Canadian Trucking Alliance (CTA) continues to work with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to boost electronic uptake of ArriveCAN within the industry.
As CTA recently reported, electronic uptake of ArriveCAN by commercial truck drivers (via the app or webpage) crossing the border into Canada was about 12 percent. Recent data obtained from the CBSA shows a stagnation of these numbers, with the potential for regression if greater awareness and increased compliance with the requirement is not improved moving forward.
CTA is again reminding the trucking industry that the requirement to use ArriveCAN remains in effect for all border crossers. Truck drivers who do not comply with the mandate at Canadian ports of entry may be issued significant fines by PHAC or other law enforcement organizations who have the ability to enforce the Quarantine Act. The verbal declaration to a Border Services Officer is only a temporary measure to allow the trucking industry to transition to the electronic ArriveCAN platform.
ArriveCan data can be submitted 72 hours in advance of cross border travel, allowing for greater flexibility in meeting this requirement.
The Government of Canada has also stated its intent to align with the European Union and other nations on the use of digital proof of vaccination to allow greater mobility for international travellers, while ensuring public health remains the top priority. Although the use of ArriveCAN to digitally store and present proof of vaccination has been mentioned by federal officials, no formal announcement has been made yet regarding the use of “vaccine passports” or its potential implications on travellers, such as truck drivers.
In order to assist companies in training their drivers to use the ArriveCAN app, CTA created a training package in both official languages which includes a tutorial video, infographic on how to use the app, and FAQ document.
The Government of Canada continues to explore methods to ensure compliance with ArriveCAN remains as seamless as possible. CTA will continue to update members on any changes to this policy and any future requirements as the information becomes available.
