< Previous12 // www.womendrivingchangemagazine.ca The issue is not about finding drivers, as currently there is no driver shortage in our view, however finding a qualified driver is more of a challenge than ever. As a result, we’re seeing an increase in private fleets investing in more thor- ough mentorship programs to bridge skills gaps, retain drivers, and reduce accidents. We’ve also heard feedback from some in the industry who are hes- itant to invest in programs like these because they’re worried about invest- ing time and money into a driver who might leave. My message to them is simple, investing in the proper edu- cation and training is prudent to happening daily in every province and territory across Canada. This message is dedicated to calling direct atten- tion to them and how we can all play an active role in preventing them from continuing onward in our industry. Disconnects in education and training Unfortunately, there is an over- whelming challenge when it comes to the quality of education and training throughout the industry, which directly affects the quality of drivers entering the workforce. PMTC’s 2024 Benchmarking Survey, 76% of private fleet owners cited driver recruitment as their top issue. t’s no secret that the trans- portation industry has its challenges: • Finding discon- nects and gaps in proper education and training practices; • Misconceptions about MELT; • Having a lack of jurisdictional author- ity/communication to effectively audit and establish regulations and compliance measures; and • Seeing inconsistencies in regulations, province-to-province (to name a few). These challenges aren’t even local- ized to a specific region – they are SOLUTIONS Calling a spade a spade Mike Millian ONLINE: https://www.pmtc.ca FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Private-Motor- Truck-Council-of-Canada-1561523780752504 X: https://x.com/privatefleets INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ pmtcylg/?hl=en LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/company/private- motor-truck-council-of-canada/about YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/user/PMTCvideos DIGITAL CONNECTIONS PRIVATE MOTOR TRUCK COUNCIL OF CANADA – BOARD OF DIRECTORS (2024/2025 TERM) Past Chairperson Steve Lawn Parkland Fuel Corporation Chairperson Leanne Drummond CPC Logistics Canada 1st Vice-Chairperson Angela Munsterman Coca-Cola Canada Bottling Ltd. 2nd Vice-Chairperson Jason Libralesso Home Hardware Stores Ltd. Patricia Burke Canadian Blood Services Phil Camp Paccar Leasing Company Kevin Carlyle Penske Transportation Solutions Gerald Carroll Wesbell Logistics Jim Dimech Linde Canada Chris Henry Trailcon Fred Hildebrand Rush Truck Leasing Mike Iasparro Canadian Tire Kevin Jennings GFL Environmental James Johnstone Giant Tiger Keith Lamb 4 Refuel David Marvin Tandet Andy Walker Molson Coors Scott Creighton Northbridge Insurance Kelly Henderson THRSCA Sudhanshu Malhotra Intact Public Entities Kim Richardson Transrep Inc. Matt Richardson KRTS Michelle Roberts Infrastructure Health & Safety Association (IHSA) Donald Williams Aviva Canada Steve Woodward Volvo Trucks Canada President, Private Motor Truck Council of Canada Mike Millian EA & Member Services Coordinator Annette Kieft Western Canada Business Manager Marcel Pouliot IWomen Driving Change Magazine // 13 the driver, your team, and every per- son connected to them – on and off the road. As a friend of mine asks all the time, “What happens if you don’t train your drivers, and they stay?” Misconceptions about MELT While on the topic of education and training, we need to adjust how we view the Mandatory Entry-Level Training (MELT) program. MELT is an entry-lev- el program – done right, from a proper school, it will equip you with the basic skills and open the door to a career in trucking; however, the education and training doesn’t stop there. At the begin- ning and throughout their careers, driv- ers need to be provided with the proper education, training, mentorship, and professional development to operate (and evolve with) your fleet’s operations. To compare: you wouldn’t ask a doctor who just graduated from medi- cal school to perform open heart sur- gery on their first day. You would work with them to ensure they’re equipped with the proper training and resources within your hospital. This pivotal step gives them the opportunity to natu- rally grow and thrive as profession- als within your work environment. Lack of oversight and enforcement Our industry is heavily structured by rules and regulations; however, there isn’t enough enforcement around them... which leads to a simple ques- tion: what’s the point of having a rule if resources are not applied to ensure it is followed. Using Ontario as an example, rough- ly 85% of carriers have a satisfactory- unaudited CVOR rating. This means the vast majority of carriers operating have never even been looked at to ensure they are following rules and regulations or have the proper oversight and training in place. Proper enforcement needs to be a top priority – from the highway to fleet offices and throughout all fac- ets of documentation. To overcome this challenge, the PMTC proposes implementing a mandatory third-par- ty audit system that is approved and overseen by the government. Carri- ers would be audited via this system Continued on page 14 In PMTC's 2024 Benchmarking Survey, 76% of private fleet owners cited driver recruitment as their top issue. The issue is not about finding drivers, as currently there is no driver shortage in our view, however finding a qualified driver is more of a challenge than ever. 14 // www.womendrivingchangemagazine.ca Here are two real-life examples of what carriers have done in this regard: • Over 200 fleets were found regis- tered to two addresses, one in Dart- mouth, and one in Halifax. A check of the addresses showed no truck- ing operations at either one. This was done to gain access to cheaper insurance and more lenient rules, while never actually having any base of operation in the province. • Another carrier got shut down in B.C. for safety violations, however, it had another fleet set up in Alber- ta, which enabled it to continue to operate into B.C. with its Alberta- based fleet, effectively bypassing the suspension. The reality is that there are unsafe, non-compliant carriers bypassing enforcement and operating through- out the country. We need to look closely at what the U.S. is doing – their country uses a centralized, national system that tracks carrier safety and compliance – and follow suit with a standardized system that’s recognized across Canada, rather than navigating through different systems province- to-province. While we recognize Canada is a fed- eration, which will make this difficult to do, at the very least we must ensure that the way each province enforc- es federally regulated carriers, and audits federally regulated carriers, is done with an agreement to ensure it is the same! In addition, the motion to make professional truck driving a Red Seal trade in Canada is more perti- nent than ever. Our industry needs to have standards in place that raise the bar – in education and through- out the workplace. This standard (alone) will help reshape our indus- try for a better future on the road. Your national ally As we navigate through these chal- lenges together, know that the PMTC is your national ‘boots on the ground’ ally and we are your voice and advo- cate across the country. If there are other issues happening, please let us know – and we’ll work together to call ‘a spade a spade’ and drive change. To contact PMTC President Mike Mil- lian, please email trucks@pmtc.ca. To contact PMTC Western Canada Business Manager Marcel Pouliot, please email marcel@pmtc.ca. prior to MELT, there were only 80. Meanwhile, there are only eight audi- tors overseeing 600 private career col- leges across the province (and truck- ing isn’t even their expertise). Inconsistencies in regulations In Canada, even if federally regulated, each province and territory is respon- sible for enforcing the regulations. How they are enforced, unfortunately, is not always consistent. This creates an oppor- tunity for non-compliant carriers to go ‘jurisdiction shopping’ to find loopholes they can easily work around. every two or three years; meanwhile, new carriers would undergo an initial, mandatory audit within their first 12 months of operation. The auditing system would be funded by carriers using a fee-based structure that’s based on fleet size. This system would create a fair, com- petitive environment that will natu- rally weed out non-compliant carriers. Another example is the saturated market of truck driving schools that offer entry-level training. We recently learned that there are over 280 schools that offer MELT in Ontario (alone); 16 // www.womendrivingchangemagazine.ca personalize driver coaching and increase driver engagement; • Reduce the number of collisions by sending instant alerts to drivers when they are lane drifting or driving too close to other vehicles; and • Pick up on driver behaviours like cell phone use, smoking, eating, or driver fatigue through the use of artificial intelligence. While there are many proven dash- cam benefits, the growing use of the technology within the trucking indus- try has some wondering what the goal of the dashcam actually is – to ensure safety, or to catch mistakes? “Dashcams provide objective evidence in the event of an accident, helping to determine fault and protect drivers from false claims. They also serve as a valuable coaching tool, allowing drivers to identify areas for improvement and enhance their skills.” More specifically, dashcams are important because they can help: • Save commercial businesses money by using video evidence for fraudulent claims and exonerating drivers; • Offer 360° of operational visibility with in-cab and exterior cameras; • Identify harsh driving incidents to utward-facing dash cam- eras have become a common feature for many private vehi- cles and profession- al fleets. Fleet manag- ers appreciate the value of dashcams in mitigating risk, reducing insurance costs, and improving opera- tional efficiency. Safety advocates see them as crucial technology for reduc- ing accidents and promoting respon- sible driving. What’s more, many drivers themselves are embracing dashcams for the added sense of security and protec- tion they provide. As a global leader in connected vehi- cle and asset solutions, Geotab believes that this widespread adoption of dash- cams reflects a collective commitment to creating a safer and more accountable trucking industry. “We see dashcams as an essential tool for enhancing safety, improving perfor- mance, and protecting our customers’ businesses, with the intent of creating a safer environment for everyone on the road,” says Vik Sridhar, Senior Manager, Group Product Management at Geotab. FEATURE Improving safety and protecting drivers By Paul Adair, Staff Writer O Dashcam data:Women Driving Change Magazine // 17 In conclusion While there is broad support in the law for the use of dashcams in the Cana- dian trucking industry, the sector must still approach the implementation of the system in a careful way. Trucking companies also need to ensure that they understand the relevant privacy and employment legislation in the jurisdic- tion in which they operate. In summary, some best practices for businesses considering the implementa- tion of a dashcam system are: • Make the system a part of your safety culture; • Obtain meaningful and fresh consent from employees to be recorded; • Inform drivers why dashcams are being implemented; how footage will be recorded, stored, and destroyed; when footage might be used; and to whom it might be released; • Collect only the information needed to fulfill a legitimate identified purpose; • Keep footage only as long as needed to serve those purposes; • Develop procedures for retaining and destroying personal information; • Remember that drivers have a right to access the footage and challenge the accuracy and completeness of the information; • Include all of these points in a privacy policy, collective agreement, or employment contract; • Train drivers about the policy; • Obtain acknowledgement that drivers have received, read, and understood the policy; and • Update policies as needed. Aranha says, “With the growing use of data collection technologies like dash- cams, a privacy management program will ensure that trucking companies can leverage these tools for safety and opera- tional efficiency, while still respecting drivers’ privacy rights and complying with legal obligations.” A collaborative approach Trucking companies looking to allevi- ate concerns about the use of dashcams should start by thinking about how the technology is being introduced to their drivers, long before the cameras are installed on the vehicle. Companies will best overcome driver concerns through open communication and education, emphasizing the safety benefits of dashcams, and highlighting their role in exonerating drivers from false claims and improving driving hab- its. Companies can even consider imple- menting a system where drivers can review their own footage and use it as a self-improvement tool. “By listening to drivers and allowing them to ask questions about how the dashcam system works, as well as its impact on them, companies will be able reduce resistance and foster an environ- ment where they feel that their concerns are valued,” says Aranha. “What’s more, the drivers’ feedback can also help the company determine what type of dash- cam technology to invest in, as well as how to best implement its use.” To really drive home the impor- tance and value of dashcams, com- panies should develop clear internal policies and guidelines that reflect the parameters for recording, use, storage, and retention of the footage collected. This policy can also include details about which actions, behaviours, or circumstances will trigger a review of the footage, as well as outline the con- sequences for any driving and safety infractions. “It’s important to clearly explain the company’s dashcam policy, including data access and usage pro- tocols,” says Sridhar. “By fostering a culture of trust and transparency, companies can successfully integrate dashcam technology while respect- ing driver privacy and concerns.” Who is watching and why? The response to the use of dashcams among truck drivers today is nuanced. Many drivers do freely acknowledge the previously-mentioned benefits of the tech- nology, but still have significant reserva- tions when it comes to the use of driver- facing cameras, with one of the most sig- nificant concerns being driver privacy. “We understand from the industry that drivers feel like they’re being constantly monitored, especially with cameras that record both the road and the interior of the truck,” says Zoe Aranha, Associate at BLG. With offices in Toronto, Ottawa, Calgary, Vancouver, and Montreal, BLG is Canada’s largest law firm and is a one-stop-shop for many clients. “We also hear that some drivers worry that dashcam footage might be used primarily as a way to penalize drivers, as opposed to promoting safety or improving performance.” One of the main concerns drivers have is the potential for the misuse of footage. That is why trucking companies need to establish clear policies early on that out- line how footage will be collected and used, who can access it, and under what circum- stances – transparency is key. These com- panies should also work to help drivers fully understand that the main purpose of the dashcams is not about catching mistakes, but instead to protect the driver and the company, as well as to increase overall safe- ty, develop accident prevention measures, and ensure legal protection. This is not to say, however, that the concerns drivers have about privacy are invalid – far from it. Rather than dis- missing their concerns as trivial, truck- ing companies need to be up front and address them openly and transparently. By emphasizing the positive impact of dashcams on safety, driver protection, and professional growth, companies will be able to foster a culture of trust and collaboration around the technology. “At our last Geotab Connect confer- ence, I was speaking to a fleet owner and I asked this person how they deal with driver resistance around cameras,” says Sridhar. “Their answer was simple – ‘driv- ers talk to each other.’ When one driver was in a collision and the dashcam foot- age clearly showed he wasn’t at fault, suddenly those very same drivers who were previously skeptical now refused to drive without a dashcam in the vehi- cle. We believe that as drivers become more familiar with dashcams and their benefits, their perceptions about the technology will continue to evolve.” “When one driver was in a collision and the dashcam footage clearly showed he wasn’t at fault, suddenly those very same drivers who were previously skeptical now refused to drive without a dashcam in the vehicle.” – VIK SRIDHAR, GEOTAB 18 // www.womendrivingchangemagazine.ca rofessional truck driv- ing is a great career for women and can be an empowering and exciting choice. Unfortunately, women do face unique obstacles as drivers, particularly when it comes to their safety at truck stops. Industry champions argue that to encourage more women to explore career options in the transportation sector, their safety must be ensured. “It’s about putting your personal safety as a priority and following your gut with every decision,” says Johanne Couture, Executive Director of Women Trucking Federation of Canada (WTFC) and owner/operator of Contrans Tank Group. “There are times I’ve pulled in somewhere, and my gut feeling said, ‘This doesn’t feel right,’ and so I’ve just left.” FEATURE By Kaitlin Vitt, Staff Writer Protecting yourself while on the road Staying safe: P In her role as Executive Director of WTFC, Johanne Couture advocates for the safety of all drivers on the road, with an eye towards keeping women safe on the job.Women Driving Change Magazine // 19 • Is the area well-lit and secure? • Are there people around? If so, are they employees or strangers? • Are there tripping hazards, such as uneven ground or debris? • When walking, avoid shortcuts between trailers, as these areas are often poorly lit and can be hazardous. Instead, take the longer, safer route around. By staying vigilant, you can identify potential risks before they escalate. Secure your vehicle Your truck is your sanctuary and should be treated as such. Always lock your doors, even when you’re inside. When parking for the night, draw your curtains to block vis- ibility from the outside so you’re not read- ily seen. If you’re concerned about security while sleeping, tie the driver and passenger doors together with a ratchet strap to add an extra layer of protection. Building a support network Connecting with other drivers in your company can be invaluable. Exchange phone numbers with col- leagues who frequent the same routes. Having someone to call in case of an emergency – or even just to check in – can provide peace of mind and an added safety net. And don’t hesi- tate to ask questions or seek advice; the trucking community is often “I can’t do anything else without parking the truck,” she says. “I can’t go to the bathroom, I can’t have a shower, I can’t go to sleep.” Improving parking areas is a discussion that needs to be had with each province and territory and is an action WTFC advo- cates for during talks with government. Couture also says that sometimes places do have appropriate rest stops, but they aren’t marked well, so notes the importance of adequate signage. Key safety tips The WTFC offers a range of practi- cal tips to help women drivers stay safe, whether on the road, at truck stops, or in customer yards. These strategies, from simple precautions to emergency response plans, are essential for ensuring not only physical safety but also peace of mind. The following tips were adapted from a WTFC blog post “Driver Safety – Working Alone.” Visit the WTFC blog at www.wom- enstruckingfederationofcanada.net/blog/ category/blog. Stay alert and aware Maintaining awareness of your sur- roundings is critical for staying safe. This might sound like simple advice, but for truck drivers, it can be a challenge due to the unique risks in yards, truck stops, and rest areas. Always scan your environment: Couture, who has been in the indus- try for 30 years, further explains that it’s not about being fearful of your work; rather, it’s about being aware. “I don’t have a problem going any- where, but if I’m going to go to certain heavily populated cities, I’m going to go in the morning or afternoon and not late at night, when nefarious things statisti- cally happen more often,” Couture says. Creating community The WTFC has a strong social media presence to support women in the industry, for example, by sharing safety tips. They also have a private Facebook group for mentors and mentees, a safe space they can feel comfortable asking questions. “There’s no such thing as a bad ques- tion,” Couture says. “The only bad ques- tion is the one that wasn’t asked before something happened that shouldn’t have.” Women have said they appreciate the support they’ve found in the group, and one question often leads the way to more questions and conversation. A call for action One of the most important issues to address in regard to women’s safety in trucking is improved access to truck parking, Couture says. Driver Safety in Focus Cupid’s Sting, the Truck Training Association of Ontario, and the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada part- nered to create the video “A Proactive Approach to Driver Safety,” which covers strategies to keep truck drivers safe. The 18-minute video is available on YouTube: www.youtube.com/ watch?v=OxjTDYaqR2k Phil Fletcher, President, TTSAO, and Dr. Laurie Samuel, Executive Director, Cupid’s Sting, in partnership with the Women’s Trucking Federation of Canada, created a safety video loaded with information and tips for professional truck drivers. Learn more about each organization at www.ttsao.com, www.cupidssting.org, and www.womenstruckingfederationofcanada.net. Scan the QR code to watch the safety video. It covers everything from cargo theft, to personal safety, to preparedness, and much more.Next >