Ontario Strengthens Commercial Truck Driver Training and Licensing Requirements

The provincial government has announced that all organizations offering entry-level Class A truck-driver training will be required to follow a new standardized curriculum. Implementation is expected to begin in early 2027 after consultation with industry representatives, training providers and other subject-matter experts.

Why Ontario Is Strengthening the System

Commercial trucking is essential to Ontario's economy, but large trucks also present significant road-safety risks. According to the Auditor General:

• Ontario had approximately 303,000 large commercial trucks on its roads as of 2024.
• Large commercial trucks represented only about 3% of vehicles on Ontario roads but accounted for 12% of vehicles involved in fatal collisions between 2019 and 2023.
• Between April 2015 and March 2025, approximately 128,000 collisions involved large commercial trucks, and truck drivers were found at fault in approximately 59,000 — or 46% — of those collisions.
• Ontario had approximately 250,000 Class A licence holders and nearly 96,000 Class D licence holders as of December 2024, with Class A holders increasing by approximately 14% between 2020 and 2024.

These figures demonstrate why the quality of commercial-driver training, examination and licensing is a matter of substantial public importance.

Problems Identified by the Auditor General

The audit found important weaknesses in the delivery and oversight of Ontario's Entry Level Training, commonly known as ELT.

Incomplete Training

The existing Class A ELT standard requires a minimum of 103.5 hours of training, consisting of 36.5 hours of classroom instruction, 17 hours of in-yard training, and 50 hours of behind-the-wheel instruction. However, during testing conducted between June and December 2025, the Auditor General found that two private career colleges provided only 59.5 and 81 hours of training to participating students.

Some students were not properly taught important driving skills, including left turns at major intersections, reverse parking, and emergency stopping. Despite these deficiencies, students reportedly received ELT completion certificates.

Insufficient Inspection of Training Providers

As of March 2025, the responsible ministry had never inspected 54 of the 216 registered private career colleges actively offering ELT — approximately 25% of the total. Of the 81 colleges that had reached the ministry's five-year reinspection threshold, 44 — or 54% — had not been reinspected.

Inspections and investigations conducted between 2019 and 2024 also found that certain colleges had falsified or altered student training records, failed to maintain evidence showing that students completed mandatory training, or failed to teach all required components of the ELT curriculum.

Inconsistent Road Testing

Commercial-driver testing was not consistently administered across Ontario. Of 50 DriveTest Centres reviewed, 21 used routes with maximum speeds of 100 kilometres per hour, nine used routes with maximum speeds of only 50 to 70 kilometres per hour, and 24 tested only one type of reversing manoeuvre instead of randomly testing one of the two required types. This meant applicants were not always assessed under comparable road and testing conditions.

Driving History Was Not a Barrier

Ontario did not prevent an applicant with a higher-risk driving history — including demerit points, suspensions or convictions — from obtaining a Class A or Class D licence. The Auditor General noted that provinces such as British Columbia and Quebec apply stricter eligibility standards to commercial-driver licence applicants.

Limited Driving Experience Before Class A Licensing

Ontario previously had no mandatory waiting period between obtaining a passenger-vehicle licence and attempting to obtain a Class A commercial licence. The audit found a connection between driving experience and collision risk: drivers who waited between one and two years after receiving their Class G licence were 6% less likely to have a first-year at-fault collision, and drivers who waited between two and three years were 41% less likely to have such a collision, compared with drivers who upgraded to Class A within one year.

Ontario's Newly Announced Measures

Ontario has now announced or introduced several measures intended to strengthen commercial-driver training and road safety.

The Auditor General's Recommendations

The Auditor General made 13 recommendations. The Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry of Colleges, Universities, Research Excellence and Security agreed with all of them. The principal recommendations include:

• Conducting routine unannounced inspections of ELT providers and establishing a formal, risk-based inspection system for private career colleges.
• Improving information-sharing between the responsible ministries and creating consistent approval, monitoring and recertification requirements for ELT instructors.
• Tracking collision rates, infractions and road-test results connected to individual training providers.
• Identifying and taking enforcement action against unregistered training providers, and preventing suspended organizations from certifying students through the provincial system.
• Standardizing commercial road-test routes and required manoeuvres, and examining whether road-test length and difficulty affect drivers' later collision records.
• Strengthening fraud controls and audits at DriveTest Centres.
• Introducing commercial-licence eligibility criteria based on driving history, demerit points and serious convictions.
• Using roadside-inspection results to improve enforcement, training and examinations, and enhancing ELT standards so applicants obtain sufficient driving experience before receiving full commercial-driving privileges.

Immigration and Employment Considerations

These changes do not create a new Canadian immigration program or provide an automatic pathway to permanent residence. Foreign nationals interested in working as truck drivers in Ontario must separately satisfy applicable immigration and work-permit requirements, Ontario driver-licensing and training requirements, medical and safety standards, employer-specific hiring requirements, and the criteria of any immigration program through which they may seek temporary or permanent status.

Conclusion

Ontario's proposed standardized curriculum and stronger licensing controls represent a significant change for prospective commercial drivers, training institutions and transportation employers. Applicants should verify the latest requirements before enrolling in a training program, accepting employment or making immigration plans based on a potential trucking position. Employers should also conduct careful compliance reviews before recruiting foreign workers for commercial-driving positions.

Sources: Office of the Auditor General of Ontario, Special Report 2026: Large Commercial Truck Driver Licensing; Ontario Ministry of Transportation, Ontario Developing New Training Requirements for Truck Drivers, September 21, 2026.

Speak With M A Immigration Associates Inc

This article provides general educational information and is not legal advice. Immigration, licensing and training requirements may change, and every applicant's and employer's circumstances are different. If you need further information or would like an assessment of a work-permit or immigration matter connected to a trucking position, contact M A Immigration Associates Inc. for a confidential discussion.

Malik is a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) and the principal of M A Immigration Associates Inc., based in Ontario. The firm advises clients on Express Entry, Provincial Nominee streams, work permits, family sponsorship, and study permits.