Ontario is developing a mandatory, province-wide entry-level curriculum for Class A truck drivers. Training schools will have to deliver more than 103 hours of standardized instruction.

Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said the goal is consistent, rigorous training before new commercial drivers hit the road.

Subjects under review include fatigue management; northern, rural and remote driving; human-trafficking awareness; and mandatory air-brake training.

The government will consult industry and trainers in the coming months, with rollout targeted for early 2027.

The move follows earlier steps: work-eligibility checks, closer oversight of testing schools, proposed tougher penalties for distracted driving and disabled speed limiters, and a six-month wait (from Jan. 1, 2027) before Class G holders can take a Class A road test.

Ontario is also adding enforcement officers, inspection units and rest-area capacity along Highway 11/17 in the north.

Industry groups including TTSAO, CTOA and OCTTA backed the standardized curriculum.

Ontario auditor general report in May had found the province was not effectively monitoring commercial trucker driver training and licensing regimes.