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By Chris Brown

Grant and training programs

Province improves access to trucking jobs

Nov 26, 2020 | 2:34 PM

The provincial government has established a grant program and a training program to get more truck drivers behind the wheel.

In a release, the government says a $3-million Driving Back to Work grant program will cover up to 90 per cent of the cost of the Mandatory Entry-Level Training (MELT) program for 300 unemployed Albertans to earn a Class 1 commercial truck driver licence.

The Experience and Equivalency Class 1 MELT Training Program will give Class 3 drivers with a minimum of two years of experience the opportunity to take a 40-hour Class 1 training upgrade instead of the 113-hour Class 1 MELT Program, which is focused on brand new drivers.

“Farmers, foresters, roughnecks and truckers made it clear that cost is the major barrier to hiring Albertans,” says Transportation Minister Ric McIver. “Providing better paths to earn a Class 1 licence will help deal with a shortage of truckers, getting our goods to market safely. These programs are designed to put Albertans back to work today to build our economy tomorrow.”

Chris Nash, president of the Alberta Motor Transport Association, says the programs will help get Albertans back to work and ensure essential supply chains are resilient.

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Quick Facts

• Mandatory Entry-Level Training (MELT) is a required training program for new Class 1 (tractor-trailer) and Class 2 (bus) drivers taught at driver training schools and organizations across Alberta.
• It includes mandatory standardized driver training curriculums with set hours for in-class, in-yard and in-vehicle training.
• The cost for MELT training for Class 1 drivers is capped at $10,000, but the current average cost of training across Alberta is $8,900.
• Unemployed Albertans must qualify for employment insurance and can apply for the grant online.
• Class 1 MELT takes 113 hours to complete. This total does not include the Air Brake program, which is about 8.5 additional hours. Class 2 MELT takes 50 hours. Class 2-S MELT (for school bus drivers) takes 53.5 hours.
• After successful completion of the Experience and Equivalency Class 1 MELT Program, all participants will be required to pass the Class 1 MELT knowledge and road tests to obtain their Class 1 commercial driver’s licence.
• Albertans will need to apply to Alberta Transportation to ensure they have the needed experience before they are approved to take the Experience and Equivalency Class 1 MELT program.
• Alberta is expected to have a shortage of 3,600 commercial truck drivers by 2023.