While the U.S. struggles to implement effective driver-training standards, one Canadian province is taking a major step toward putting qualified truckers on the road.

The province of Ontario, Canada, is helping the trucking industry meet its need for skilled workers and improving road safety by creating an apprenticeship for truck drivers, Chris Bentley, the Canadian Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities announced Friday, Nov. 18.

“In today’s economy, prosperity depends upon having a skilled workforce,” Bentley said in a press release. “Truck driving is one of the most common occupations in Canada. This new apprenticeship will improve driver education, support the trucking industry’s commitment to training and the growth of the sector, and build a pool of skilled drivers.”

The voluntary program was developed in conjunction with the Canadian trucking industry, and will train apprentice tractor-trailer commercial drivers to plan trips, inspect equipment, safely handle cargo, conduct routine vehicle checks, and prepare documentation, including bills of lading, border-crossing and custom forms.

Training will be voluntary and available for people who want to become apprentice drivers starting early in 2006.

“For the first time, the government has recognized that a truck driver is a skilled professional, not an unskilled worker. This is a big step forward for the trucking industry,” said David Bradley, president of the Ontario Trucking Association, in a press statement.

With more than 140 different trades, Ontario has Canada’s largest apprenticeship training system. The Ontario government has also introduced the Apprenticeship Training Tax Credit to encourage more employers to train apprentices.

The Ontario government hopes to increase the number of new apprentice registrations by 7,000 to a total of 26,000 in 2007, Bentley said.