British Columbia Announces Mandatory Entry-Level Training for Class 1 Drivers
On March 31, 2021, B.C. said new Class 1 applicants would need to finish an approved MELT course before their road test, starting October 18, 2021.
In March 2021, British Columbia announced that new Class 1 commercial drivers would have to complete mandatory entry-level training (MELT) before they could take a road test. The provincial news release, issued March 31, 2021, set the start date for the requirement as October 18, 2021.
What changed for new applicants
From October 18, 2021, anyone applying for a B.C. Class 1 driver's licence would need to complete a Class 1 MELT course approved by ICBC before attempting the ICBC Class 1 road test.
Drivers who already held a B.C. Class 1 licence were exempt. The province said applicants who were partway through the process and already held a valid Class 1 learner's licence could find details on how the change affected them from ICBC.
How the program was built
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure said the program would:
- set minimum numbers of hours for practical behind-the-wheel driving, in-yard training and classroom instruction;
- exceed the minimum requirements of National Safety Code Standard 16, the national Class 1 entry-level training framework introduced in February 2020;
- draw on best practices from other Canadian jurisdictions and line up with mandatory Class 1 training elsewhere in Canada;
- emphasize safe operation in mountain terrain and the changing weather drivers meet in B.C.
At the time of the announcement, ICBC, which regulates driver training schools and instructors in the province, was still consulting the commercial driving industry and the transportation and public safety ministries to finalize the curriculum. Licensed driver training schools were expected to begin delivering the course in early summer 2021.
Legal basis and context
The province said the legal authority for MELT came from Bill 2, the Motor Vehicle Amendment Act, 2020, passed in August 2020. Industry consultation in 2019 had fed into the program's design.
The release also carried comments from Safer Roads Canada board members Lawrence and Ginny Hunter, whose son Logan died in the 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus crash. The Hunters described the move as B.C. joining the other western provinces in rolling out a MELT program.
Where applicants were pointed
Alongside the announcement, the province directed prospective drivers to ICBC's general information on the Class 1 MELT program, to FAQs for commercial drivers and driving schools, and to a list of funding and grant options for people planning to take a Class 1 MELT course. ICBC president and CEO Nicolas Jimenez said graduates would combine on-road experience with theory, and BC Trucking Association president David Earle said the association supported the move.
Archive: this article describes rules and events as of March 2021. Regulations may have changed since, so check the current rule before relying on it.