Ontario's Class A manual transmission restriction took effect
In July 2022, new truck drivers who took their road test in an automatic could no longer drive a manual Class A truck.
On July 1, 2022, Ontario began restricting the licences of new Class A drivers who take their road test in a truck that is not a manual.
How the restriction works
- Drivers who complete their Class A or restricted Class A (AR) road test in a vehicle with an automatic, semi-automatic or automated-manual transmission can drive only those types of Class A/AR vehicles, not manuals.
- To avoid the restriction, the road test must be done in a manual with at least eight forward gears and a high-low range.
- The restriction is noted on the driver's record and licence. It does not apply to lower classes such as G or D.
- It does not apply to anyone who completed their Class A/AR road test before July 1, 2022.
Schools and fleets respond
Training schools and the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada (PMTC) welcomed the change. The PMTC called it a positive step for road safety and said its 2021 research found that about 25% of new Class 8 trucks sold had manual transmissions.
Ken Adams of Crossroads Truck & Career Academy in Ottawa, who also chaired the Truck Training Schools Association of Ontario, said the rule would improve safety. He warned that a driver who learned only on an automatic could be in danger if sent down a mountain grade in a manual.
Surinder Batth of Global Truck Academy in Brampton said students were asking for manual training and that finding manual trucks was a major challenge. Radek Rogowski of Richards Driving School in Mississauga said demand for manual training was rising, because many of the best-paying jobs still involved manual trucks.