The Province of Ontario is currently the only jurisdiction in all of Canada and the United States
that allows someone to take their class A road test in an automatic or automated manual
transmission, and if passed, provide them with a fully unrestricted license. This allows them to
drive a standard truck, with possibly as many as 18 forward gears, with absolutely zero
experience with that type of equipment. Every other jurisdiction either requires you to take
your road test in a manual or places a restriction on your license allowing you to operate an
auto shift only if you choose to take your test on same. Ontario’s policy, in our view, is a serious
road safety issue that needs to be addressed now.
As far back as 2015, when industry began consultations with the Ontario Ministry of
Transportation on Mandatory Entry Level Training, this issue was raised by many stakeholders,
with some suggesting mandatory training on a manual be included in MELT. At the time it was
left out, with a commitment from the MTO to address the auto road test issue mentioned
above. When MELT was introduced in 2017, the road test issue had yet to be addressed,
elevating concerns by many in the industry. After several years of consultation and lobbying,
the MTO issued a regulatory posting on November 17th of 2020, announcing their intent to
place a restriction on a class A license if the road test was conducted in an automatic
transmission. (see link below for posting details).
Read the full press release here: