Targeting Red Seal certification in the future, Alberta is mandating from April 1, that all aspiring truckers complete Class 1 driver’s licence training through its learning pathway.

The pathway was developed with the trucking industry, Devin Dreeshen, minister of transportation and economic corridors, told TruckNews.com in an interview. It aims to match drivers with careers as well as train new entrants to the industry, with the goal of addressing the driver shortage in the province and country, he added.

“We want to make sure that there’s a sense of pride and professionalism with truck drivers,” he said.

The flexible, apprenticeship-style approach to training includes up to 133 hours of instruction, including air brake training, offering more hands-on skills and safety training than the former 113-hour MELT (mandatory entry-level training) program.

Enhanced in-cab training will provide learners with more hands-on experience and practical, competency-based learning, according to a news release.

Red Seal certification

Dreeshen said that five provinces need to agree on allowing the Red Seal certification for truck drivers. The certificate signifies that a tradesperson has demonstrated the knowledge and skills required for the national standard in their trade. 

Alberta is in talks with Saskatchewan, Ontario and British Columbia, the minister added. He is hopeful that all provinces and territories will want to be part of the process.

The minister said that details have to be worked out on what type of training can be recognized. Truckers with certain years of experience will be grandfathered.

“Once we get across the finish line, it’s going to be a huge boost for the trucking industry,” he said.

Competency-based training

The competency-based Class 1 training includes content specific to the unique terrain, weather, cargo and equipment in Alberta’s commercial driving industry, the release added. Safety, wellness and responsibility are also foundational to the training curriculum, with additional content focused on personal health and well-being, workplace safety and incident response.

The pathway also focuses on improving safety on Alberta’s roads through enhanced accountability to increase consistency in how licensed driver training schools, carriers, instructors and examiners meet training, examination and operational standards. The new accountability framework includes oversight measures, as well as a progressive discipline policy for cases where one of these entities is not providing training to an acceptable standard. 

The province is investing $54.1 million over three years in the Class 1 Learning Pathway grant program.

Grants available

A total of $30 million over three years is allocated for the Employment Pathway Grant which provides funding for eligible employers in the commercial driving industry to cover the costs of training and onboarding for new and future Class 1 drivers, leading to the direct employment of new drivers.

Application intake will open on April 1. This program will reimburse eligible employers for up to $10,000 for their training costs for new Class 1 drivers. It will offer an onboarding incentive of up to $10,000 for hiring new Class 1 drivers with less than two years of experience in a Class 1 driving position. And, it will provide an additional $5,000 for Class 1 driver professional development.

The Industry Advancement Grant will provide $24.1 million over three years in funding for eligible projects from organizations in the commercial transportation industry to support industry-driven solutions to increase employment, attraction and retention.

Industry projects

The grant launches April 15, with the 2025 call for expressions of interest closing May 16. Eligible industry projects targeting Class 3 commercial driving are included in this grant stream as Class 1 drivers often begin their careers driving Class 3 trucks (vehicles which have three or more axles).

The release noted that there are more than 149,000 licensed Class 1 drivers in Alberta, yet only 31% are employed as truck drivers.

Additionally, Alberta’s government is increasing access to training and testing for Class 1 commercial drivers’ licences licences through a reciprocal agreement with the Northwest Territories. The agreement allows for reciprocal training and testing for Class 1 (including air brake) licences starting April 1. Northwest Territories residents who take Class 1 driver training and testing in Alberta will also be licensed in the Northwest Territories. Albertans can also take Class 1 driver training and testing in the Northwest Territories and be licensed in Alberta.