BLOG: Driving Progress:
Empowering Commercial Trucking with Custom Online Training.
Michael Taylor
Jan 15, 2025
Driving Progress:
Empowering Commercial Trucking with Custom Online Training.

The commercial trucking industry in Canada is the backbone of the economy, responsible for moving over 90% of all consumer goods and food across the country. As demand for freight transport continues to grow, so does the need for a skilled, safety-conscious workforce. In 2022, there were over 324,000 truck drivers employed in Canada, and the Conference Board of Canada predicts this number will need to rise significantly to address a projected shortage of 25,000 drivers by 2025.

Canada is now facing a shortage of 25,000 truck drivers and online training can bridge the gap by streamlining entry into the profession.

Yet with growth comes challenges. Increased numbers of trucks on the road have coincided with heightened scrutiny around road safety. Data from Transport Canada reveals that large trucks were involved in approximately 21% of road fatalities in 2021, underscoring the critical need for enhanced driver training programs. Regulatory shifts, such as mandatory entry-level training (MELT) for new commercial drivers, further highlight the importance of standardized, high-quality training initiatives. And the industry can’t slow to a crawl while employers and drivers get trained.

The Power of Online Training Solutions

The advent of eLearning has brought about transformative opportunities for the trucking industry to tackle these challenges head-on. In conjunction with online training platforms that offer scalable, flexible, and accessible delivery, these solutions are well-suited to the demands of today’s fast-paced transportation sector. Here’s how:

  1. Improved Accessibility: Traditional training programs often require significant time off work or relocation to training facilities. Online training eliminates these barriers, enabling both seasoned drivers and newcomers to access courses from anywhere, at any time. This flexibility is crucial for rural or remote areas where in-person training options are limited.
  1. Standardized Content: With eLearning, every driver receives the same high-quality, up-to-date training. This ensures compliance with evolving regulations, such as MELT, and fosters consistency in skills across the workforce.
  1. Enhanced Retention and Efficiency: Online training modules often incorporate interactive elements like quizzes, videos, and simulations to improve engagement and knowledge retention. These formats cater to diverse learning styles, ensuring drivers are better prepared for real-world scenarios.
  1. Data-Driven Insights: eLearning platforms (such as our SkillsPass platform) often have built-in analytics tools that track progress and performance. These insights can help organizations identify knowledge gaps and areas where additional training is needed. By analyzing data, industry oversight bodies and downstream company users can tailor their training programs to address specific needs, thereby enhancing overall safety outcomes. This is a critical component of the complete online training solution—custom/relevant training + an accessible and robust training platform = results and long-term industry value.
  1. Cost-Effectiveness: For employers, eLearning reduces the need for expensive classroom setups, instructor fees, and travel expenses. It also minimizes downtime, allowing drivers to train without significantly disrupting operations.
A Top-Down Approach to Industry Training

To truly harness the potential of online training, the trucking industry needs to adopt a top-down approach. Industry leaders, regulators, and employers must collaborate to develop and implement training solutions that are universally accessible and tailored to the sector’s unique needs.

Such an approach ensures:

  • Equitable Access: Online training platforms can be designed to support multiple languages and accommodate cultural differences, breaking down barriers for new drivers entering the workforce. For example, training available in English, French, Punjabi, and other widely spoken languages can help engage a diverse talent pool.
  • Seamless Onboarding: For new drivers, accessible online courses provide an entry point to the industry, reducing the learning curve and fast-tracking their readiness for the road.
  • Lifelong Learning: eLearning platforms can support continuous professional development, offering modules on emerging technologies, regulatory updates, and advanced driving techniques.

This approach has been implemented in various Provinces across the country and for various specific training requirements. Our team has been involved in many of these, as we have a specific focus in the development of eLearning solutions for the industry. Our transportation portfolio includes a range of specialized programs, such as the Class 1 online MELT program in Saskatchewan, the air brakes refresher course in Ontario, and a micro-credential program for dispatchers in Nova Scotia.

A standardized, industry-driven approach to eLearning fosters consistency and compliance, paving the way for a stronger, safer trucking sector.

Additionally, we developed nationwide online training for delivery, rideshare, and Class 1/A commercial drivers, all developed in collaboration with the Canada Safety Council. We’ve also recently embarked on a new partnership with Alberta’s Transportation Ministry, where we are co-developing a self-paced, online entry component for the upcoming Class 1 Driver Learning Pathway, which will launch in 2025.

This summary is intended less as a sales pitch (LOL), but more as a validation point that Canadian transportation regulators and industry oversight groups are seeing the value and importance of offering online components to their training programs, and doing so in a top-down manner to drive greater accessibility and expedited skill development for the benefit of drivers- and the industry as a whole.

Advancing Road Safety and Workforce Development

At its core, embracing online training is about creating a safer, more efficient, and better-equipped workforce. By empowering drivers with accessible, engaging, and industry-driven training solutions, the commercial trucking sector can:

  • Reduce accident rates and improve compliance with safety standards.
  • Improve license renewal or refreshing on required standards.
  • Mitigate driver shortages by streamlining entry into the profession.
  • Foster a culture of continuous improvement, ensuring Canada remains a leader in transportation safety and efficiency.

The future of Canada’s trucking industry hinges on its ability to adapt to changing demands and embrace innovation. Online training provides the tools necessary to not only meet these challenges but also drive meaningful progress. By equipping drivers with the knowledge and skills they need to excel, we can build a stronger, safer industry that benefits everyone—from drivers to employers to the communities they serve.

Collaboration among industry stakeholders will be essential in realizing this vision, ensuring training programs are comprehensive, inclusive, and forward-thinking.

Investing in online training is more than a strategy; it’s a commitment to the safety and sustainability of Canada’s roads and the future of the commercial trucking workforce. Let’s embrace this opportunity to lead the way in skill development and road safety, setting a new standard for excellence in the industry. We love talking transportation training solutions, so feel free to check out our transportation training solution brief and visit us to learn more about our custom eLearning solutions and the SkillsPass training platform that hosts them!

Suggested Reading
Transportation Solution Brief
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  • Ability to describe how this support will help you better assist your participants
  • Projects need to be developed, launched and demonstrate results within 12 months
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  • A woman registered in a recognized technology related program
  • A registered college or university wanting to provide a grant
  •  A registered not-for-profit or charity that supports women in tech programs
  • A tech sector focused community group 
  • Student and organizations need to reside in Canada
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    • A refugee or recent immigrant with a specific need in NL

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REIMAGINE

A seamless online training ecosystem connection for all stakeholders or partners…

  • Including governments, regulators, industry associations, unions, career centers, training providers, employers and more.
  • These cross-organizational and complex training situations would overwhelm an LMS. SkillsPass fixes that, with a robust suite of NexGen features and functionality including:
    • ONLINE TRAINING HUB– our embedded MarketPlusTM online training marketplace- allowing our clients to go beyond their own training offerings and consolidate external training sources, whether classroom, online, or virtual. 
    • UNIQUE ARCHITECTURE– Industry open architecture solution design that enables third party solution integration and the bringing together of key partners/systems and eliminating the siloed, restrictive nature of the traditional LMS.
    • TRAINING PARTNER INTEGRATION– Training partner enablement through unique storefronts to accept bookings, track attendance, and issue certificates working in concert with each client’s marketplace. APIs are also available for Training Partners with their own software.
    • DIGITAL WORKER PASSPORT– The industry-first SkillsPass Worker Passport, allowing end-users to access and share their validated credentials securely with employers and regulators (via QR code).
    • MULTI-LEVEL REPORTING– Robust reporting and insights at an employer and industry (client) level. Clients can provide a business account for each employer partner to allow them to track valid certificates, assign training, and see the final results and expiry notifications. The platform also generates valuable client insights about training completion at certificate, demographic, partner, industry, and regional levels.

DELIVER

Providing end-to-end training delivery and credential management for all training formats…

  • This can include virtual, online, in-person, and blended training. Core capabilities include:
    • Manage learning paths that can include combination of online, virtual and blended offerings
    • Manage prerequisite requirements 
    • Track microcredentials that can be combined to form a master credential
    • Allow clients to build their own online courses and assessments 
    • Provide bookmarking so that learners can complete training in multiple sessions 
  • We have a globally recognized team of Learning Design and Production experts that work with industry SMEs to produce online and blended courseware and microcredentials.  They can take a project from concept to finished product within a few weeks. 
  • Over the years we have also amassed a large library of specialized courseware to address stubborn or urgent skills gaps with almost immediate time-to-launch and value.

SAFEGUARD

With security and support that safeguards our client investments in two key ways:

  1. Battle-Tested Solutions– Having met the highest levels of audit, scrutiny, and testing related to data security, privacy/consent legislation, and web content accessibility guidelines.
    • Our consent-driven architecture supports the latest regulations and best practices in data privacy/consent, security, accessibility. The platform is secure and audit-proof- with SOC 2 Type I Audit Certification, PCI standards compliance, adherence to all SaaS security and privacy requirements, and more.  
    • We are global leaders in this space. Over the past few years, we have been through 500 governmental client Threat Risk Assessments, passed 5 Provincial PIAs, launched with 8 governments and 5 regulators, been approved and deployed by the US state departments to deploy the solution in 30 Countries.  
  2. Full Delivery Support Options– Our experienced Adoption Services Group can help clients realize their objectives after launch. We help ensure that if you build it, they actually will come.
    • Our team has managed client training initiatives that have impacted millions of workers, and support training stakeholders (e.g., training partners and employers) to adopt solutions.
    • Our optional managed services range from supporting client adoption efforts to full outsourcing of the rollout and operation of training initiatives. For some of our clients, we actually operate their entire training solution, including:
      • Full onboarding and training for stakeholder groups (such as training partners or employers) 
      • Generating awareness, engaging with potential partners, performing system demos, signing on partners, etc.
      • Sales and Marketing– we staff account management and sales roles, complete marketing strategies, design and place advertising, and develop promotional materials.
Enhancing Critical Workforce Skills

Bluedrop’s experience and proven eLearning content development capabilities are foundational in supporting our customers’ upskilling & reskilling requirements, and in maximizing the power of the SkillsPass™ Integrated Skills Management Platform.

Whether for broad State/Province upskilling programs, or single use, rapid response training requirements for a specific industry requirement- we can deliver an online solution with proven effectiveness and verifiable training results.

EXPANSIVE

Bluedrop has developed and deployed eLearning training to support large and diverse upskilling and reskilling initiatives of governments and industries around the globe.

EXPERIENCED

Bluedrop has amassed a a vast library of proven and impactful eLearning courses. Specialization includes commercial truck driver training, workplace productivity, entrepreneurship and a host of regulatory inspired courses,

CONNECTED

The eLearning content solution combined with our SkillsPass ISM platform to help connect workers, employers, and related stakeholders. We also offer full execution support and program management including marketing, adoption, and customer support specialists that help drive successful uptake and results.

Our Solution – Multi-Stakeholder Benefits

Offers online training, certification, and credential management capabilities to support the transformation of broad-based upskilling/reskilling.

Is industry-agnostic, and is now securely deployed with governments, industry associations and employers around the world, with close to 3 Million users.

Enables the deployment of wide ranging course content options to support skill development including industry mandated, OH&S, and upskilling in those critical in-demand functions required in the new digital economy.

Provides partners with a digital, single line-of-sight into training results, credentials, and certifications at the industry through to the individual level.

Contact Us

Let’s keep this simple- just fire us an email, or give us a call if you have questions, or simply want to chat more about workforce skill development!
info@bluedrop.com
1.800.563.3638
18 Prescott Street, St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada