Canada Introduces Revised SmartDriver Program

"This program will help meet the trucking industry's growing demand for safe, fuel-efficient drivers while educating existing operators on improved driving techniques. The real savings come in the form of reduced greenhouse gas emissions, helping meet Canada's domestic and international climate goals," said Jim Carr, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources.

Jim Carr, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, on Jan. 8 announced a redesigned online SmartDriver for Highway Trucking (SDHT) program to help the commercial trucking industry reduce operating costs while decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. The industry faces rising fuel costs and an increased need for reduced emissions, according to the Canadian government.

The revised program has been developed in consultation with industry and is Natural Resources Canada's flagship training program for commercial truck drivers offers, offered online, in classrooms, and with on-road training materials help drivers and instructors improve their driving efficiency.

According to the agency, heavy-duty vehicles accounting for 37 percent of GHG emissions from the transportation sector, but fuel-efficient equipment and the driving practices featured in the SDHT program can help individual drivers reduce their fuel consumption by as much as 35 percent.

SDHT learning materials are available free of charge to drivers, fleets, and training organizations. For more information, visit the FleetSmart website at www.FleetSmart.NRCan.gc.ca.

"This program will help meet the trucking industry's growing demand for safe, fuel-efficient drivers while educating existing operators on improved driving techniques. The real savings come in the form of reduced greenhouse gas emissions, helping meet Canada's domestic and international climate goals," said Carr.

"Natural Resources Canada's SmartDriver for Highway Trucking program has been a key component of the Ontario Truck Training Academy's entry-level commercial driver training program for over a decade. This modernized program will help OTTA continue to outline the benefits of fuel efficiency and educate drivers on the impacts of safe, energy-saving driving behaviors," added Yvette Lagrois, president of the Ontario Truck Training Academy.