Since its creation in 1976, the CFTR has become a leader in the teaching of trades related to the transportation industry. It is also designated by the Ministry of Education as one of only two public centres in the province to award the Vocational Studies Diploma in truck driving.
CFTR was born of a desire to meet the increasing needs of the workforce in the road transport industry. Since its opening, the CFTR has seen a continued growth in its customer base and its activities:
- The number of students trained has increased from 100 to more than 1,300 per year.
- The team of teachers, estimated at 14 road transport professionals at the beginning of the 1980s, is today no less than 150.
These experts teach the program leading to a Vocational Studies Diploma (DEP) for aspiring heavy vehicle drivers, then also provide training to persons who wish to exercise the professions of bus drivers and taxi drivers. Many other customized training programs, such as preventive driving or cargo securement for example, are offered at the company or on the premises of the CFTR, in order to enable employers to achieve their development objectives and to update their staff’s skills.
Our reputation for training qualified drivers allows us to respond to the demand and to the realities of the constantly evolving road transport industry. On the other hand, we should not overlook the CFTR’s leadership, whether it’s in the organization of the provincial professional truck drivers championship, its deserved awards at various competitions and events or its numerous initiatives.
The truck driver training program
A management committee composed of members of the Department of Education, the Ministry of Transport, the SAAQ, Camo-Route, the Quebec Trucking Association (ACQ), trade unions and the Rivière-du-Nord School Board sees to it that the CFTR maintains a management focus on the needs and realities of road transport.
We put at the disposal of future truckers:
- A fleet of equipment with more than 250 units of different makes and models of trucks and trailers reflecting the fleets of vehicles that are found in the trucking industry.
THE CFTR IN THE REGIONS
Because of its supra-regional vocation, the CFTR provides more than 60% of its training in the regions. Thanks to the partnerships developed with several school boards, the CFTR offers its program in Saint-Hyacinthe, Sherbrooke, Cowansville, Vaudreuil-Dorion, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Joliette, Gatineau, Mont-Laurier, Montreal, Laval, Boucherville and in Abitibi.
Learn more about regional truck driving courses.
TRUCK FLEET
The CFTR has more than 125 trucks and 145 semi-trailers, some of which are equipped with conventional communication devices and some with satellite positioning and communication systems.
The variety of CFTR equipment represents what is found in today’s trucking industry:
- Trucks and dump trailers;
- Tractor trailers
- Straight trucks;
- Platform semi-trailers;
- Van-body semi-trailers.
The trucks are equipped with unsynchronized manual, automatic or computerized transmissions similar to what students will find upon entering the labour market.