Hidden camera, internal memo reveal how unqualified truck drivers are getting onto Canada's roads
CBC
The system for testing truck drivers in Ontario has been compromised by bribes, forged documents and rigged testing, says a memo leaked to CBC's Marketplace by an industry insider.
A subsequent hidden camera investigation by Marketplace reveals that the training students get ahead of that test can be just as problematic.
Ontario's DriveTest centres are managed by a company called Serco, which oversees operations and logistics for a variety of organizations, ranging from air traffic control for the Canadian Armed Forces to employment services for the federal government.
The leaked internal memo, which was shared with Marketplace following an investigation into driving schools, was addressed to all driving examiners in Ontario. It reveals "a number of employees have either resigned or been terminated this past year due to investigations that we have completed involving allegations of inappropriate and illegal behaviour."
This behaviour ranges from examiners "accepting bribes for issuing road test passes, to manipulation of automatic versus manual transmission certificates, to false driver experience being added to driver records," according to the memo.
The memo, dated November 2023, was signed by Gary Cook, Serco's vice-president of operations.
It was shared with Marketplace by Kiera Dubois, a DriveTest examiner responsible for testing people who want to obtain their commercial trucking licence.
"[I'm] basically putting my job on the line to say something," she told Marketplace. CBC has agreed to change her name and conceal her identity because she fears losing her job for speaking out.
Dubois wasn't shocked by the memo. She's been hearing about bribery for years, and has even had people "float" the idea of bribing her for a pass.
"These people [who] took bribes gave licences for a murder weapon … in any accident of a transport [truck] versus a car, more than likely the person in that car is not going to walk away."
After nearly two decades of working for Serco, she feels the company values performance metrics and customer service over ensuring adequately trained drivers are getting their licence.
"In our company, there are times where we feel that someone shouldn't be passing and we have to pass them … Our hands are tied."
Marketplace requested an interview with Serco, which the company declined. In an email statement, spokesperson Alan Hill wrote that "Serco operates under the strict testing standards set by the Ministry of Transportation. Our aim is to provide a full and fair assessment of each driver's skills, while ensuring that the road test reflects the applicant's overall competency."
In response to the leaked memo, Hill wrote that the company takes allegations seriously, and immediately launched an investigation resulting in the termination of those involved in any fraudulent or illegal behaviour.
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