Mountain Transport Institute (MTI) and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) are teaming up to measure the effectiveness of training professional drivers on fuel-efficient driving techniques.

A new program will result in 100 Western Canadian truck drivers being trained by MTI on fuel-efficient driving, using NRCan’s SmartDriver for Highway Trucking program. All drivers will receive classroom training and then half will receive further training on MTI’s simulator while the other half will be trained on the road.

The program will collect data on the participants’ fuel consumption over the next 12 months and the drivers will have access to daily reports on their performance. Participating carriers will be able to develop “gain-sharing bonus programs” involving the participating drivers, MTI said in a release.

Under the program, NRCan is helping offset the training costs, so participating carriers can enroll drivers for just $200 each. (The cost is normally $1,000 per driver).

“We expect that up to five different carriers and companies in B.C. and Alberta will gladly participate and send up to 20 or so drivers through the program,” said Andy Roberts, president of MTI. “They recognize that the cost of the program will easily be made up by their fuel savings and that in the long run, their own customers and ultimately the consumer will benefit from lower freight costs and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.”