Driver Certification Program

Ron has been driving since 1976 and achieved his A licence in 1984. Ron drove over the road hauling van, reefer and tank up until 2009 when he started training drivers at a school here in SW Ontario. Ron started working for Grace 11 years ago and in 2018 obtained his signing authority at Ontario Safety League in Toronto. His favourite part about the course is seeing good drivers being put out on the road. When the program is not running, Ron completes all of Grace’s pre-employment road tests for new drivers, teaches the in-class portion of our load securement course and renews our current drivers AZ licences.
In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his family and his grandkids and is an avid collector of antique farm equipment and has machinery dating as far back as 1840.

Brett got his AZ licence back in 1998 and has been driving for Grace for the last 15 years. Brett has drove all types of equipment and currently works in our Bulk division hauling B Train dumps. When we decided to offer the Driver Certification Program, Brett got his signing authority certificate from Fanshawe College and has been one of our driver trainers ever since. In 2024 Brett decided to upgrade at the Ontario Safety League and get his Z Endorsement Instructor certificate to be able to take over the in class portion in the near future. Brett also holds the title of Bulk Health and Safety Rep for Grace. He claims he enjoys being involved in the Driver Certification program because he gets to work hands on with his trainees showing them not only how to operate a transport truck but also the real life experience of loading and unloading freight we haul. When Brett is off-duty he enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, watching hockey (Go Leafs) and NASCAR.

John started in the trucking industry 17 years ago, where he drove over the road for years with Nesbitt Trucking and then dispatched for a few years for Grace when we purchased Nesbitt. This experience has given him the perspective both from a driver and from the office and he believes this has made him an all-around better driver and trainer. John went back to driving in our local division and when we decided to offer the Driver Certification Program, John got his training certificate from Fanshawe College. He claims his favourite part of the program is seeing trainees and the improvements they make from start to finish. He also likes the fact that outside of the MTO requirements, he gets the opportunity to show the new drivers what goes on in the real world and expose them to loads we haul. John also holds the title of Flatbed Health and Safety Rep and is the instructor for our load securement course.
Outside of the truck, John enjoys spending time with his family, fishing and curling in the winter!

Mike got his AZ Licence in 2012 at Ontario Truck Driving School and a week later started driving over the road at Elgin Motor Freight (Challenger) hauling majority of automotive parts. He made the career move to Grace in 2019 and shortly after Grace sent him to Fanshawe to obtain his Fleet Certification Signing Authority certificate. Since then Mike has been a trainer for our Driver certification program and also for new drivers needing some extra one on one training. Mike currently drives in our local division loading and unloading in the GTA, London area and Michigan. Mike says that he favourite part of the Grace Driver Certification Program is he likes how the training involves actual dispatches so that he can teach the trainees the whole job and that the trainees get to experience hauling a variety of freight across all divisions before going on the road solo. When Mike is not driving his hobbies include hiking, camping, photography and spending time with family.

Terry has been immersed in the trucking industry since his early teenage years, assisting his family with hooking up trailers and gaining firsthand experience of the truck driving life. Although he initially pursued a career in stone masonry, a field with family ties, Terry realized about eight years ago that his true passion lay in trucking. For the past five years, he has been employed with Grace in the local Van division. Recently, Terry achieved signing authority through the Ontario Safety League, allowing him to serve as a trainer for Grace’s Driver Certification Program. He finds great satisfaction in mentoring others and looks forward to contributing to the development of future drivers. Outside of work, Terry enjoys spending time with his family and dogs, playing music, and restoring old vehicles.