TORONTO -- Older drivers retesting for their commercial licences will be permitted to take the ministry road test with trucks equipped with an automatic transmission.

The Carrier Safety Enforcement Branch of Ontario's Ministry of Transportation stated in a letter to industry that as of Nov. 1, 2009, senior drivers who are required to take a road test renewal after they turn 65 (and every year thereafter) can do so with an automatic transmission.

The letter, addressed to the Private Motor Truck Council of Canada, states that the policy applies only to senior commercial drivers 65 years old and over (all other class A licensed drivers upgrading or restesting for other reasons must still test with a manual transmission).

All other minimum vehicle requirements apply, such as the unit must have a fifth wheel coupling, have a single trailer at least 45 ft long; and have full air brakes on both tractor and trailer.

The new rule also applies to senior drivers retesting with the allowable dump truck configurations.

In a follow-up call, PMTC President Bruce Richards tells todaystrucking.com he's pleased with the change, but is still inquiring on where the MTO stands on reforming other aspects of the requirement to retest veteran drivers annually.

Ontario is the only province (and, perhaps, the only jurisdiction in the world) that requires Class A drivers to take an on-road retest upon reaching age 65 -- a policy that PMTC as well as the Owner-Operators Business Association of Canada and the Ontario Trucking Association want to see relaxed.

The groups argue that the retest given to 65-year-old drivers is the same on-road test administered to all new class A applicants; so there is nothing in the exam that would reveal shortcomings related to age, such as eroding cognitive skills, reaction time, decision-making capability, or physical dexterity.

The MTO has told all three groups behind closed doors that it will review the obsolete policy to retest all drivers over 65 regardless of their health and conditioning, but so far there's been no indication that a change is forthcoming.

"When I got the letter," says Richards, "I called up (MTO) and said, 'this is fine, this is good, but what are you doing about everything else?"

He said the MTO official in charge of the file hasn't returned his query yet. He says: "We'll keep chasing it, though."