The Private Motor Truck Council of Canada, along with sponsor KRTS, announced the recipient of the Professional Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Training Scholarship at its Annual General Meeting & Conference in Niagara Falls, Ontario on June 18th, 2025.
"The skill and professionalism that is required of today's professional drivers is increasing with each passing year," stated PMTC President Mike Millian. "For an entry level driver entering our industry to have the best chance possible to be successful, it is imperative that they receive the best in class training that is available. This scholarship, which provides training that is TTSAO certified & MELT approved, provides just that. We are thankful to KRTS for sponsoring this award and making this scholarship possible."
To be eligible to receive this award, applicants must have no more than 3 points listed against their Motor Vehicle Driving record. They must have no impaired, dangerous, careless, or similar driving convictions in the past 3 years. Must have no criminal code convictions or must have received a pardon or a waiver. The applicants must also have a conditional job offer as a professional driver, or a related field, pending successful completion of the Training Program. The applicant also had to be nominated by his or her employer, had to submit a resume and a 650 to 1000-word essay stating why they thought they were a good candidate for the scholarship and what their personal goals within the Transportation Industry are.
Matt Richardson, VP of KRTS, remarked "It is an honor to be able to sponsor this scholarship annually and see deserving individuals get an opportunity to take their career to the next level. There are many PMTC member companies that trust the training and educational services provided by KRTS on a yearly basis, and this is one way we can give back to an association and its members that support us."
The 2025 recipient is James Hartman, employed by Giant Tiger Wholesale.
James' interest in trucks began at a young age as his father has been a transport truck driver for over 25 years. James has always looked up to his dad and his career and always looked forward to hearing his dad's stories from the road. He always looked forward to visiting his dad at the yard and standing next to the trucks or getting in the cab. As he got older, his interest in trucks and the industry continued to grow. He really wanted to be part of an industry that kept everything moving. In high school James had the chance to take part in a co-op placement with a construction company. This opened his eyes to the broader world of heavy equipment and transportation. That led James to enroll in the Heavy equipment operator program at Sir Sanford Fleming College, where he graduated in 2023.
After graduating, James joined Giant Tiger as an order picker in the warehouse. This role taught James a lot about logistics from the warehouse side of things but really sparked his desire further to want to be close to the trucks. James then moved into his current role at Giant Tiger as part of the Mobile Wash Team. This allowed him to gain experience maneuvering construction equipment and semi-trucks, allowing him to gain more valuable experience and ignite his passion further to want to be on the road.
From the Fleet's standpoint, in their nomination letter, the team raves about what a great employee and team member James has been in his 2 years at Giant Tiger. He is dependable, hardworking and motivated. In his current role he has demonstrated an exceptional dedication to detail, excellent time management and deep sense of pride in maintaining the quality of the fleet. In his time at Giant Tiger, James has never missed a day's work and is always on time. His positive attitude, dedication and commitment to excellence set a strong example for those around him. James is looking forward to receiving this scholarship and understands it is an incredible opportunity to further his knowledge and skills and get him one step closer to a career on the road. This is an opportunity he intends to take full advantage of. James embodies the kind of talent and character the trucking industry needs, someone who is not only ready to do the job, but to do it with integrity and pride!!
For more Information, contact: Private Motor Truck Council of Canada Tel: 905-827-0587 225 Main Street East, Unit 5 email: info@pmtc.ca Milton, Ontario, L9T 1N9 website: www.pmtc.ca
