A Freightliner Training Academy Program Offers A Combination of Theory and Practice in 36 Weeks

Are you currently working in the freightliner industry but are looking to upgrade your career? Have you always had an interest in diagnosis and repair? If so, you may be interested in applying for Centennial College’s Truck and Coach Technician – Freightliner MAP 32 apprenticeship, which boasts a freightliner training academy feel.

Taking 32 weeks of in-class training and four weeks of co-op work placement experience to complete, this offering combines theory and practical experience in a way that is most beneficial to the learner. Those interested in applying to this freightliner training academy program are required to have completed at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma or GED or equivalent. Applicants must be employed by a freightliner dealership or a designated fleet employer or selected through an interview process. Please be advised, that candidates may apply directly to Centennial College. Successful applicants must obtain an employer and then register as a MAP apprentice with the Apprenticeship Branch of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. Acceptance is based on successful completion of all entry requirements. Limited space is available in each program.

Once students are accepted, they’ll discover a modified apprenticeship program, which ensures that they learn the full process of working on bigger vehicles (such as trailer trucks and busses). As a result, the training is more in-depth and detailed than students would receive in a traditional apprenticeship. Students attend Centennial College’s Ashtonbee Campus, Canada’s largest transportation training centre, are faculty members who emphasize aspects of heavy vehicle technology that are embodied in the program guide students through their courses. This includes the diagnosis and repair of the following course subjects: electronics and electrical, and computer management systems; steering, brakes, suspensions, frames and alignment; transmission(s) manual, automated, automatic; heating, ventilation and air conditioning; hydraulics; engines; fuel systems (gas and diesel); welding – MIG, ARC, gas, cutting, brazing; and tools, equipment safety concerns. Because these subjects are taught out of the largest transportation centre in Canada, students get the advantage of learning in state-of-the-art classrooms and labs containing engines that are very popular and commonly found in the trade. 

As the freightliner training academy program is meant to give students as much real-life experience as possible, the co-op aspect offers them a chance to shadow technicians while they work and truly obtain new knowledge rather than just cleaning work areas or running errands. During this time, students also apply what they have learned, have a chance to network and learn to deal with a range of clients. Students receive pay during the apprenticeship and may be eligible for Employment Insurance during the in-class training.

Once students have graduated from the Centennial College freightliner training academy program, they will be assisted in obtaining employment with a Daimler truck dealer or major truck or bus fleet operator. However, they may also find jobs with truck, bus or motor home dealerships; manufacturers of trucks, buses, and motor homes; freight and transportation companies; as well as municipal or provincial highway transportation departments.