Upon graduation, students who attend Centennial College’s freightliner training academy program are ready to obtain employment with a Freightliner truck dealer or fleet operator.

1. 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 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

2. dealerships; manufacturers of trucks, buses, and motor homes; freight and transportation
companies; as well as municipal or provincial highway transportation departments.
Author Details: Emma writes about the benefits students receive by attending the 32-
week in-school session and four-week work experience of the freightliner training
academy program at Centennial College.