Ontario Truck Driving School (OTDS), one of the largest chains with nine learning centers in the province, said it was forced to lay off some 70 instructors because of the closure.

OTDS has since switched to distance learning for the theory part of the A/Z course, with just a couple of instructors.

“Basically, we run a live classroom with an instructor, and it is working out very well because everyone is at their home in front of their computers,” said Gus Rahim, president of OTDS. “It is like a webinar, but designed for a classroom.”
Each session is open to a limited number of students, who still have to complete the practical part of the course when schools reopen, Rahim said.