Where Rubber Meets the Road

He Got Laid Off and Walked Into a New Career—Now He’s Training the Trainers

Most people don’t stumble into their life’s work.

But that’s exactly what Spencer McDonald did.

Back in 1983, he was wrapping up his final shift at a motorcycle shop in British Columbia. His job was gone—just another casualty of a slow sales year—and he had no plan beyond locking the door behind him.

That’s when fate walked in.

A regular customer asked him what was next. Spencer didn’t know.

“He said, ‘You ever think about teaching motorcycle riding?’” Spencer recalls. “Honestly, it hadn’t even crossed my mind.”

The guy gave him the name of a school. Spencer made a call. One application and a few training hours later, he was certified and standing at the front of a parking lot, coaching students on throttle control and lane discipline.

He didn’t realize it then, but that one moment kicked off a 40-year journey in safety education.

Learning to Teach, Teaching to Lead

That first job was with the BC Safety Council, a respected organization at the time. They saw something in Spencer beyond just technical skill.

“I guess they figured I could do more than just run a class,” he says.

Soon he was overseeing programs, mentoring instructors, and representing British Columbia at the national level. His work caught the attention of the Canada Safety Council, where he became a lead facilitator for defensive driving programs.

But Spencer’s influence didn’t stop in the classroom. He became a voice in the larger conversation about how safety training should be done—how to move beyond checklists and into real behavioral change.

The ICBC Challenge

Today, Spencer is the founder and president of Thinking Driver, a B.C.-based firm that delivers defensive driving and instructor certification programs across the country.

His latest project? A driving instructor certification course authorized by ICBC—British Columbia’s motor vehicle licensing authority.

What makes this a big deal? This course gives Thinking Driver the ability to train and license new instructors for the province. Only a handful of organizations in B.C. have that kind of accreditation.

“It’s extremely difficult to get,” Spencer says. “You have to prove you can build a curriculum that meets regulatory standards and produces results.”

The approval process is long, technical, and demanding. But Spencer’s done hard before.

“Honestly, that’s the easy part,” he adds. “The hard part is teaching someone how to teach.”

Not Just About Driving

Spencer’s whole approach to training rests on one core belief: knowledge isn’t enough.

“You can explain something all day,” he says. “But unless someone experiences it, it won’t stick.”

That’s why his programs go far beyond basic instruction. Whether he’s working with a new instructor or a seasoned commercial driver, Spencer insists on hands-on learning. Practice. Repetition. Mistakes, followed by coaching.

“We want people to learn what risk feels like before they face it for real,” he says.

And that philosophy bleeds into how he trains instructors. It’s not about memorizing content—it’s about reading people, responding in the moment, and creating the kind of experience that actually changes behavior.

Why It Matters Now

Driving is the most dangerous routine activity most Canadians do. But most people treat it like a chore—something to get through, not something to master.

That mindset frustrates Spencer.

“There’s nothing casual about a two-ton machine moving 80 kilometers an hour,” he says. “But we drive like we’re on autopilot.”

What he’s trying to build isn’t just safer drivers—it’s better instructors. Teachers who understand that their job isn’t to push someone through a test, but to reshape how that person thinks behind the wheel.

And in Spencer’s view, that matters more than ever. With roads getting busier, distractions increasing, and driver education stretched thin, we need more than compliance.

We need conviction.

The Long Game

Spencer’s trained thousands of instructors and commercial drivers over the years. He’s contributed to safety standards, built partnerships across Canada, and advised organizations on program design.

So what’s he chasing now?

“Sustainability,” he says. “Not in the green sense—in the people sense. I want this work to outlast me.”

That’s what drives his effort with the ICBC course. He’s not looking to dominate the training market. He wants to elevate it—to bring new instructors into the fold who are thoughtful, well-prepared, and committed to doing the job right.

He wants to raise the floor. And the ceiling.

A Fluorescent Office and a Big Mission

When we spoke, Spencer was sharing a cramped office space, taking meetings under flickering fluorescent lights.

Halfway through the conversation, he stood up and unscrewed a bulb just so he could see his screen without the glare.

“I’m glowing like a saint over here,” he joked.

It’s a small moment. But it says a lot.

Spencer doesn’t need a fancy office or a perfect setup. He just needs space to build—and people willing to learn.

Because if he’s learned anything in the past four decades, it’s that the best teachers are often the ones who got there by accident… and stayed there on purpose.