B.C. is the latest province to implement mandatory entry level training (MELT) with the announcement made by the Ministry of Transportation & Infrastructure and ICBC on March 31, 2021.

B.C.’s MELT program for Class 1 drivers will be in effect on October 18, 2021 and will exceed the minimum requirements set by the National Safety Code Standard. Training will include 140 hours minimum of classroom and practical training. Class 2, 3 & 4 requirements will remain unchanged at this time.

For more information, please refer to ICBC MELT FAQs

Details regarding the course curriculum and fees will be available in the coming weeks.

Obtaining a Class 1 licence will give you a number of employment opportunities. Driving truck presents a great deal of autonomy, and for many there is little work outside in the elements, which means the driver is warm and out of the weather. At times however, the weather can provide unique driving experiences, especially in the province of British Columbia. Many who adopt trucking as a career enjoy traveling to new places and working through the challenges that this exciting industry can present.For those able to be away from home for days or weeks at a time, long haul trucking companies can offer a training program, reasonable runs and competitive wages. Greater wages come with experience and specialized equipment, such as ‘Super Bs’, flatdecks or covered wagons.For those wanting to stay closer to home, there are ample opportunities to drive locally, operating dump trucks with pups, buses, and tanker trucks. All of which offer competitive wages.

To apply for a Class One licence the applicant must be 19-years-old. A Class One licence will allow you to operate semi-trailer trucks and all other motor vehicles or combinations of vehicles except motorcycles (class 6). In other words, with a ‘Class 1’ licence a driver can legally operate all vehicles in the ‘Class 1 to Class 5’ classifications, such as Super ‘B’ trailers, buses, dump trucks with pups, or fire trucks. Often a Class ‘1’ licence will make you more attractive to employer, owing to the flexibility of you being able to operate a range of vehicles.

Learning to operate a 75’ (23m) truck and trailer combination with a non-synchro mesh transmission and air brakes can be challenging indeed. At CSTT, one of our ICBC licenced instructors will work with you one-on-one. Here you will learn shifting, the pre-trip inspection, coupling/uncoupling, backing, turning and safely maneuvering the unit in traffic.When learning to operate a semi-trailer, students most formidable challenge comes with shifting and double-clutching. After several lessons of operating the vehicle in a controlled environment with minimal turns, students are faced with the next component of truck driving – turning the vehicle safely on city streets. For most students, it takes some time to understand that they are driving the trailer and not the truck. In other words, the tractor goes out of the lane and the trailer stays in the lane.

For those searching for a career that allows them to work with the public, driving a bus may be the perfect fit for a new career. Regardless of the type of driving job, passenger safety must remain the driver’s first priority. In the many different jobs as a bus driver all require that a schedule be followed. Driving a bus offers many employment opportunities. For those wanting to be home every night, working as transit, school bus driver, or short haul coach captain for companies such as Pacific Coach may provide excellent employment. For those who do not mind being away from home for periods of time, working for Greyhound or as a tour coach driver may offer the perfect job opportunity. Whether working for Greyhound or as a tour bus driver, the job requires that drivers handle passenger concerns, luggage, some times freight, and wear a uniform. When laid over, drivers sleep in hotels and have access to hot showers – although generally speaking, a number of Greyhound’s hotels provide only basic essentials.

• Buses, including school buses, special activity buses and special vehicles
• Trailers or towed vehicles not exceeding 4,600 kilograms except if the bus and trailers or towed vehicles do not have air brakes
• Any motor vehicle or combination of vehicles in Class 4 & Class 5

As a bus driver, your first priority is passenger safety. All driving, offloading, and freight handling decisions must be made with this priority firmly in the front of your mind. For those students moving toward a career as a tour, coach, or transit bus operator, they will learn that the unit responds differently owing to the driver’s seating position, located in front of the steer axles. At CSTT, one of our team of ICBC licenced instructors will work with you to teach you about passenger safety, pre- and post-trip inspections, loading and off-loading passengers, emergency breakdowns, and safely maneuvering the unit in city traffic.

All training is one-on-one with a licenced driving instructor. At the time of registration, you are required to pay a deposit and must have a valid Class 2 learners permit as well as an air brake endorsement on your licence. Lessons will not be scheduled until the required prerequisites are received. For more information please call CSTT at 250-655-0432.

Most straight trucks are used for local delivery and often operate within a 2-300km radius of their home terminal. Obtaining a Class 3 licence can present the applicant with a wealth of different opportunities from driving general freight trucks, fire trucks or dump trucks. Local municipalities and transport companies use a number of specialty trucks. These range from flat decks equipped with hoists used by local lumber companies, to tanker trucks used to suck debris out of storms drains, to refrigeration trucks used for local food deliveries.

• Applicant must be 18 years of age
• Trucks with more than two axles, such as dump trucks and large tow trucks, but not including a bus that is being used to transport passengers
• Trailers may not exceed 4,600 kilograms except if the truck and trailers do not have air brakes
• A tow car towing a vehicle of any weight
• A mobile truck crane
• Any motor vehicle or combination of vehicles in Class 5

For new drivers learning to operate Class 3 vehicles, shifting a manual non-synchro mesh transmission presents the greatest challenge. If the vehicle is equipped with air brakes, as most straight trucks are, the pre-trip will also present some challenges to learning. Of course, it goes without saying that turning and maneuvering a large vehicle in city traffic requires the trainee to acquire new skills.

All training is one-on-one with a licenced driving instructor. At the time of registration, you are required to pay a deposit and must have a valid Class 3 learners permit as well as an air brake endorsement on your licence. Lessons will not be scheduled until the required prerequisites are received. For more information please call CSTT at 250-655-0432.

A Class 4 licence presents a number of exciting opportunities for those wishing to upgrade their licence. In some instances those upgrading to a Class 4 licence are already employed with a company, volunteer organization or church group that requires a driver for a small bus or special vehicle which that organization currently owns. In upgrading to a Class 4 licence, these employees and volunteers increase their contribution to the organization for which they work. Those working toward becoming paramedics often seek to upgrade their licence to Class 4 in order that they may driver the ambulance. Others seek a Class 4 so that they can seek employment as a taxi or limousine driver.

• 19 years of age
• Buses with a maximum seating capacity of 25 persons (including the driver), including school buses, special activity buses and special vehicles used to transport people with disabilities
• Taxis and limousines
• Ambulances
• Any motor vehicle or combination of vehicles in Class 5

For new drivers learning to operate Class 4 vehicles, one of the greatest challenges can be working with public, particularly if they are working with people with disabilities, or people that have sustained injuries in an accident. Despite the some times challenging aspects of working with the public, passenger safety must remain foremost in the driver’s mind. To ensure riders’ safety, the driver must conduct a thorough pre-trip, ensure that all required paperwork is filled out correctly and drive defensively. Most importantly, when picking up or dropping off passengers, this must be done at a place where passengers are safe and out of traffic.

Although most truck and trailer combinations where the trailer exceeds 4,600 kilograms are equipped with air brakes, some units without air brakes exist. To obtain this endorsement, the towing vehicle must be a single axle truck; otherwise the driver is required to obtain a Class 3 licence. Many of these units are still employed on farms, the building supply industry, and in a limited way in construction. Often these vehicle combinations are employed to move skid steer loaders or other mid-size construction equipment.

• Trailers or towed vehicles exceeding 4,600 kilograms provided neither the truck nor trailer has air brakes
• Any motor vehicle or combination of vehicles in Class 5

For new drivers obtaining their heavy trailer endorsement, the pre-trip inspection presents a challenge. A pre-trip inspection however, is the key to a safe vehicle while driving on the highway. The increased weight of the vehicle, reduced acceleration and longer braking distances require the driver to acquire new skills that will allow him to make adjustments for the combination vehicle’s unique handling characteristics. Further, the driver will now be dealing with larger blind spots and will need to adjust his driving accordingly. And owing to the increased height of the vehicle, drivers need to develop an awareness of low bridges, overpasses, covered fuel stations, and other projections from buildings which may potentially damage the unit. This course trains the student to conduct:

• comprehensive pre-trip inspection
• back the unit safely
• drive defensively
• manoeuvre the vehicle on the highway
• drive in city traffic
• operate in confined spaces such as yards and fuelling stations

Please call the office for further information.

Most who purchase a new camper trailer, or upgrade to a larger unit are Trailer Park excited about getting out and experiencing all that our magnificent region has to offer. In light of this euphoria, operators need to be aware that authorities require drivers to successfully pass both a written and practical exam for any trailer exceeding 4,600 kilograms (10,000 lbs). Although advances in materials and design have made trailers lighter, the addition of numerous creature comforts and slides have significantly increased overall weights. Be sure you know the weight of your unit by getting it weighed at a public scale.

• Recreational (house) trailers exceeding 4,600 kilograms provided neither the truck nor the trailer has air brakes
• Any motor vehicle or combination of vehicles in Class 5

For new drivers obtaining their house trailer endorsement, the pre-trip inspection House Trailer presents a challenge. A pre-trip inspection however, is the key to a safe vehicle while driving on the highway. A pre-trip inspection can also save the owner’s expenses on the highway by detecting problems before she begins her journey. Also, the increased weight of the vehicle, reduced acceleration and longer braking distances require the driver to acquire new skills that will allow her to make adjustments for the combination vehicle’s unique handling characteristics. Further, the driver will now be dealing with larger blind spots and will need to adjust her driving accordingly. And owing to the increased height of the vehicle, drivers need to develop an awareness of low bridges, overpasses, covers over fuel stations, and other projections from buildings which may potentially damage the unit.

The house trailer endorsement course trains the student to conduct a comprehensive pre-trip inspection, back the unit safely, and drive defensively. The driver also learns new skills that will allow them to safely manoeuvre the vehicle on the highway, in city traffic, and in confined spaces such as campgrounds and fueling stations.