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our program

COMMERCIAL TRUCK DRIVER TRAINING - MELT

Approved as a vocational program under the Ontario Career Colleges Act, 2005

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KNOWLEDGE IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS


So you have decided to carve a career in transportation. Great! What’s next? At first the idea of getting licensed and even getting into a big rig might be daunting. Fear not, as we all have been there. Just take the first step and get in touch with us with any and all of your queries through our contact page. Here is a general explanation of the things you need to know to start your journey towards a bright new career with great opportunities.


Admission Requirements for our program


  • Ontario secondary school diploma or equivalent

      OR

  • Pass the ministry approved alternate admission test (Wonderlic SLE )
  • Atleast 18 years of age

     AND

  • Valid Class G License
  • Class A Written Test (Signs & Rules)
  • MTO medical Submission and/or Declaration


What is Class A License


As per the Ministry of Transportation website, The full Class A truck license is the only license that covers full air brake systems on both tractors and trailers. Z stands for “Air-Brake Endorsement” and is a requirement for operating any commercial vehicle with an air brake system or an air-over-hydraulic in Ontario.


What you can drive


A full Class AZ (air brake endorsement) truck license lets you drive:

  • Any truck/tractor trailer combination
  • A combination of motor vehicle and towed vehicles where the towed vehicles exceed a total gross weight of 4,600 kg (10,000 lbs.) and has air brakes
  • A vehicle pulling double trailers
  • A car or light truck covered by a Class G license
  • Heavy trucks covered by the Class D truck license
  • Any vehicle covered under a restricted Class A truck license


Now despite the nomenclature AZ, it doesn’t allow one to drive everything that moves on road. A Class A license does not allow you to drive a bus carrying passengers, a motorcycle or a moped for example. Each vehicle category has its own conditions to be met.


Points to remember:

 

Requirements


As per Ministry of Transportation, To get a full Class A license with no restrictions, you must:


  • Be at least 18 years old
  • Hold a valid Ontario license other than G1, G2, M, M1 or M2
  • Pass a vision test
  • Submit a valid medical report
  • Pass a knowledge test about operating large trucks and tractor-trailers
  • Complete a mandatory entry level training (MELT) course  
  • Pass the ministry approved alternate admission test (Wonderlic SLE )
  • Pass a road test using a vehicle that meets the requirements for a full Class A



For your road test, your vehicle must have:


  • A trailer with a Manufacturer’s Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of at least 4,600 kg
  • A full air brake system on both the truck/tractor and trailer
  • Manual transmission that consists of at least eight forward gears with a high-low range, if you want to be able to operate a manual transmission class A truck/tractor. Else, you can take your road test in a Class A vehicle having Automatic transmission and a restriction will be noted on your driver record and driver’s licence. It will not apply when operating lower-class vehicles such as Class G or D.

 

What is M.E.L.T.


The mandatory entry-level training (M.E.L.T.) mandates minimum of 103.5 hours of thorough instruction from a recognized institution. The training covers the classroom, yard, in-cab and on-road portions. Your instructors will give you the necessary road discipline, teach skills to handle emergencies and guide you to operate a commercial truck safely. As soon as you complete your training, the respective training institution updates your driver’s license. If you meet all the other Class A Requirements, you can take a Class A road test at a DRIVETEST centre. The training will be valid for life. Once you pass the road test, you are ready to apply for abundant job opportunities in the exciting field of trucking.


Let’s talk about getting you on the road

Fill in the form to set up a meeting.