1. Are all 140 hours actually delivered, and can I see the record?
ICBC requires 140 hours — 47 theory, 93 practical. Every hour is logged against your name. Ask any school to show you a sample training record and to confirm how many of the practical hours are one-on-one in the cab, not watching from the back seat.
Tricon: the full 140, logged, with in-cab hours one-on-one. The breakdown is on our Class 1 page.
2. Whose trucks are they, and what condition are they in?
Some schools rent or share trucks. That means the truck you train in may not be the truck you test in, and availability drives your schedule instead of the other way round. Ask to see the fleet, and ask when it was last inspected.
Tricon: our own tractor-trailers, maintained in-house. The condition of the trucks is one of the most repeated points in our Google reviews.
3. Who is teaching, and have they driven for a living?
An ICBC instructor licence is the minimum. What you want is someone who has hauled on the Coquihalla in February and can tell you why a procedure matters, not just that it is on the test. Ask how long the instructors drove commercially before teaching, and whether the same instructor stays with you through the course.
Tricon: instructors who have driven commercially, and a certified air brake assessment officer on staff. Instruction in English, Punjabi, Hindi and Italian. See about Tricon.
4. What does “mountain driving” mean at this school?
Every BC school will say the word. Ask where the mountain driving happens. A hill in the Fraser Valley is not the Coquihalla. Descent planning, brake fade and chain-up rules are things you can only really learn on a real grade.
Tricon: the Coquihalla and the Fraser Canyon, in our trucks, as part of the 140 hours. Details on mountain driving training.
5. What happens on test day?
Three things to confirm: do you test in the truck you trained in, does an instructor come with you, and is the truck rental for the test included or extra. Some schools charge several hundred dollars for the test-day truck. Ask about the air brake practical too — at most schools it means a separate ICBC appointment.
Tricon: you test in your training truck with an instructor, and our own assessment officer runs the air brake practical on-site — see air brake testing on-site.
6. What is not included in the price?
ICBC's own fees — knowledge tests, learner's licence, road test — are charged by ICBC, not the school, and are never inside a course price. Beyond that, ask specifically about retest fees, truck rental for a retest, study materials, GST and any “administration” charge. Get it in writing.
Tricon: everything included and everything ICBC charges separately is listed on course fees, and in-house funding is available for eligible students.
7. What language, and what hours?
If English is not your first language, ask whether instruction is available in yours, in the classroom and in the truck. And ask what days and hours training runs. A school that only trains weekdays 9 to 5 means quitting your job to attend.
Tricon: English, Punjabi, Hindi and Italian. Open 9am–9pm, seven days a week including holidays, at Surrey and Langley.
Ask us all seven
Call (778) 549-1727, or drop into either yard. Every answer above is one an instructor will give you in person, and you are welcome to ask the same questions of any other school.
Frequently asked questions
Is a cheaper MELT course a worse one?
Not automatically, but price differences usually come from somewhere: fewer real in-cab hours, older trucks, a shared truck on test day, or fees added later. Ask the seven questions and compare the answers, not the headline number.
Does ICBC approval mean all schools are the same?
No. Approval means the school is licensed to deliver the 140-hour standard. How well it is delivered — instructor experience, truck condition, one-on-one time — is up to the school.
Can I visit before I decide?
Yes. Tricon's Surrey and Langley yards are open 9am–9pm every day. Come and see the trucks, meet an instructor and ask anything on this list in person.