Instruction for the driver, an assessment for the employer hiring them
Individual lessons are for the driving. Pre-employment road tests are for the hiring decision. Both run out of the same yards, with the same instructors who teach our full Class 3 program, and both exist because there's no fixed MELT-style course for Class 3 — and no résumé — that tells you everything about how someone actually handles a loaded straight truck.
Our Class 3 training program is where most drivers start, moving up from a Class 5. But not everyone needs training from the ground up. Some already hold a Class 3 and want focused, one-on-one time on a specific skill before a road test or a first day on a new job. Others are employers — construction firms, hydro contractors, municipalities, delivery fleets — who need an honest read on a driver candidate before that person is on the insurance and on the truck. This page covers both.
Not sure which one you need?
If you're a licensed driver wanting more seat time, see who books individual lessons. If you're an employer vetting a candidate, see pre-employment road tests. Or just call us and tell us the situation.
Who books individual Class 3 lessons
Individual lessons are built for drivers who already hold a Class 3 licence, or are close to earning one, and need targeted time in the seat rather than a full training package.
- Licensed drivers preparing for an ICBC Class 3 road test who want focused practice before test day — especially on the pre-trip and air brake inspection, which trips up more candidates than the driving does.
- Class 5 drivers who've already done most of the work — years around trucks or heavy equipment, just not commercially licensed — and only need a handful of hours before they're road-test ready.
- Drivers returning to a straight truck after years away, whose skills need a refresh before a loaded run rather than a full re-licensing package.
- Class 3 drivers needing the air brake endorsement topped up or refreshed for a specific vehicle or job.
Not a replacement for Class 3 training
If you don't yet hold a Class 5/6 licence, or haven't started toward Class 3 at all, individual lessons aren't the starting point — our Class 3 training program is the ICBC-approved path that gets you there. Individual lessons are for sharpening a licence you already have, or are most of the way to.
Pre-employment road tests for construction, hydro & delivery employers
A resume and a licence tell you what a candidate is legally allowed to drive, not how they actually drive a loaded dump truck or hydro truck. We run a structured, on-site assessment with a Tricon instructor — so you get an honest read on a driver before they're on your insurance and your equipment, not after.
Pre-trip inspection
We watch the candidate conduct a full pre-trip inspection and note what they catch, what they miss, and how methodically they work.
Air brake system check
Pushrod travel, the low air-pressure warning and the rest of the air brake inspection ICBC tests on the road test — a section that fails more candidates than any other.
Backing & yard manoeuvring
Straight-line backing, offset backing and manoeuvring a straight truck in a real yard, under real time pressure.
On-road driving
City and highway driving with an instructor beside them, in the kind of straight truck the candidate would actually be assigned.
A written report, not just pass or fail
You get a written assessment covering each part of the test, so you're making a hiring decision on specifics — not a single yes or no from someone your candidate has never met.
Corporate services for fleets running straight trucks
Beyond a one-time pre-employment test, employers use Tricon for ongoing driver development — because vetting a candidate once doesn't cover everything that happens after they're hired. See our corporate & fleet training page for the full rundown of these services.
- New-hire onboarding — structured in-truck time before a driver's first dispatch, rather than sending them out cold.
- Return-to-work refreshers for drivers coming back after injury or extended leave.
- Mountain driving assessments before a driver is sent onto the Coquihalla for the first time.
- Fleet-wide skills audits for employers who want an outside read on their current drivers, not just new ones.
These are billed to a company account and scheduled around your operation, not a class calendar. Call us to talk through what your fleet needs.
How individual lessons and assessments work
Every session runs with the same instructors who teach our Class 3 training program, in Tricon's own air-brake-equipped straight trucks. There's no fixed class to join — you're booked into hours, on a schedule built around you or your company, not the other way around.
How to book
Whether you're an individual driver or an employer booking a road test, the process starts the same way — a phone call, not a form.
-
Tell us what you need
Call and describe your situation — a driver wanting seat time, or a company with a candidate to assess. We'll tell you honestly how many hours or what kind of session fits.
-
We confirm the details
Hours, yard (Surrey or Langley), and — for a road test — whether you want the air brake inspection included.
With us -
The session runs
One instructor, one driver, in a Tricon straight truck. No shared class time, no waiting on a course calendar.
With us -
You get the result
A driver leaves with more hours behind them. An employer gets a written assessment report they can actually use to decide.
Ready to book?
Tell us whether you're a driver or a company, and we'll tell you exactly what the session involves.
Why book individual lessons or a road test with Tricon
Anyone can put a candidate behind the wheel for twenty minutes. What separates a real assessment from a formality is who's evaluating, on what vehicle, and whether you get more than a gut feeling back.
Same instructors who teach Class 3
The people evaluating a candidate or teaching your lesson are the same instructors who run our full Class 3 program, not a separate testing crew.
A written report, not a phone call
Pre-employment assessments come back as a written report covering each part of the test — something you can actually put in a hiring file.
No shared class time
One instructor, one driver, for every session — there's no waiting your turn behind other students.
Yards in Surrey and Langley
Two Metro Vancouver training yards, so getting to a session doesn't mean a long drive first.
Open 9am to 9pm, every day
Including weekends and holidays, so booking a lesson or a road test doesn't mean taking a day off work to fit ours.
4.6★ Surrey · 5.0★ Langley on Google
We're a BC Trucking Association member school, so a road test with us carries weight with the carriers who already know our name.
Booking & how it's priced
Individual lessons and assessments are billed by the hour rather than a fixed course fee, so we quote current pricing over the phone based on what you actually need. See our course fees page for how we think about pricing across every program.
Hiring, not just testing?
If you're an employer looking to connect with recent graduates as well as vet your own candidates, see our job placement page for how we work with employers.
How to get your Class 3 licence in B.C.
If you are earning a Class 3 for the first time, this is the order ICBC sets. Individual lessons fit in at the training step.
-
Check you qualify
You must be 18 or older (ICBC needs a parent or guardian’s consent if you’re 18), hold a full-privilege B.C. Class 5 or 6 licence, have fewer than four penalty-point incidents in the past two years, no driving-related criminal convictions in the past three, and no unpaid ICBC fines or debts.
-
Study ICBC’s Driving Commercial Vehicles guide
It is free on icbc.com. The Class 3 study chart includes the air brake chapters.
-
Take the 7-hour air brake theory course
ICBC requires an air brake course (or acceptable proof of air brake experience) before you take the air brake knowledge test. It is not a requirement for the Class 3 knowledge test, but if you plan to take both tests in one visit, do the course first. Our air brake course is 7 hours of theory plus 4 hours of practical. Our in-house air brake practical assessment is only available to students who complete both the theory and the practical training with Tricon.
With us -
Pass your knowledge tests at an ICBC office
Book an appointment. You take the Class 3 knowledge test (35 questions, 28 to pass), the road signs test and the air brake test (25 questions, 20 to pass) on a screen, after a vision check and medical questions. Taking a commercial and the air brake test together costs one fee.
At an ICBC office -
Get your learner’s licence and train
Your learner’s licence is valid for one year and lets you practise driving with a supervisor or at a driving school. This is when your on-road training with us starts.
With us -
Book and pass your road test
Phone ICBC to book (you can’t book a commercial road test online). The test includes a pre-trip inspection, an air brake pre-trip if the truck has air brakes, and the road test. Bring the tools for an air brake adjustment.
At an ICBC office -
Medical form and photo licence
After you pass, you pay the licence fee, get a temporary licence and a Driver’s Medical Examination Report form for your doctor. Your photo licence is mailed once RoadSafetyBC confirms your medical fitness.
Source: ICBC, Driving Commercial Vehicles and icbc.com. Rules and fees can change, so confirm with ICBC before you book.
Class 3 individual lessons & road tests — frequently asked questions
What's the difference between individual lessons and a pre-employment road test?
Individual lessons are instruction — a driver in the seat, learning or sharpening a skill, with a Tricon instructor teaching. A pre-employment road test is an assessment — an employer sends us a driver candidate and we evaluate how they actually handle a straight truck, then report back. Same yards, same instructors, different purpose.
Do I need to already hold a Class 3 licence to book individual lessons?
In most cases, yes — individual lessons are built for drivers who already hold a Class 3 licence, or are most of the way there on a Class 5, and want focused, one-on-one time on a specific skill: road test prep, an air brake refresher, or getting comfortable in a straight truck again after time away.
If you haven't started on Class 3 at all, our Class 3 training program is the right starting point.
What happens during a Class 3 pre-employment road test?
A Tricon instructor puts your candidate through a structured, on-site assessment — pre-trip inspection including the air brake system, backing and yard manoeuvring, and on-road driving in city and highway conditions.
You get a written report, not just a pass or fail.
Can employers book ongoing driver assessments, not just one-time pre-employment tests?
Yes. Beyond a single pre-hire assessment, we work with employers on new-hire onboarding before a first dispatch, refresher sessions for drivers returning from injury or extended leave, and fleet-wide skills audits — see our corporate & fleet training page for the full rundown.
How is individual training priced?
Individual lessons and assessments are billed by the hour rather than as a fixed course fee, so the cost depends on how much time you or your company actually need. We quote current pricing over the phone — see our course fees page for how we think about pricing across every program.
Does individual training include the air brake endorsement?
Yes, on request. Almost every Class 3 vehicle has air brakes, so an air brake system check and pushrod travel inspection is part of most individual sessions. If air brakes are the only thing you need, our standalone air brake course may be a better fit — ask us on the phone and we'll point you at the right one.
Where are individual lessons and road tests held?
From our Surrey yard at 12511 82 Ave and our Langley yard at 8380 216 St, using Tricon's own air-brake-equipped straight trucks. We answer the phone from 9am to 9pm every day of the year, weekends and holidays included.
What are the steps to get a Class 3 licence in B.C.?
Per ICBC: study the Driving Commercial Vehicles guide, pass the knowledge and road signs tests (plus the air brake test if the truck has air brakes) at an ICBC office to get your learner’s licence, practise with a supervisor or a driving school, book and pass the road test, then complete the medical form. The full list is in our step-by-step guide.
Do I have to take the air brake course before the Class 3 knowledge test?
No. ICBC requires an air brake course (or acceptable proof of air brake experience) before the air brake knowledge test, not before the Class 3 knowledge test. If you want to take both tests in one visit (one fee), do the 7-hour air brake course first.
Can I do the air brake assessment at Tricon if I trained somewhere else?
No. Our air brake practical assessment is only available to students who complete both the 7-hour theory and the 4-hour practical training with Tricon. If you trained somewhere else, you can take the air brake pre-trip test with ICBC, or take our full air brake course and do the assessment with us.
Do I need a learner’s licence before my Class 3 training starts?
You need it before you practise driving. ICBC issues the learner’s licence after you pass the knowledge tests and screening, and it allows you to practise with a supervisor or at a driving school. Call us and we will tell you what can start earlier, such as classroom air brake theory.