Tricon Driving School air brake training tractor and trailer

Resource Centre · Class 1 explainer

The air brake endorsement, explained

Code 15 is the restriction ICBC puts on a B.C. driver's licence that blocks you from driving an air-brake-equipped vehicle. Here's what the endorsement actually is, who needs it, and how you get it removed.

Call (778) 549-1727 See Tricon's air brake course
Called Code 15 on a B.C. licence
15.5 hours built into Class 1 MELT
Standalone course also available

What Code 15 actually is

Code 15 is a restriction ICBC places on a British Columbia driver's licence that prohibits driving a vehicle equipped with air brakes — no matter which class of licence you hold. It's not a separate licence class of its own; it's a flag that sits on top of whatever class you already have, and it comes off once you complete an approved air brake course and pass the associated knowledge and practical exams.

Air brakes work very differently from the hydraulic brakes on a car. A slow air leak, a worn slack adjuster or a misread warning light can turn into a real problem on one of B.C.'s mountain grades, which is why ICBC doesn't let anyone drive an air-brake vehicle on the strength of a regular road test alone. The endorsement exists to make sure the system, its warning signs and its inspection points are properly understood first.

The short version

Code 15 blocks you from driving an air-brake vehicle until it's removed. New Class 1 students get the training and the endorsement automatically as part of MELT. Everyone else can get it through Tricon's standalone air brake course.

How a dual air brake system is laid out The engine drives the compressor, which the governor switches on and off. Air passes through the air dryer into the supply reservoir, then through one-way check valves into separate primary and secondary reservoirs. Both feed the foot valve, which sends air to the rear and front brake chambers. The low-air warning and the spring parking brakes operate automatically as pressure falls. EngineCompressordriven by the engineGovernorcut-out 105–135 psicut-in before 80 psiAir dryerremoves moistureSupply reservoirthe “wet tank”drain it dailyone-way check valves keep one circuit alive if the other failsPrimary reservoirfeeds the rear brakesSecondary reservoirfeeds the steering axleFoot valvea normal stop is onlyabout 20 psiRear brake chambersFront brake chambersActs without youLow-air warningbelow 60 psiSpring brakes applyat 20–45 psi
The air path, end to end. The split into two reservoirs is the whole point of a dual system: lose one circuit and the check valves keep the other one holding air, so you can still make a controlled stop.

Who needs the air brake endorsement

Anyone who wants to drive a vehicle fitted with air brakes needs Code 15 off their licence first — but the training path that gets you there depends on your situation.

  • New Class 1 students. The air brake component is built directly into Class 1 MELT — no separate booking needed.
  • New Class 3 students. Air brake training is also part of the Class 3 curriculum.
  • RV and motorhome owners. Some larger diesel-pusher units are built with air brake systems even though they're driven on a Class 5 licence, so Code 15 still applies.
  • Existing Class 1 or Class 3 holders who never wrote the air brake test — often because their training happened differently, or not at all, in another jurisdiction.
  • Drivers whose employer needs them Code 15-endorsed for a specific air-brake vehicle, without going through a full Class 1 or Class 3 program.

If any of the last three apply to you, Tricon's standalone air brake course — which also covers the RV air brake course — is built specifically for that situation. It covers the same ICBC curriculum as the version built into MELT, without requiring you to enrol in a full commercial program.

How you get the endorsement

There are really only two paths to Code 15 coming off your licence, and which one applies to you depends on whether you're already enrolling in commercial truck training.

Path 1: Built into Class 1 MELT

B.C.'s Class 1 Mandatory Entry-Level Training standard includes air brake training as a mandatory component — you don't pay for it or book it separately, it's simply part of the course.

9 hrs
Air brake theory
6.5 hrs
Air brake practical
15.5 hrs
Total, close to double the National Safety Code Standard 16 minimum

See our What Is MELT? guide for how this fits into the full 140-hour Class 1 course, or the Class 1 MELT course page for how Tricon delivers it.

Path 2: The standalone air brake course

If you're not enrolling in Class 1 or Class 3 — an RV owner, an existing licence holder who never earned the endorsement, or someone whose employer needs it added — Tricon's standalone air brake course covers the same ICBC curriculum: air brake systems and components, foundation brakes and slack adjusters, spring brakes and warning devices, pre-trip and en-route inspection, and emergency procedures, finishing with the knowledge and practical exams.

Not sure which path applies to you?

Tell us what you're driving and what licence you hold — we'll tell you honestly whether you need the standalone course or it's already covered.

(778) 549-1727 View the air brake course

What the test involves

Getting the endorsement means passing two things: a knowledge component and a practical, hands-on component on a real air-brake-equipped vehicle.

  • Knowledge test. For new Class 1 students, the air brake knowledge questions are included on the same test as the rest of the Class 1 knowledge test, so they're covered before training even starts. Both are covered in our free practice tests.
  • Practical exam. A hands-on inspection and assessment on an air-brake-equipped vehicle, covering the same pre-trip and system-inspection skills taught during training.

Students who take the standalone course with Tricon can complete the practical air brake assessment on-site with our own certified assessment officer, on the same vehicle they trained on, so they may not need a separate pre-trip test with an ICBC examiner. The ICBC knowledge test is taken at an ICBC driver licensing office. See the air brake course page for the full details of how that works.

What happens as air pressure falls A pressure scale from zero to 150 p.s.i. The safety valve vents at about 150. The governor cuts the compressor out between 105 and 135 and must cut it back in before pressure falls below 80. The low-air warning must operate by 60. Spring parking brakes apply on their own between 20 and 45. 0255075100125150p.s.i.Safety valve ventsthe governor has failed — see a mechanicGovernor cut-outcompressor stops, anywhere from 105 to 135Governor must cut incompressor restarts before pressure falls this farLow-air warningmust be on by here — pull over and stopSpring brakes applysomewhere between 20 and 45, on their own0 — no service brakes at all
Learn this as a sequence rather than five loose numbers — it is the order things happen in as a leak empties the system, and it is what the knowledge test asks about.

Air brake endorsement — frequently asked questions

What is Code 15?

Code 15 is the restriction ICBC places on a British Columbia driver's licence that prohibits driving a vehicle equipped with air brakes. Passing an approved air brake course and its knowledge and practical exams removes that restriction, whatever class of licence you hold.

Do I need to take a separate air brake course if I'm doing Class 1 or Class 3?

No. Air brake theory and practical training are already built into both the Class 1 MELT and Class 3 curriculums, so you earn the Code 15 endorsement as part of that program without booking anything extra.

How many hours of air brake training does Class 1 MELT include?

9 hours of theory plus 6.5 hours of practical training, 15.5 hours in total, which is close to double the minimum set by National Safety Code Standard 16.

Who needs the standalone air brake course instead of MELT?

Drivers who already hold a licence but never earned the endorsement — RV or motorhome owners with an air-brake-equipped unit on a Class 5 licence, Class 1 or Class 3 holders who trained elsewhere without it, or anyone an employer needs Code 15-endorsed for a specific vehicle without a full commercial program.

What does the air brake test involve?

A knowledge component and a practical, hands-on component on a real air-brake-equipped vehicle. For new Class 1 students, the air brake knowledge questions are included on the same test as the rest of the Class 1 knowledge test.

Can RV owners get the air brake endorsement without commercial truck training?

Yes. Some larger motorhomes and diesel-pusher RVs are built with air brake systems even though they're driven on a Class 5 licence, so the Code 15 restriction still applies. A standalone air brake course covers the same curriculum without requiring a full Class 1 or Class 3 program.

Ready to get your Code 15 endorsement?

Call now — we're open 9am to 9pm, every day, including weekends and holidays.

(778) 549-1727

Surrey  ·  Langley  ·  Duncan/Nanaimo