Instruction for the driver, an assessment for the company 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, and both exist because a 140-hour course or a resume can't tell you everything you need to know about how someone actually handles a loaded truck.
Class 1 MELT is our core licensing program, but not everyone who calls needs — or has time for — the full 140 hours. Some already hold a Class 1 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 trucking companies who need an honest read on a driver candidate before that person is on the insurance and on the freight. 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 a carrier vetting a candidate, see pre-employment road tests. Or just call us and tell us the situation.
Who books individual Class 1 lessons
Individual lessons are built for drivers who already hold a Class 1 licence, or are close to earning one, and need targeted time in the seat rather than a full course.
- Licensed drivers preparing for an ICBC road test who want focused practice before test day, not a repeat of instruction they've already had.
- Drivers returning to trucking after years away, whose skills need a refresh before a loaded run rather than a full re-licensing course.
- Out-of-province or newly landed drivers adapting to B.C. roads, mountain grades and yard practices they haven't driven before.
- MELT graduates who want extra hours on one specific skill — backing, coupling, tight-yard manoeuvring — before their first job.
Not a replacement for MELT
If you don't yet hold a Class 1 licence, individual lessons aren't the starting point — Class 1 MELT is the ICBC-approved course that gets you there. Individual lessons are for sharpening a licence you already have.
Looking for a straight truck licence instead? See our Class 3 Individual Lessons & Road Tests page.
Pre-employment road tests for trucking companies
A resume and a licence tell you what a candidate is legally allowed to drive, not how they actually drive. 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 freight, 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.
Coupling & uncoupling
Hitching and unhitching a trailer cleanly and safely — a skill that separates an experienced driver from a nervous one faster than almost anything else.
Backing & yard manoeuvring
Straight-line backing, offset backing and alley docking in a real yard, under real time pressure.
On-road driving
City and highway driving with an instructor beside them, and mountain grade on the Coquihalla if you want that included.
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 and carriers
Beyond a one-time pre-employment test, carriers 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 carriers 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 1 MELT program, in Tricon's own maintained tractor-trailers. 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 a carrier booking a road test, the process starts the same way — a phone call, not a form.
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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.
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We confirm the details
Hours, yard (Surrey or Langley), and — for a road test — whether you want mountain driving included.
With us -
The session runs
One instructor, one driver, in a Tricon tractor-trailer. No shared class time, no waiting on a course calendar.
With us -
You get the result
A driver leaves with more hours behind them. A carrier 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 MELT
The people evaluating a candidate or teaching your lesson are the same instructors who run our full Class 1 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 a carrier looking to connect with MELT graduates as well as vet your own candidates, see our job placement page for how we work with employers.
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 — a trucking company sends us a driver candidate and we evaluate how they actually handle a truck, then report back. Same yards, same instructors, different purpose.
Do I need to already hold a Class 1 licence to book individual lessons?
In most cases, yes — individual lessons are built for drivers who already hold a Class 1 licence and want focused, one-on-one time on a specific skill: road test prep, a refresher after time away, or adapting to B.C. roads and mountain grades.
If you don't yet hold a licence, our Class 1 MELT course is the right starting point.
What happens during a pre-employment road test?
A Tricon instructor puts your candidate through a structured, on-site assessment — pre-trip inspection, coupling and uncoupling, backing and yard manoeuvring, and on-road driving in city and highway conditions. If you want a mountain driving component, we can add that too.
You get a written report, not just a pass or fail.
Can carriers book ongoing driver assessments, not just one-time pre-employment tests?
Yes. Beyond a single pre-hire assessment, we work with carriers on new-hire onboarding before a first dispatch, refresher sessions for drivers returning from injury or extended leave, and mountain driving assessments before a driver is sent onto the Coquihalla for the first time.
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.
Can individual lessons include mountain driving?
Yes, on request. We run mountain driving sessions on the Coquihalla and through the Fraser Canyon for licensed drivers who want practice on real sustained grade, and for carriers who want a candidate assessed on mountain terrain before their first loaded trip.
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 tractor-trailers. We answer the phone from 9am to 9pm every day of the year, weekends and holidays included.