Commercial truck training at Tricon
Tricon runs five ICBC-approved commercial training programs out of our Surrey and Langley yards, and almost everyone who calls us is trying to answer the same question before they ask anything else: which one is actually mine? This page exists to answer that before you spend a cent on any of them.
The five programs aren't five separate schools bolted together — they're stages of the same road. Class 1 MELT is the full 140-hour course that licenses you for a tractor-trailer, and it already includes air brake training and mountain driving. Class 3 is the shorter route into straight trucks. The standalone air brake course and mountain driving training exist for drivers who only need one piece of what MELT bundles together. And individual lessons serve both licensed drivers wanting targeted practice and trucking companies vetting a new hire before payroll starts.
Before you enrol in Class 1 or Class 3
Both require a full-privilege B.C. Class 5 or 6 licence (or an out-of-province equivalent) before ICBC will let you start. A Class 7 novice licence does not qualify. If you're not there yet, our car lessons program can get you a Class 5 first.
Where people usually start
- Want the widest range of trucking jobs and are ready to put in 140 hours — start at Class 1 MELT.
- Want work that keeps you closer to home — dump trucks, hydro trucks, construction and municipal vehicles — look at Class 3 instead.
- Already hold a Class 1 or 3 and just need the Code 15 air brake endorsement, or drive an RV with a heavy trailer — the standalone air brake course is faster and narrower.
- Already licensed but nervous on real grade — book mountain driving training on its own, without repeating a course you don't need.
- Carrying a restricted licence from testing on an automatic — manual transmission training teaches the 13-speed and gets you ready to retest.
- Weighing the automatic road test on purpose — see Class 1 automatic transmission training for what the restriction covers and who it actually suits.
- Hiring, not training — a pre-employment road test or mountain assessment through individual lessons & corporate services tells you what a résumé can't.
Compare the five commercial programs
Each program has its own page with the full curriculum, requirements and FAQ. Here's the short version of what separates them.
Class 1 (MELT)
The complete 140-hour Mandatory Entry-Level Training course — tractor-trailers, air brakes and Coquihalla mountain driving, all included.
Learn about Class 1Class 3
Straight trucks with air brakes — dump trucks, hydro trucks, construction and municipal vehicles. A shorter route into work that stays closer to home.
Learn about Class 3Air Brake Endorsement (Code 15)
For drivers who need just the endorsement, not a full course. Train and test on-site with our own certified assessment officer. Includes the RV air brake course. Already trained elsewhere? See air brake testing on-site.
Learn about air brakesMountain Driving Training
Descent planning, snub braking, brake fade, runaway lanes and winter chain-up on real B.C. grade — the Coquihalla and Fraser Canyon. Included in Class 1 MELT, or booked on its own.
Learn about mountain drivingIndividual Lessons & Pre-Employment Testing
One-on-one Class 1 lessons booked by the hour, plus pre-employment road tests and mountain assessments for trucking companies vetting new drivers.
Learn more| Program | What it licenses | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 (MELT) | Full Class 1 tractor-trailer licence, air brake included | Drivers who want the widest range of trucking jobs |
| Class 3 | Straight-truck licence with air brakes | Dump trucks, hydro trucks, construction, municipal work |
| Air Brake Course | Code 15 endorsement only | Drivers who already hold Class 1/3, RV owners |
| Mountain Driving Training | No licence — skills training | Licensed drivers wanting Coquihalla/Fraser Canyon practice |
| Individual Lessons | No licence — hourly coaching or assessment | Targeted practice, or a company vetting a new hire |
Which program is right for you
If you're still not sure after the table above, here's the same decision as a sequence of questions — the one we actually walk callers through on the phone.
-
Do you already hold a full Class 5 or 6 licence?
If not, that comes first. A Class 7 novice licence doesn't qualify for Class 1 or Class 3 enrolment — our car lessons program can get you to a full Class 5.
Prerequisite -
Are you aiming for a career driving tractor-trailers?
If yes, Class 1 MELT is the course — 140 hours, air brakes and mountain driving included, and the licence that opens the most trucking jobs in Canada.
Class 1 -
Or do you want a straight truck closer to home?
Dump trucks, hydro trucks, construction and municipal vehicles run on a Class 3 licence — shorter to earn than Class 1 and still air-brake equipped.
Class 3 -
Do you already hold Class 1 or 3 but not the air brake endorsement?
The standalone air brake course adds Code 15 to a licence you already have, without repeating a course you don't need. Also the right call for RV owners.
Air Brake Course -
Licensed already, but want practice on real grade?
Mountain driving training runs on its own for drivers who want dedicated time on the Coquihalla or Fraser Canyon before winter, or before a job that requires it.
Mountain Driving -
Already Class 3 licensed — need road-test prep or a driver assessment?
Class 3 individual lessons & road tests covers hourly top-up training for straight-truck drivers, plus pre-employment assessments for construction, hydro and delivery employers.
Class 3 Individual Lessons -
Hiring rather than training?
Individual lessons & corporate services covers pre-employment road tests and mountain assessments for trucking companies vetting a new hire.
Individual Lessons -
Already staffed — need ongoing driver training?
Corporate & fleet training covers new-hire onboarding, return-to-work refreshers and fleet-wide skills audits, billed to a company account.
Corporate & Fleet
Still not sure which one you need?
Tell us your current licence and what you want to drive for a living — we'll point you at the right program on the call.
Where commercial training runs
All five programs run from our Surrey and Langley yards. Our Duncan/Nanaimo location on Vancouver Island teaches car lessons only.
Surrey
12511 82 Ave, Surrey, BC V3W 3E8 Call about trainingLangley
8380 216 St, Langley Twp, BC V1M 2X8 All locations & hoursOpen 9am to 9pm, every day, including weekends and holidays. Call (778) 549-1727 to book, at either yard.
Why train with Tricon
Five programs under one roof means an instructor can move you between them without starting your file over — and it means we have less reason to steer you toward the course that isn't the right fit.
BCTA member, 4.6★ Surrey and 5.0★ Langley on Google
A BC Trucking Association member school with a decade of licensing drivers in this province, across all five commercial programs.
Open 9am to 9pm, every day
Weekends and holidays included, so training fits around a job you can't leave rather than the other way round.
The right program, not the biggest one
If the standalone air brake course is all you need, that's what we'll book you into — not a full Class 1 you don't need.
Real mountain grade, not a simulator
Every Class 1 student and every mountain driving booking trains on the Coquihalla and Fraser Canyon — the grades the job actually involves.
Instructors who drove for a living
Not classroom-only trainers — people who spent years in the seat before they spent years teaching from it.
Funding conversations, not just quotes
In-house funding and provincial grants come up on the same call as pricing — see funding options and course fees.
Truck driver training — frequently asked questions
What's the difference between Class 1 and Class 3?
Class 1 licenses a tractor-trailer — any combination of truck and air-braked trailer, of any weight. Class 3 licenses a straight truck with air brakes, like a dump truck, hydro truck or a construction or municipal vehicle, with no trailer beyond a light one under a set weight.
Class 1 takes longer — the full 140-hour MELT course — and opens the widest range of trucking jobs. Class 3 is the faster route into work that tends to keep you closer to home.
Do I need a Class 5 licence before I can start?
Yes, for both Class 1 and Class 3. ICBC requires a full-privilege B.C. Class 5 or 6 licence, or an out-of-province equivalent, before you enrol — a Class 7 novice licence doesn't qualify.
If you don't have a full Class 5 yet, our car lessons program can get you there — and it's a common enough path that plenty of our Class 1 students started exactly there.
Is air brake training separate from Class 1 MELT?
Not if you're taking the full Class 1 MELT course — air brakes are built into the 140-hour curriculum, roughly 15.5 hours of theory and practical work in total, about double the national minimum because of how much B.C.'s mountain grades demand of a brake system.
The standalone air brake course is for people who don't need a full Class 1: Class 3 drivers, RV owners hauling a heavy trailer, or anyone who just needs the Code 15 endorsement added to a licence they already hold.
Is mountain driving training a separate course?
It's included in Class 1 MELT — every MELT student trains on real B.C. grade, including the Coquihalla. We also run it as a standalone course for licensed drivers who want dedicated practice on descent planning, brake checks, runaway lanes and winter chain-up.
See mountain driving training for the full breakdown, including pre-employment mountain assessments for trucking companies.
What are individual lessons and pre-employment road tests?
One-on-one Class 1 lessons booked by the hour, for drivers who need targeted practice rather than a full course — brushing up before a road test, or working on one specific manoeuvre.
They also cover pre-employment road tests and mountain driving assessments, which trucking companies book to see how a candidate actually drives before putting them on payroll. See individual lessons & corporate services.
Where does Tricon teach commercial truck training?
All five commercial programs run from our Surrey (12511 82 Ave) and Langley (8380 216 St) yards. Our Duncan/Nanaimo location on Vancouver Island teaches car lessons only.
Phones are answered 9am to 9pm every day, including weekends and holidays, at (778) 549-1727.
How much does truck driver training cost?
Call (778) 549-1727 for current pricing on any of our five programs. We quote over the phone so the figure matches what you actually need, rather than a headline rate.
Worth asking about on the same call: in-house funding and provincial grants, covered on our funding and course fees pages.
How do I know which program is right for me?
Tell us your current licence and what you want to drive for a living, and we'll tell you which program fits on the call rather than sell you the biggest one.
Roughly: widest range of jobs and willing to put in 140 hours — Class 1. Work closer to home in a straight truck — Class 3. Already licensed and just need the endorsement — the air brake course. A company vetting a new hire — individual lessons.