Class 1 MELT and Commercial Training: Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about Class 1 MELT, cost, funding, air brake and commercial licensing in BC. Employers, see our employer and fleet FAQ. New drivers, see our car lessons FAQ.

Do I have to do MELT, or is there a shorter program?

You have to do MELT, and there is no shorter version. Since October 2021 every new Class 1 applicant in BC must complete an ICBC-approved Mandatory Entry-Level Training program before attempting the road test. There is no equivalency for experience, no credit for having driven truck years ago, and no abbreviated program that counts. Anyone offering you one is selling you something that will not get you licensed.

How many hours is Class 1 MELT?

A minimum of 140, and ICBC sets the breakdown: 50 hours on-road, 47 classroom, 19 in-yard, 18 off-road and 6 flexible practical. Every approved school in BC teaches the same structure, so if a school offers fewer hours it is not an approved program.

How long does Class 1 training take?

Five to twelve weeks of training. Most people finish the whole process in two to three months from first knowledge test to licence in hand, and you have twelve months from enrolment to complete.

What do I need before I can start?

Four things: you must be 19 or older, hold a full BC Class 5 or an out-of-province equivalent, meet ICBC’s medical fitness standards for commercial driving, and hold a valid Class 1 learner’s licence before training starts. An N is not enough.

The learner’s licence is the one people arrive without. You get it by passing the knowledge tests at an ICBC driver licensing office, and until you have it we cannot put you on the road. Sort the medical early as well, because it needs a physician’s examination and any follow-up can add weeks to your start date.

How much does Class 1 MELT cost?

$14,500 at Abbotsford, Chilliwack and Langley, $15,500 at Kelowna, Kamloops, Prince George, Vernon and Salmon Arm. Tax exempt, excludes ICBC fees. Prices are subject to change without notice and a fuel surcharge may apply.

Why is Class 1 training so expensive?

Because training someone to handle a loaded tractor-trailer safely costs what it costs.

Only 47 of your 140 hours are classroom. The rest you spend with a truck and an instructor, and a truck costs money to run whether it is hauling freight or teaching you to reverse it.

Equipment, insurance and fuel cost every school in BC the same. A school charging thousands less has not found an efficiency the rest of the industry missed.

One thing worth checking before you compare two quotes: ask whether the other school is a designated educational institution. We are, which means we issue a T2202 and you can claim the tuition tax credit, and it means RESP savings can be put toward the course. A school that cannot do either is not as much cheaper as its price suggests.

Another school quoted me thousands less. What is the catch?

Usually the hours, the equipment, or how much of the time you are actually driving rather than watching. The 140 hours are set by ICBC and the costs underneath them are the same for everyone, so a quote far below market has to come from somewhere.

This is not hypothetical. ICBC maintains a public list of driving schools suspended and terminated, and it has shut down Class 1 MELT programs mid-operation, including two schools in Prince George. If that happens to the school you paid, your money and your completed hours are your problem. A cheaper program you cannot finish is the most expensive option on the table.

It is not only a BC problem either. A CBC Marketplace investigation by Asha Tomlinson, Jenny Cowley and Greg Sadler sent undercover students into truck training schools in Ontario and recorded instructors telling them they could test before finishing the required hours, that the hours do not matter, and that theory could be done in a yard rather than a classroom. The same investigation uncovered a leaked government memo describing bribes, forged documents and rigged testing at Ontario testing centres.

That was Ontario, not BC, and the rules differ between provinces. But the incentive is identical everywhere: a school that skips hours makes more money per student, and the student does not find out what they were sold until they are alone in a loaded truck.

Before you choose on price, check the school against ICBC’s approved list and against that suspended list. Ask how many hours you personally get behind the wheel, what you will be driving, and who is in the seat beside you. Then compare.

We have trained over 12,000 drivers since 2011 and we are still here. That is the part worth paying for.

More on this: Not All MELT Schools Are the Same and Why Choosing an ICBC-Approved Driving School in Good Standing Matters.

Will I actually get a job after this?

Our graduates get hired, but nobody can promise you a job and we will not pretend otherwise. Hiring decisions belong to employers and their HR departments. We have no control over them, and neither does any other school. Treat a guaranteed-job claim as a reason to walk away.

Carriers hire on what you can actually do, not on the certificate, which is why we train on real roads in real conditions rather than to the minimum ICBC will accept. A driver who has only ever been taught to pass a test is obvious to an employer within an hour.

We also run a partner and employer mentorship program, connecting graduates with employers in our network. A licence gets you considered. Having a school employers already deal with, vouching for how you were trained, improves your odds of being seen. What happens after that is between you and them.

What is the employer mentorship program?

We work with employer partners who hire from our graduates, so you leave with introductions rather than a cold job hunt. It is an introduction, not a placement, and the decision is always the employer’s. Ask us when you enrol, because which partners are hiring changes by region and by season.

Is there funding available?

Yes, and more than most people realise. Funding exists through government and employer programs, and what you qualify for depends on your situation, your history and sometimes your timing. We accept RESP funds, and we offer financing directly. Ask us and we will walk you through what is open to you rather than guessing from a web page.

Do you offer payment plans?

Yes, financing is available.

Will I get a receipt, and can I claim the tuition on my taxes?

Yes to both. You get a receipt for everything you pay, and because we are a designated educational institution we issue a T2202, the Tuition and Enrolment Certificate, which you use to claim the tuition tax credit on your tax return.

It also means RESP funds can be put toward your training, and we accept them. If a parent or guardian has been saving into an RESP, this is a qualifying use for it.

What you are able to claim depends on your own circumstances, so check with whoever does your return. We issue the certificate; what happens after that is between you and CRA.

Can I practise my pre-trip on your trucks before the test?

Yes. Pre-trip is where a lot of otherwise ready candidates come unstuck, and practising it on the equipment you will be tested in is the difference.

How much is the air brake course?

$250 for the theory and $150 for the practical certification.

What if I fail the air brake theory?

You sit it again at no charge, as many times as you need, with no time limit. We do not charge students to retake our own exam.

Can I do the air brake theory online?

Yes, and the online delivery is ICBC-approved, so the hours count toward your Code 15 exactly the same as in class.

I have a Class 1 from another province. What do I need?

Confirm your situation with ICBC first, because they decide and the answer depends on your class, your province and how long you have held it. One case catches people out: some out-of-province drivers with under 24 months of experience must complete a 15.5-hour air brake theory and practical course before a BC Class 1 can be issued. We run that course.

Do you train Class 2 for bus driving?

Yes, along with Class 3 and Class 4. Those are delivered by certified and accredited instructors. They are not ICBC-approved programs in the way Class 1 MELT is, and we do not describe them as such.

How many road tests are included?

One. You should only sit the ICBC road test when you are ready for it, not to try it and see. A road test is not a practice run, and treating it as one costs you time and money.

What happens if I fail my road test?

You work on the specific skills you were marked down on, take additional lessons, and we rebook. On commercial programs ICBC enforces a minimum 14-day wait between attempts, so there is time to fix what went wrong rather than repeat it.

What is your pass rate?

98%, across every program we run, from a Class 7 road test through to Class 1 MELT. We would rather hold a student back a week than send them in unready, which is most of the reason that number is where it is.

What does ICBC-approved actually mean?

ICBC approves a course, not a company. We hold ICBC agreements for Class 1 MELT, air brake (Code 15) and the Graduated Licensing Program. Our Class 2, 3 and 4 training is delivered by certified and accredited instructors but is not an ICBC-approved program and we do not call it one.

ICBC’s Code of Conduct for Driver Training Licensees requires schools not to advertise training they are not licensed or qualified for, and not to deal with customers in a misleading or deceptive way. A school describing its whole operation as ICBC-approved is not loose wording, it is the kind of claim that code exists to prevent. Ask any school to tell you exactly which of its courses ICBC has approved.

What standards are driving schools held to?

Every licensed school and instructor in BC is bound by ICBC’s Code of Conduct for Driver Training Licensees (DTC410). It covers legal compliance and reporting, honesty and integrity, equal treatment under the Human Rights Code, prevention of sexual harassment, professional conduct and vehicle standards, road safety, road test booking, and protection of your personal information.

Some of it is worth knowing as a student. Schools cannot teach road test routes, interfere with examinations, record tests or request specific examiners. They cannot sell road test appointments. They cannot advertise training they are not licensed for. They cannot use or share your information without consent.

We publish it in full because you are entitled to know what you can hold us to: ICBC Code of Conduct for Driver Training Licensees. If any school falls short of it, you can complain to ICBC directly rather than only to the school.

Where are you?

Six campuses: Abbotsford (head office), Langley, Chilliwack, Kamloops, Kelowna and Prince George.

What are your hours?

Monday to Friday, 9:30 am to 1:00 pm and 1:30 pm to 5:30 pm. Closed Saturday and Sunday, and closed on BC statutory holidays.

Can I train on weekends?

Our offices are closed Saturday and Sunday. Training schedules are built around the student wherever we can, so ask us what is possible for your situation rather than assuming.

Can I drop in?

No, all locations are by appointment only. Book a consultation, in person or online, and you get the time properly instead of being fitted between two other things.

What number do I call?

604-744-1222, or toll free 1-877-744-1231. Every campus routes to head office by design, so you reach someone who can book you in rather than an empty desk at a satellite office.