A Class 3 licence lets you drive big, heavy trucks for work — things like dump trucks, fire trucks, and large tow trucks. In ICBC's terms, a Class 3 vehicle is a truck with more than two axles. These are trucks built in one solid piece, not the long semi-trailers that bend in the middle (those need a Class 1). If you want to work in construction, gravel hauling, city and municipal jobs, or firefighting, a Class 3 is the licence you need.
This guide walks you through the whole process in plain steps. The short version: you do your training with us, and you do your testing at ICBC — the government office that handles driver licences in BC.
What you need before you start
You need a full BC Class 5 licence. That's the regular driver's licence most people have for driving a car. "Full" means you've finished the new-driver stages — you're not on your L (learner) or N (novice) anymore. It also has to be a BC licence: if you moved here with a licence from another province or country, switch it over to a BC licence at ICBC first.
You also need to be at least 18 years old. If you have a full BC Class 5 and you're 18 or older, you're ready to begin.
Step 1: Get your air brake endorsement (this comes first)
Big trucks don't stop the same way cars do. Instead of regular brakes, they use air brakes, which use pressurized air to stop heavy loads safely. Because air brakes work differently, BC law says you need special training and a note added to your licence — called an endorsement — before you're allowed to drive a truck that has them.
Almost every Class 3 truck has air brakes, so this is the very first thing you'll complete. You earn the air brake endorsement in three parts:
- Take our air brake course. You learn how the air brake system works and get hands-on practice on real equipment — not just classroom theory. The course ends with an assessment: you have to show that you understand how air brakes work and can inspect them properly. Pass it, and we give you a certificate of completion.
- Take your certificate to ICBC. It's your proof that you completed an approved air brake course. ICBC won't let you take the air brake test without it, so keep it safe.
- Take the air brake test at ICBC. It's a written, multiple-choice test on a computer. You have 90 days and three attempts after finishing the course. Once you pass, the air brake endorsement is added to your licence.
Learn about our Air Brake course →
Step 2: Get your Class 3 learner's licence
A learner's licence is a permit that lets you start practising behind the wheel of a Class 3 truck with an instructor. You get it by passing a knowledge test — a written, multiple-choice test about the rules of driving a commercial truck. Here's how:
- Study the handbook. The test questions come from ICBC's Driving Commercial Vehicles handbook. You can read it for free online at icbc.com, or pick up a paper copy at any ICBC office. To see if you're ready, try our free practice tests — they ask the same kinds of questions as the real test.
- Take the knowledge test. Go to any ICBC office and ask to take the Class 3 knowledge test. It's done on a computer, and it's multiple choice.
- Get your learner's licence. Pass the test, and ICBC gives you your Class 3 learner's licence the same day. Now you can start driving lessons with us.
Step 3: Learn to drive
Now you start your driving lessons. Every lesson is one-on-one: just you and your instructor, in four-hour sessions.
First, a quick choice: automatic or manual? This is about the truck's transmission — the part that changes gears as you speed up and slow down.
- ✓An automatic changes gears by itself. It's easier to learn on.
- ✓A manual (also called a "standard" or "stick shift") has a clutch pedal and a gear lever that you work yourself to change gears.
Here's why the choice matters for your licence:
- ✓If you learn and test in a manual, you're allowed to drive both manual and automatic trucks.
- ✓If you learn and test in an automatic, your licence is limited to automatic trucks only — you won't be allowed to drive a manual.
We strongly recommend learning on a manual. Many work trucks still have manual transmissions. If your licence only covers automatics, you'll have to turn down any job that uses a manual truck. Learning manual takes a couple of extra lessons, but it keeps every job open to you.
One exception: fire departments. If you're getting your Class 3 to apply to a fire department, most people train and test in an automatic. The majority of fire trucks are automatic, so a Class 3 that's limited to automatics is usually all a department needs. Check with the department you're applying to before you decide.
- ✓Manual: five four-hour lessons, then your road test.
- ✓Automatic: three four-hour lessons, then your road test (automatic trucks only).
Step 4: Pass your road test
The road test is the final driving test, where an ICBC examiner rides along and checks that you can drive the truck safely. When your instructor sees that you're ready, we book the road test for you — you don't have to arrange it yourself. Pass it, and you're a fully licensed Class 3 driver.
Step 5: Complete your driver's medical
Every commercial driver in BC has to pass a medical exam. After you pass your road test, ICBC gives you a Driver's Medical Examination Report form. Take it to a BC doctor, who fills it out and sends it to RoadSafetyBC — the provincial office that decides whether you're medically fit to drive commercial vehicles. Your photo licence is mailed to you once your medical is approved.
Two things to know: the doctor's fee for the medical isn't covered by MSP or ICBC, and you'll be asked to repeat the medical on a set schedule for as long as you hold a commercial licence.
What it costs
The cost depends on whether you learn manual or automatic, and on any extra training you add. Contact us and we'll give you a clear quote that shows exactly what's included.
What we need from you to get started
We can hold a spot for you once you have two things: your air brake endorsement and your Class 3 learner's licence. Both come from ICBC, and we need to see them before we can schedule lessons. So the order is simple: do the air brake course and pass the ICBC air brake test, get your learner's licence, then contact us. A deposit at registration holds your spot, and we'll build a schedule that works for you.