Pro Drivers FAQ

1. When do I need to have my Air Brakes endorsement completed by? What information do I need about the Learners License?

Pro Drivers is an ICBC certified Air Brakes facility and you will be able to do all of your training with us. An Air Brakes endorsement needs to be completed before you take the road test. We will have one scheduled either just before you start your in-truck lessons or during the course.

You will need to get the appropriate learners license before you begin training. If you are taking the Class 1 course then you will need the Class 1 learners license. I suggest that if you are taking the Class 3 course, then it is still a good idea to get the Class 1 Learners license as when you are done with the Class 3 road test, they will give you back the Class 1 learners license and it will still be good for a year after you first got it. That way if you decide to come back and take our Class 3 to 1 upgrade you will not need to retake the learners license.

I would suggest that you begin studying for your learners license at least a few weeks before you begin your lessons so that you have it completed in time and it will not interfere with your start date.

You can get the ICBC Driving Commercial Vehicle Manual at our office, the BC Services office, or at your local ICBC agent. You can also get it here in a PDF.

ICBC Driving Commercial Vehicles

Once you have studied it and done the practice questions the Richmond Public Library has an on-line test you can take to see how you are doing. I would suggest that you answer only 35 questions and once you get close to 80% it is time to book your test.

They also have a great Air Brakes Test that you can use once you have completed your Air Brakes course with us. I would suggest only 25 questions for this one. This is the website.

Richmond Public Library’s BC Practice Driving Test

2. How much will it cost to take the training and what about funding?

Each course outline has the price of the course on its page. There is no GST or PST and the course is tax deductible. The price includes everything you will need, including all in-truck training, classroom time and road test time. It includes all written material, Hi-Visibility vest, work gloves, log books, safety glasses and pizza on truck theory day. And the coffee pot is always on.

Funding may be available if you qualify for it. We regularly have students in our courses who have received funding from Employment Insurance, WorkSafe, Metis, farm programs, Columbia Basin Trust, post secondary savings programs and even the Bank of Mom and Dad. Talk to us about these and other possibilities.

3. Do you have job placement?

We work very actively with our students to find jobs. Ask us how . We have had many students go to work directly from our training program into the heaviest of the Super B Chip haulers. We have also placed students directly into line haul and city type jobs. We dont believe our job is done until you are working as a commercial truck driver. Visit our HeadHunting agency here.

4. What else will I need to train?

Coveralls is a good choice
It is a good idea to bring a rain jacket
Heavy footwear will interfere with the feel of the pedals, so a pair of light boots or runners is a good choice when driving. Open toed footwear is not allowed anywhere but in the classroom for safety reasons.

5. How long does the program take?

Our Class 1 with Advanced Mountain training takes approximately 4 weeks. This includes the two day mountain training and usually the Air brakes course. The Class 1 is 2 to 4 weeks depending on the schedule. The Class 3 can be 1 to 2 weeks, again, depending on the schedule.

6. How do I secure a place in the schedule?

Payment of the course will confirm you start and road test dates.

7. What type of equipment is used?

Have a look at the slide show on the front page and you will see an example of our training vehicle. We have two industry standard International Tractors with 500 HP engines with an 18 & 13 speed transmissions. They arequipped and designed to haul the heaviest of loads. Simply by changing the licensing we could pull 140,000 lb 8 axle Super Trains. They are equipped with a third seat in the back for observation purposes. We retired the Purple, Blue and Silver trucks last year.

The trailers we use are a 53 & 48 ft flat deck which are both loaded to 75% of axel weights so you will get a good feel for what a tractor / trailer will do when you are in traffic in the city and how they handle on steep and long grades in the Mountains.

8. Who attends our school?

We have trained a broad spectrum of people from 18 to 65, people who have not completed high school to the University Educated, fluent in the English language to those for whome English is a second language, women and men, those that learn best by hands-on and those that learn best by explanation, fully able to the physically challenged, those looking for a new career and those that want to upgrade their current skill levels, those from BC and those from Quebec and every province in between.

9. Can I get help if I am struggling with my learners test or the Air Brakes test?

Absolutely, just come into the office and we will give you all the help you need.

10. What is the success rate of your students?

That would depend on how you define success. At ProDrivers it is not the student just passing the road test. I maintain that the road test will be the easiest 2 hours you ever spend in our equipment. It is when you get a job and to do that you need proper training. We have a very high pass ratio at first road test if that is what you mean. Ask us and we will tell you.

11. Can I still work while I am training?

It is not easy to train and work at the same time, but we have trained students who are working a full time job and take the training in their days off. We will work with you to see if this is a possibility for you. We operate 7 days a week so we can train on weekends. ICBC Road tests are always during regular buisiness hours Monday to Friday which means you will have to take a part day off to fit it in.

12. What other fees are required?

ICBC written tests are $15.00 each for both the Learners Test and the Air Brakes test.
ICBC Class 1 road test fee:- $60.00, Class 3 is $50
ICBC License renewal fee is either $17.00 or $75.00 depending on your renewal date.
ICBC Medical Processing Fee - $28.00
A medical exam will be required and they are approximately $70 to $125.

13. Are you part of the College of the Rockies?

Rocky Mountain Pro Drivers Inc. is a private company and not attached to COTR. We teach Air Brakes at the COTR campuses in both Inverse and Golden.

If you have other questions give US a call and we will be happy to answer them.