Trucking Driving Careers: Why Get an AZ Licence in Ontario?

Working in the trucking industry has its own fair share of benefits. There are a lot of opportunities out there that are perfect for those who want to start a career in commercial trucking or heavy vehicle operation. However, before you can even consider it, you first need to have an AZ licence. Let’s look at why, and how it can pay off once you have it.

What Is an AZ Licence?

As you may well know, there are different possible combinations of licenses in Ontario that you can apply for. Depending on the type of vehicle you want to drive, there’s a particular type of licence you need to get in order to drive it on public roads and highways. The Class A licence is generally for trucks weighing over 36,000 kilograms, and that’s the one we’re going to focus on today.

An AZ or ‘Air-brake Endorsement’ is an additional endorsement on an existing Class A licence. If you have a Class A licence, then you can apply for an AZ endorsement so that you can have a Class A1 (or Class 1) licence. Class A1 is the most common licence that you need to have if you want to drive big trucks.

What Kind of Vehicle Can You Drive with an AZ Licence?

According to the official website of the local government of Ontario, a full class AZ truck licence lets directly operate and drive:

– any truck/tractor trailer combination

– any vehicle covered under a restricted Class A truck licence

– heavy trucks covered by the Class D truck licence

– a vehicle pulling double trailers

– a car or light truck covered by a Class G licence

– a combination of a motor vehicle and towed vehicles where the towed vehicles exceed a total gross weight of 4,600 kg (10,000 lbs) and have air brakes

It’s important to remember that an AZ licence doesn’t allow you to operate a bus carrying passengers. Motorcycles or a moped are also not allowed.

How Can You Benefit from an AZ Licence?

Having the ability to drive big trucks is definitely a plus. It opens up a lot of doors in the industry, and it’s a safer option than driving a regular car. However, you will need to go through some training to be able to drive a big truck. You can do this at a truck driving school. But, before you can even enter one of these schools, you need to have all the permits you need!

Getting the AZ licence is one of the first things you should do if you want to start a career in trucking. It’s an excellent way to build up experience, especially if you haven’t driven a big vehicle before. There are a lot of things that you need to consider before you apply for a licence. It all starts with a very careful analysis of your past driving history and experience. Make sure you have a clean record and be aware of the possible disqualification that can happen if you do not meet the strict requirements.

Conclusion

Trucking is a great industry to get into. Even if you’re just starting out, you can learn a lot while you’re at it. Having an AZ licence will give you an advantage because it allows you to get more experience and become a skilled driver. It also gives you a chance to explore and gain knowledge on the different kinds of trucks you could drive.

If you want to get your AZ licence without any hassle, you need to find a good driving school to teach you the fundamentals. S&A Sprint Driving School Inc. is one of the leading AZ truck driving schools in Toronto, committed to helping students gain confidence and mastery of driving. Expect easy-to-understand instructions and on-the-road experience when enrolling in our personalized training programs. Any questions? Feel free to reach out to us. Start your driving school journey today!