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Types of Commercial Driver’s Licences Across Canada

Edited by Indeed Employer Content Team
Last updated November 26, 2025

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There are plenty of driver’s licence types across Canada, and even more variety when it comes to commercial vehicle driver’s licences. If your business is involved in transportation or logistics, having a team of skilled commercial drivers could help your business thrive. If it weren’t for commercial drivers, the vast majority of merchandise wouldn’t end up on store shelves. More than just truck drivers, some commercial drivers also operate heavy equipment, buses, and emergency vehicles like fire trucks and ambulances. The licensing requirements to operate these vehicles differ from licence to licence and province to province. In the vast majority of provinces, Class 5 licences let the operator drive personal vehicles such as cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs, Class 6 licenses are for motorcycles, and Class 7 licenses are learner’s licences, which allow the operator to learn to drive under a series of conditions. The names for these classes differ across Canada, but the allowances are the same.

  • The commercial driver’s licence structure is similar across Canada with a few key differences in some provinces.
  • Different licences allow operation of different vehicles.
  • Candidates with commercial driver’s licences may be useful during driver shortages or instances where specialized equipment needs to be operated and your other drivers are unavailable.

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What are the benefits of holding a commercial vehicle driver’s licence?

If you do business in an industry that involves the transportation of people or goods or operating heavy machinery, you are likely aware of the chronic driver/operator shortages that have been prevalent across Canada. Finding the right talent and retaining it can be especially difficult in regions with skills shortages, and logistics coordinators, managers, and specialists are not always available. Hiring employees with a variety of driver’s licences, and investing in training for your current employees to obtain a variety of driver’s licences, could save your company in a pinch. In addition to health benefits and other employee perks, investing in your employees’ hard skills could potentially boost their satisfaction and improve the services and capabilities offered by your business.

The licence your employees should receive will depend largely on the industry you’re in and the province in which you operate. Below is a breakdown of the various commercial driver’s licences available across Canada and what they allow the bearer to operate.

Alberta commercial driver’s licence classes

  • Class 1: Allows the operation of any motor vehicle or combination of vehicles, excluding motorcycles. Holders can drive semi-trailers, large trucks, and buses. This is the highest class of commercial driver’s licence.
  • Class 2: Permits operation of a bus with over 24 passengers and any vehicle included in Class 3, 4, or 5.
  • Class 3: Entitles drivers to operate large trucks with three or more axles, including dump trucks and tow trucks. They may also drive a vehicle with a trailer but cannot drive semi-trailers or buses with more than 24 passengers.
  • Class 4: Allows operation of taxis, ambulances, small buses with fewer than 24 passengers, and any vehicle under Class 5.

Alberta also requires drivers to hold an air brake endorsement (Q endorsement) if they wish to operate vehicles equipped with air brakes.

Related: How to Hire a Truck Driver

British Columbia commercial driver’s licence classes

  • Class 1: Covers operation of any vehicle or combination of vehicles, except motorcycles. It includes semi-trailer trucks and all other heavy vehicles.
  • Class 2: For buses carrying more than 25 passengers. This licence also allows the driver to operate vehicles under Class 3, 4, and 5.
  • Class 3: Authorizes driving trucks with three or more axles and towing trailers that do not exceed 4,600 kg. It also covers dump trucks and larger construction vehicles.
  • Class 4: For driving ambulances, taxis, and buses with up to 25 passengers, as well as some tow trucks and other similar vehicles.

Air brake endorsements are also required in BC for drivers who intend to operate vehicles equipped with air brakes.

Manitoba commercial driver’s licence classes

  • Class 1: Allows the operation of any combination of vehicles, including semi-trailers. This is the most comprehensive commercial driver’s licence.
  • Class 2: Entitles the holder to operate buses with more than 24 passengers.
  • Class 3: Permits operation of trucks with more than two axles and allows towing vehicles not exceeding 4,500 kg.
  • Class 4: Allows driving of taxis, ambulances, and small buses carrying fewer than 24 passengers.

Air brake endorsements are required for vehicles equipped with air brake systems, similar to other provinces.

New Brunswick commercial driver’s licence classes

  • Class 1: Covers all motor vehicles, including semi-trailers.
  • Class 2: Permits driving of buses with more than 24 passengers and includes all vehicles under Class 3, 4, and 5.
  • Class 3: Allows operation of large trucks with three or more axles. Drivers with Class 3 cannot operate buses with more than 24 passengers.
  • Class 4: Designed for taxis, ambulances, and buses with fewer than 24 passengers.

Air brake endorsements are required for vehicles equipped with air brake systems, similar to other provinces.

Newfoundland and Labrador commercial driver’s licence classes

  • Class 1: Allows operation of any motor vehicle, including trucks and trailers of any size, except motorcycles.
  • Class 2: Covers driving buses with more than 24 passengers.
  • Class 3: Entitles the driver to operate trucks with three or more axles.
  • Class 4: Permits operation of ambulances, taxis, and small buses with fewer than 24 passengers.

As with other provinces, air brake endorsements are mandatory for vehicles equipped with air brakes.

Northwest Territories commercial driver’s licence classes

  • Class 1: Permits driving any motor vehicle, including semi-trailers and large trucks.
  • Class 2: Allows operation of buses with more than 24 passengers.
  • Class 3: Covers driving vehicles with three or more axles, excluding buses.
  • Class 4: Enables the driver to operate smaller commercial vehicles such as taxis, ambulances, and buses with fewer than 24 passengers.

An air brake endorsement is required for vehicles with air brake systems.

Nova Scotia commercial driver’s licence classes

  • Class 1: Allows operation of any vehicle, including semi-trailers.
  • Class 2: Permits operation of buses carrying more than 24 passengers.
  • Class 3: For driving trucks with three or more axles.
  • Class 4: Enables operation of small buses with fewer than 24 passengers, taxis, and ambulances.

As with other provinces, Nova Scotia requires an air brake endorsement for vehicles using air brakes.

Nunavut commercial driver’s licence classes

  • Class 1: Permits driving of any vehicle, including tractor-trailers.
  • Class 2: For buses carrying more than 24 passengers.
  • Class 3: Allows driving of heavy trucks with three or more axles.
  • Class 4: Enables driving of taxis, ambulances, and smaller buses with fewer than 24 passengers.

Nunavut also requires air brake endorsements for vehicles that use air brakes.

Ontario commercial driver’s licence classes

  • Class A: Allows operation of any truck and trailer combination, including semi-trailers.
  • Class B: Permits driving of school buses with more than 24 passengers.
  • Class C: For buses with more than 24 passengers, but not school buses.
  • Class D: Covers vehicles with a gross weight of over 11,000 kg, such as dump trucks or larger construction vehicles.
  • Class E: For smaller school buses carrying fewer than 24 passengers.
  • Class F: Allows operation of ambulances and smaller buses with fewer than 24 passengers.

As with all other provinces, an air brake endorsement is necessary for vehicles with air brakes.

Prince Edward Island commercial driver’s licence classes

  • Class 1: Authorizes driving of any combination of vehicles, including trucks and semi-trailers.
  • Class 2: For operating buses carrying more than 24 passengers.
  • Class 3: Permits operation of trucks with three or more axles.
  • Class 4: For ambulances, taxis, and smaller buses.

Air brake endorsements are required for vehicles equipped with air brakes.

Quebec commercial driver’s licence classes

  • Class 1: Allows driving any combination of vehicles, including semi-trailers.
  • Class 2: For buses carrying more than 24 passengers.
  • Class 3: Allows driving trucks with three or more axles.
  • Class 4A: Permits operation of taxis and ambulances.
  • Class 4B: Covers small buses carrying fewer than 24 passengers.

Quebec also mandates air brake endorsements for vehicles with air brake systems.

Saskatchewan commercial driver’s licence classes

  • Class 1: Allows driving any vehicle, including trucks and trailers.
  • Class 2: For buses with more than 24 passengers.
  • Class 3: Permits driving of vehicles with three or more axles.
  • Class 4: Covers operation of smaller commercial vehicles like taxis, ambulances, and small buses.

Drivers must hold an air brake endorsement to operate vehicles with air brakes.

Yukon commercial driver’s licence classes

The Yukon Territory offers four classes of commercial driver’s licences:

  • Class 1: For operating any motor vehicle, including semi-trailers.
  • Class 2: Allows the driver to operate buses with more than 24 passengers.
  • Class 3: For trucks with three or more axles.
  • Class 4: Permits operation of taxis, ambulances, and buses carrying fewer than 24 passengers.

The Yukon also requires an air brake endorsement for vehicles equipped with air brakes.

One of the most valuable hard skills a worker could have is the ability to operate a range of vehicles and equipment—especially given Canada’s shortage of workers with these skills. If your business is in the industry of transporting people or objects, you could send your employees for commercial driver’s license training so they can put their newfound skills to good use.

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Indeed’s Employer Resource Library helps businesses grow and manage their workforce. With over 15,000 articles in 6 languages, we offer tactical advice, how-tos and best practices to help businesses hire and retain great employees.

Read our editorial guidelines