Mandatory entry-level training

By the end of this topic you can

• You can explain what MELT is and why it exists.
• You can name the provinces with a confirmed training requirement and their minimum hours where published.
• You can describe the classroom, yard and in-cab parts of a typical course.
• You can check whether training must be finished before your road test.
• You can find out whether you might qualify for an experience-based exemption.

What you need to know and understand

• Ontario has required MELT for Class A since July 1, 2017, with at least 103.5 hours of instruction from a ministry-approved provider.
• Saskatchewan has required at least 121.5 hours of Class 1 training since March 15, 2019, split into classroom, in-yard and in-cab time.
• Manitoba also requires a Class 1 MELT course of 121.5 hours.
• BC requires new Class 1 applicants to complete its Class 1 MELT course, which became mandatory in October 2021.
• Alberta replaced its Class 1 MELT with the Class 1 Learning Pathway on April 1, 2025.
• Training must be completed before the road test, and Ontario says its training does not expire.
• Drivers who already held the class when MELT started were not required to take it.

What a course covers

Most courses mix three kinds of learning. Classroom time covers rules, hours of service, trip inspections, cargo securement and air brakes. Yard time covers coupling and uncoupling, backing and inspections on a closed lot. In-cab time is supervised driving on real roads, including highways, city streets and shifting a manual transmission.

Saskatchewan's 121.5 hours, for example, break down into 47 hours in class, 17.5 hours in the yard and 57 hours in the cab. Ontario describes its course as taking about four to six weeks.

Alberta's newer pathway

Since April 1, 2025, Alberta has used a tiered Class 1 Learning Pathway instead of MELT. You need a full Class 5 licence before starting.

1. Entry program: 40 hours of foundation training, after which you can take the Class 1 knowledge test.
2. Core learning: 67 hours of yard and in-cab training (as of September 1, 2026), plus an 8-hour air brake course if you do not already hold the Q endorsement. Passing the road test gives a licence restricted to Alberta.
3. Competence building: 10 to 18 hours of one-on-one driving that removes the restriction so you can drive outside Alberta.
4. Advanced training: optional programs after licensing.

Other provinces and exemptions

Requirements elsewhere, including Quebec, the Atlantic provinces and the territories, are set by each government and may differ from the examples here. Contact your licensing office before you enrol.

Some provinces have experience-based routes. Saskatchewan may waive training for drivers from certain countries outside Canada and the US who show five years of Class 1 experience in the last ten years. Alberta has an Experience and Equivalency Program for some Class 2 or Class 3 holders with at least two years of experience driving vehicles with three or more axles.

Common mistakes

• Paying a school that is not approved or certified by the province. Only approved training counts.
• Assuming another province's hours apply to you. Check your own province's figure.
• Booking the road test before the course is finished and recorded.
• Treating the course as the finish line. New drivers still need supervised experience after licensing.

Test yourself: Mandatory entry-level training

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.