Page 30 - Driving Commercial Vehicles Manual

chapter 1 — getting your driver’s licence

Air brake courses

An air brake course is highly recommended as even experienced drivers learn
more about air brakes by taking the course.
To apply for an air brake endorsement, you’ll need to provide proof that
you’ve completed an air brake course. There are two types of air brake
driving tip courses:

To find an air brake course, • A certified course includes 7 hours of classroom theory on air brake
check online or in the yellow systems along with four hours of practical training on conducting an air
pages of the phone book brake pre-trip inspection. If you pass an air brake pre-trip assessment
under Driving Schools. Many conducted by the course provider, you may not need to take an air brake
community colleges also pre-trip inspection test conducted by an ICBC driver examiner in order to
offer these courses. obtain an air brake endorsement.
• A non-certified course (completed at a licensed driver training school or
college) includes 7 hours of classroom theory on air brake systems.
You may be exempt from taking an air brake course if you can prove you
fast fact have enough air brake experience. Contact a driver licensing office for more
information.
The National Safety Code
requires all Class 1, 2, 3 and Even if you’re exempted from the air brake training course, you’ll need to pass
4 drivers and drivers with a the air brake knowledge test and the air brake pre-trip inspection test. If you
code 18 or 19 industrial air don’t pass these tests, you may have to complete an air brake course before
brake endorsement or code you take any further tests.
20 heavy trailer endorsement
to submit a Driver’s Medical
Examination Report regularly. Keeping your licence
You’ll be sent a Driver’s
Medical Examination Report RoadSafetyBC will require you to take medical exams on a regular schedule as
form for completion by your long as you hold a commercial driver’s licence.
doctor at ages:
If you have a medical condition that may affect your fitness to drive, you
• 25, 30, 35, 40 and 45 may need to take medical exams more frequently. The Driver’s Medical
• 48, 51, 54, 57, 60 and 63 Examination Report form is sent to you by regular mail. Your driver’s licence
• every year upon reaching may be cancelled if you don’t submit this form.
the age of 66. You must also be re-examined when asked by RoadSafetyBC.
The doctor’s fee for
completing this routine A re-examination may include a:
medical report is not • vision screening
covered by the Medical
Services Plan of B.C., ICBC • knowledge test (which may include a traffic signs test)
or RoadSafetyBC.
• road test (including a pre-trip inspection).

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