--- title: "Same Truck, Different Licence: How Provincial Rules Should Shape Your Fleet" description: Can your yard staff drive that truck on a Class 5? Licence rules differ by province. See how building centres spec trucks to widen their driver pool now. image: https://trinitytrucksales.ca/hubfs/Completed%20Deliveries/Moffett%20Trucks/f750.jpeg --- [![Trinity Truck Sales logo](https://trinitytrucksales.ca/hubfs/Trinity%20Truck%20Sales.jpg)The Building Centre Truck ProgramOperated by Trinity Truck Sales](https://trinitytrucksales.ca/?hsLang=en) [Home](https://trinitytrucksales.ca/?hsLang=en) Who We Help ▾ [Home Hardware](https://trinitytrucksales.ca/the-home-hardware-truck-program?hsLang=en) [Castle Building Centres](https://trinitytrucksales.ca/castle-truck-program?hsLang=en) [All Canadian Building Centres](https://trinitytrucksales.ca/building-centre-truck-program?hsLang=en) [Fleet Advisor +](https://trinitytrucksales.ca/fleet-advisor-plus?hsLang=en) [Our Truck Guide](https://trinitytrucksales.ca/building-centre-product-catalogue?hsLang=en) [About Trinity](https://trinitytrucksales.ca/our-story?hsLang=en) [Blog](https://trinitytrucksales.ca/phil-aitkens-bi-weekly) [Contact](https://trinitytrucksales.ca/contact-me-global?hsLang=en) ☰ Looking to speak with Phil? call directly at [(289) 527-4345](tel:12895274345) [Home](https://trinitytrucksales.ca/?hsLang=en) › [Blog](https://trinitytrucksales.ca/phil-aitkens-bi-weekly) # Same Truck, Different Licence: How Provincial Rules Should Shape Your Fleet ![Phil Aitken](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/e0b1fa7ef5f70dbbc84514aff5461c2a) **Phil Aitken**, President, Trinity Truck Sales • Sep 30, 2026, 9:07:45 PM • 5 min read ![\ The most common fleet question at Home Hardware Homecoming this year had nothing to do with price. Dealers wanted to know how to get out of their tandem trucks. The tandems work fine. The problem is finding people to drive them. A three-axle truck needs a commercial licence in most of the country, and the pool of people in a small town who hold one, want to work in a lumber yard, and will show up at 6:30 a.m. is small. When one of them retires or quits, the truck sits. We've been moving a lot of building centres out of big trucks this year. Some go to single-axle trucks carrying a Moffett. Some put a Kargo King system on the chassis so one truck does the work of two. Some reshuffle the whole fleet so more of their yard staff can legally take a truck out. Earlier this year I wrote about [a Castle Building Centre in Newfoundland that replaced five tandems with F-750 Moffett trucks](https://trinitytrucksales.ca/phil-aitkens-bi-weekly/newfoundand-driver-shortage) for this exact reason. That story only works in Newfoundland, though, or somewhere with similar rules. Each province draws the licence line in a different place, and the truck that solves your driver problem in Moncton might not solve it in Mississauga. ## Western Canada, New Brunswick and Newfoundland count axles In British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador, a regular Class 5 licence covers any two-axle truck. The rules set no gross weight cap on the truck itself. The line is the third axle. Once you add a tandem, the driver needs a Class 3. That means a single-axle F-750, rated up to 37,000 lbs, can go out with anyone on your staff who holds a regular licence, as long as any trailer stays under about 4,500 kg. In these provinces, going from a tandem to a heavy single axle opens your whole staff to the driver's seat. ## Nova Scotia and PEI count weight Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island use weight instead. A Class 5 covers any single vehicle up to 14,000 kg, or 30,864 lbs, gross. Above that, you need a Class 3 no matter how many axles the truck has. That 14,000 kg line is generous compared to Ontario, and it lets you run a real work truck on a regular licence. But a fully rated F-750 at 37,000 lbs would cross it. In Nova Scotia and PEI, you want an F-650 or F-750 spec'd and rated at or under 30,864 lbs. That's plenty for most lumber and drywall deliveries if you build the truck around your loads. ## Ontario has the tightest line Ontario's Class G stops at 11,000 kg gross, about 24,250 lbs. Anything heavier needs a Class D, whether it has two axles or three. In Ontario, trading a tandem for a single-axle F-750 doesn't change the licence. Both need a D. Ontario dealers who want G-licence drivers have to get under 11,000 kg, which puts you in F-550 or F-600 territory. We've had good results [pairing those trucks with a Kargo King system](https://trinitytrucksales.ca/phil-aitkens-bi-weekly/the-smartest-fleet-upgrade-might-not-be-another-truck), so one chassis can swap between a flatbed, a dump body and a roll-off during the day. If you need the capacity of a bigger truck in Ontario, the other route is to help your people get their D. It's a much easier licence to earn than an AZ, and some dealers now cover the cost as a retention tool. ## Quebec looks at empty weight Quebec's Class 5 covers two-axle vehicles with a net weight, meaning empty, under 4,500 kg. A medium-duty truck with a flatbed and a forklift mount will usually weigh more than that before you load it, so most Quebec delivery trucks need a Class 3 driver. Check your specific build before you assume otherwise. ## Air brakes add a step everywhere Every province requires an air brake endorsement for trucks with air brakes. At the right weight rating, you can spec an F-650 or F-750 with hydraulic brakes and skip that requirement. It sounds like a small detail. For a yard hand with a regular licence, it's the difference between driving on Monday and waiting a month for a course. ## Start with your drivers On a replacement call, I ask about the people before the loads. I want to know who drives today, and what happens to deliveries when your one Class 3 driver takes two weeks off in July. Then we build the truck around the answers and your province's rules. Sometimes that's an F-750 with a Moffett. Sometimes it's a lighter truck with a Kargo King. Sometimes the tandem stays and we train a second driver. Licensing rules change and every build is different, so confirm the details with your provincial licensing office before you order. If you want a second set of eyes on how your province's rules line up with your fleet, give me a call. ### Quick reference: what a regular licence covers, by province | Province | Class 5 (Ontario: G) covers | Heavier straight truck needs | | --- | --- | --- | | British Columbia | Any two-axle vehicle | Class 3 (three or more axles) | | Alberta | Any two-axle single vehicle | Class 3 (three or more axles) | | Saskatchewan | Any two-axle vehicle | Class 3 (three or more axles) | | Manitoba | Trucks with two axles | Class 3 (more than two axles) | | Ontario | Up to 11,000 kg gross | Class D (over 11,000 kg) | | Quebec | Two axles, empty (net) weight under 4,500 kg | Class 3 | | New Brunswick | Any two-axle vehicle | Class 3 | | Nova Scotia | Single vehicle up to 14,000 kg GVW | Class 3 (over 14,000 kg) | | Prince Edward Island | Up to 14,000 kg | Class 3 (over 14,000 kg) | | Newfoundland and Labrador | Any vehicle with no more than two axles | Class 3 (three or more axles) | Trucks with air brakes need an air brake endorsement in every province. Trailer limits on a regular licence run about 4,500 to 4,600 kg. Rules change, so confirm with your provincial licensing office before you order. Share: [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftrinitytrucksales.ca%2Fphil-aitkens-bi-weekly%2Fsame-truck-different-licence-how-provincial-rules-should-shape-your-fleet) [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftrinitytrucksales.ca%2Fphil-aitkens-bi-weekly%2Fsame-truck-different-licence-how-provincial-rules-should-shape-your-fleet) [Email](mailto:?subject=%3Cspan+id%3D%22hs_cos_wrapper_name%22+class%3D%22hs_cos_wrapper+hs_cos_wrapper_meta_field+hs_cos_wrapper_type_text%22+style%3D%22%22+data-hs-cos-general-type%3D%22meta_field%22+data-hs-cos-type%3D%22text%22+%3ESame+Truck%2C+Different+Licence%3A+How+Provincial+Rules+Should+Shape+Your+Fleet%3C%2Fspan%3E&body=https%3A%2F%2Ftrinitytrucksales.ca%2Fphil-aitkens-bi-weekly%2Fsame-truck-different-licence-how-provincial-rules-should-shape-your-fleet) ![Phil Aitken](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/e0b1fa7ef5f70dbbc84514aff5461c2a) ### Phil Aitken President of Trinity Truck Sales. For 18 years Phil has spec'd, sourced and delivered work trucks for Canadian building centres. [Read Phil's story](https://trinitytrucksales.ca/our-story?hsLang=en) or call [(289) 527-4345](tel:12895274345). Have a truck decision coming up? ## Send me your daily load and delivery radius I'll come back with a spec, price and sourcing plan. No obligation, no lot-pushing. [Get a Quote](https://trinitytrucksales.ca/contact-me-global?hsLang=en) ## Keep reading [![The Maintenance Binder: Why One Dealer Took Ownership Over Her Fleets Maintenance Schedule](https://trinitytrucksales.ca/hubfs/Maintenance%20Binder.png)](https://trinitytrucksales.ca/phil-aitkens-bi-weekly/the-maintenance-binder-why-one-dealer-stopped-trusting-her-shop) ## [The Maintenance Binder: Why One Dealer Took Ownership Over Her Fleets Maintenance Schedule](https://trinitytrucksales.ca/phil-aitkens-bi-weekly/the-maintenance-binder-why-one-dealer-stopped-trusting-her-shop) Sep 30, 2026, 4:24:12 PM [Read the article →](https://trinitytrucksales.ca/phil-aitkens-bi-weekly/the-maintenance-binder-why-one-dealer-stopped-trusting-her-shop) [![Why Some Building Centres Are Skipping the Lot and Building Custom Instead](https://trinitytrucksales.ca/hubfs/Inventory/Ford/Ford%20F-550/F550%20Hodgins%20Rona.jpeg)](https://trinitytrucksales.ca/phil-aitkens-bi-weekly/why-some-building-centres-are-skipping-the-lot-and-building-custom-instead) ## [Why Some Building Centres Are Skipping the Lot and Building Custom Instead](https://trinitytrucksales.ca/phil-aitkens-bi-weekly/why-some-building-centres-are-skipping-the-lot-and-building-custom-instead) Jul 16, 2026, 8:37:15 AM [Read the article →](https://trinitytrucksales.ca/phil-aitkens-bi-weekly/why-some-building-centres-are-skipping-the-lot-and-building-custom-instead) [![What Ford's Latest Production Numbers Could Mean for Building Supply Dealers](https://trinitytrucksales.ca/hubfs/Inventory/2025%20Ford%20F150/Ford%20F150%20White.jpeg)](https://trinitytrucksales.ca/phil-aitkens-bi-weekly/what-fords-latest-production-numbers-could-mean-for-building-supply-dealers) ## [What Ford's Latest Production Numbers Could Mean for Building Supply Dealers](https://trinitytrucksales.ca/phil-aitkens-bi-weekly/what-fords-latest-production-numbers-could-mean-for-building-supply-dealers) Jun 24, 2026, 9:59:31 AM [Read the article →](https://trinitytrucksales.ca/phil-aitkens-bi-weekly/what-fords-latest-production-numbers-could-mean-for-building-supply-dealers) Trinity Truck Sales Inc. Phil Aitken — President  |  (289) 527-4345  |  [phil@trinitytrucksales.ca](mailto:phil@trinitytrucksales.ca) Copyright © Trinity Truck Sales Inc 2026 [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-aitken-a9b96819/?originalSubdomain=ca)    [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61561022720417) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Phil Aitken", "url" : "https://trinitytrucksales.ca/phil-aitkens-bi-weekly/author/phil-aitken" }, "dateModified" : "2026-10-01T01:07:45.897Z", "datePublished" : "2026-10-01T01:07:45.000Z", "headline" : "Same Truck, Different Licence: How Provincial Rules Should Shape Your Fleet", "image" : [ "https://trinitytrucksales.ca/hubfs/Completed%20Deliveries/Moffett%20Trucks/f750.jpeg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://trinitytrucksales.ca/phil-aitkens-bi-weekly/same-truck-different-licence-how-provincial-rules-should-shape-your-fleet", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://trinitytrucksales.ca/hubfs/Building%20Centre%20Truck%20Program%20Logo.png" }, "name" : "Trinity Truck Sales Inc." } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "jobTitle" : "President", "name" : "Phil Aitken", "worksFor" : { "@type" : "Organization", "name" : "Trinity Truck Sales Inc.", "url" : "https://trinitytrucksales.ca" } }, "dateModified" : "2026-10-01", "datePublished" : "2026-10-01", "description" : "Can your yard staff drive that truck on a Class 5? 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