A DZ licence is one of the quickest ways in Ontario to get into professional driving and still be home most nights. Straight-truck drivers deliver parcels, lumber, beer and soft drinks, and run roll-off bins and garbage routes, and these fleets hire all year. This guide covers what the licence lets you drive, what it costs to get, what the job pays according to government wage data, and where to send your application.
Key facts
- A Class D licence covers trucks with a gross weight or registered gross weight over 11,000 kg (24,000 lb). It also lets you tow a trailer, as long as the trailer is no heavier than 4,600 kg (10,000 lb).
- Many cube vans and smaller box trucks are rated under 11,000 kg, so you can drive them on a regular G licence.
- The Z endorsement lets you drive vehicles with air brakes. Most heavy straight trucks have them, which is why postings ask for DZ.
- MELT (Mandatory Entry-Level Training) applies to Class A only. You do not need MELT for a Class D licence.
- Job Bank lists Ontario transport truck drivers (NOC 73300) at $19.23 low, $26.00 median and $35.00 high per hour. That reference period is 2023-2024.
- Advertised DZ training packages in Ontario range from about $1,100 to about $3,800, depending on how much in-truck time is included.
What a DZ Licence Covers in Ontario
When you understand the licence classes, you can tell which postings you qualify for and which ones you can skip.
The 11,000 kg Line
The official MTO Truck Handbook defines Class D as a motor vehicle over 11,000 kg gross weight or registered gross weight. It also covers a combination where the truck and trailer together exceed 11,000 kg and the towed vehicle is no heavier than 4,600 kg. A Class D licence also covers everything you can drive on a G. Tandem dump trucks, roll-off trucks, garbage packers, side-load beverage trucks and boom-crane flatbeds usually fall into Class D.
Why Cube Vans Often Need Only a G
In Ontario, a G licence covers any car, van or small truck, or a vehicle-and-trailer combination, up to 11,000 kg. A lot of 16 and 20 foot cube vans used in courier and moving work are rated under that weight. If a posting is for a cube van and does not ask for a D, you may already qualify. Check the registered gross weight on the vehicle permit or the door-jamb sticker. Posting titles are not always accurate about the licence you need.
What the Z Endorsement Adds
You need the Z endorsement to drive any vehicle with air brakes. A D licence without a Z keeps you in hydraulic-brake trucks, and very few heavy fleets run those. DriveTest lets you book the Z test on the same day as your road test as a combination DZ test, so most people get both at once. When you renew a Z endorsement, you now complete an online air brake learning module first. That rule has applied since September 1, 2023.
DZ Versus AZ
An AZ licence adds tractor-trailers and any trailer over 4,600 kg with air brakes. A Class A licence holder can also drive Class D trucks. DZ work is mostly local or regional, with fixed start times and the truck back in the yard at night.
Where the DZ Driver Jobs Are in Ontario
Each sector has its own pace, equipment and physical demands. Choose your targets before you start sending resumes.
Courier and Parcel
Parcel carriers such as Purolator, UPS and FedEx run straight trucks alongside their van fleets in the GTA, Ottawa, Hamilton and London. Expect 60 or more stops a day on busy urban routes, a handheld scanner and tight receiving windows at commercial docks. Some courier routes use vehicles under 11,000 kg, so read the licence line in each posting carefully.
Building Supply and Lumber
Home Hardware Building Centres, RONA+ stores and independent lumber yards hire DZ drivers to deliver to construction sites. These trucks often carry a knuckle-boom crane or a piggyback forklift mounted on the back. Experience with either one moves you up the shortlist. Days start early to meet framing crews, and you will back onto muddy, uneven lots.
Beverage Distribution
The Beer Store and soft-drink bottlers such as Coca-Cola Canada Bottling run side-load and bay trucks on fixed routes to retailers, bars and restaurants. You will get to know the same customers week to week. The trade-off is heavy lifting: you hand-bomb cases, use a two-wheel dolly and stack product in tight back rooms.
Waste and Recycling
GFL Environmental, WM (Waste Management), Waste Connections of Canada and Miller Waste Systems run residential, front-load and roll-off routes across the province. They often do this under municipal collection contracts. Shifts commonly start well before sunrise and run in every kind of weather. Some fleets train you on automated side-loader arms, which is a skill you can take to other waste employers later.
Rentals, Municipalities and Seasonal Work
Equipment rental firms such as Sunbelt Rentals and United Rentals hire DZ drivers to deliver machines on flatbeds and tilt-decks. Municipal roads and works departments hire DZ operators for plows and dump trucks, and they often post seasonal winter-control jobs in the fall. You can compare all of these sectors in one place on TransportationCareers.ca rather than checking each company's careers page.
What DZ Drivers Earn in Ontario
As a seeker, you want numbers you can rely on. The most dependable public source is the Job Bank wage report for NOC 73300, transport truck drivers.
Job Bank Figures
For the 2023-2024 reference period, Job Bank reports these hourly wages:
- Ontario: $19.23 low, $26.00 median, $35.00 high.
- Hamilton-Niagara Peninsula: $19.23 low, $26.00 median, $38.00 high.
- Toronto: a median of $25.10.
- Ottawa: a median of $26.00.
One caution: NOC 73300 groups AZ and DZ drivers together, and short-haul and long-haul work as well. These figures give you a provincial range, not a DZ-only rate. Treat the median as a reference point and let the wages in actual postings show you where each sector sits.
How to Compare Offers
Ontario employers must state the expected pay or pay range in publicly advertised postings. That makes it easier to compare jobs. When you compare offers, look past the hourly rate:
- Guaranteed hours: Are you paid for a set day, or only for the hours the route takes?
- Overtime: Does it start after 44 hours or after 60? The threshold is different for some trucking work.
- Shift premiums: Is there extra pay for early or overnight starts?
- Benefits: When do they start?
A lower hourly rate with guaranteed 50-hour weeks can pay more than a higher rate with short, unpredictable days.
Getting Your DZ Licence: Steps and Costs
You can earn a DZ in a few weeks. Here is the sequence.
Eligibility and Medical
You must be at least 18 and hold a valid G licence. Book a commercial medical examination with a doctor or nurse practitioner. You will also take a vision test at the DriveTest centre.
Knowledge Tests
Write the Class D knowledge test and the air brake (Z) knowledge test at any of the 92 DriveTest centres. Study from the free Official MTO Truck Handbook on ontario.ca. A G licence holder can practise in a Class D truck before passing the knowledge test, as long as the passenger holds the right licence for that truck. Most people write the test first anyway.
Training and What It Costs
Ontario does not require formal training for Class D, but almost everyone takes a course so they have a truck and a coach. Here are some prices posted by Ontario schools when this guide was written:
- Pine Valley Driving Academy lists a Class DZ package at $1,100.
- Canada Trust Driving School lists DZ road test preparation at $1,350 plus HST. That price includes 8 hours of one-on-one training and the truck rental for the road test. The air brake course is a $350 plus HST add-on, and its longer ministry-approved DZ program is $3,777.
- Ontario Truck Driving School and Durham Truck Training also run Class D programs.
Ask every school how many hours you will actually spend behind the wheel. Ask whether the price includes the truck for test day. Ask whether it issues a T2202 tuition slip, which you can use to claim the tuition tax credit.
The Road Test
You must bring a working truck of the right class to the test, along with a valid daily inspection report. This is the main reason people use a school, because the school books the test and provides the truck. The test covers a vehicle inspection, an air brake check if you are adding the Z, and an on-road drive. If you fail, DriveTest requires you to wait at least 10 days and pay again before your next attempt. Check current fees on the DriveTest fees page before you book.
Building an Application That Gets Callbacks
DZ employers screen for three things: you are licensed for their trucks, you drive safely, and you show up on time.
Order Your Driver's Abstract
Order a current driver's abstract from ServiceOntario before you apply. Many fleets ask for one at the first interview. If it shows minor convictions, prepare a one-sentence explanation for each.
Write a Driver-Focused Resume
Put 'Class DZ, Ontario' and your medical due date at the top. List the truck types you have driven and the equipment you can run, such as a tailgate lift, knuckle-boom crane, piggyback forklift, roll-off hoist or automated arm. Add a forklift certificate, warehouse work or delivery experience if you are newly licensed. Fleets read that as proof you can handle the physical side of the job.
Match the Posting's Physical Demands
Beverage and building supply routes involve constant lifting. Waste routes mean dozens of trips in and out of the cab every hour. Apply where the physical demands fit you. Say in your cover note that you understand them, because that tells the employer you plan to stay.
Move Fast on New Postings
Good day-shift DZ routes fill quickly. Set up alerts on the TransportationCareers.ca job seekers page and apply within a day or two of a posting going live.
The Interview and the Employer Road Test
Most fleets give you their own road test even if you already hold a DZ. Treat it as part of the interview.
Questions to Expect
You may be asked how you handle these situations:
- A customer is closed when you arrive.
- A load shifts during a delivery.
- Your mirrors ice up.
- You are running behind on a route.
Answer with short, real examples. If you are new, describe your training and the circle check you do before every shift.
Do the Pre-Trip Out Loud
Walk the truck in a fixed order, name each item as you check it, and run the air brake test exactly as you learned it. Evaluators often decide during the pre-trip, before the truck moves.
Back Up Like a Professional
DZ work means docks, alleys and job sites. Back up slowly. Get out and look when you are unsure, and use a spotter whenever one is available. No evaluator will mark you down for getting out to check.
Stepping Up From DZ to AZ
Many drivers spend a year or two in straight trucks and then move into tractor-trailers. Others stay in DZ work because they like being home every night. Both are solid careers.
Why Drivers Upgrade
AZ opens linehaul, cross-border and specialized freight work, which is why searches for AZ driver jobs across Canada stay high. Carriers such as Day & Ross run both straight-truck and tractor-trailer operations. If you work for a company like that, you can see the AZ side up close before you commit. In your interview, ask whether the company supports drivers who want to upgrade and how much DZ experience it wants first.
What MELT Involves
To get a full Class A licence, you must complete MELT with an approved provider before the road test. The program requires at least 103.5 hours of training. Ask each school how many of those hours you spend driving. Many MELT programs cost several thousand dollars. For example, a London training campus lists AZ MELT at $6,995. Some schools also help you apply for training funding. Your clean DZ record is one of your strongest assets when you apply for AZ seats.
FAQ
What is the difference between a D and a DZ licence?
A Class D licence covers trucks over 11,000 kg. The Z endorsement adds air brakes. Almost every heavy straight truck has air brakes, so employers ask for DZ.
Do I need MELT for a DZ licence in Ontario?
No. MELT is required only for a full Class A licence. For a Class D, you need the medical, the vision test, the knowledge tests and the road test.
Can I drive a cube van on a G licence?
Often, yes. A G licence covers vehicles up to 11,000 kg. Many cube vans are rated below that, but check the registered gross weight of the specific truck.
What does a DZ driver earn in Ontario?
Job Bank lists Ontario transport truck drivers at a median of $26.00 an hour, with a range of $19.23 to $35.00 (2023-2024 data). This figure includes AZ drivers, so compare it with the pay ranges in actual DZ postings.
Can I get hired with a new DZ and no experience?
Yes. Waste haulers, building supply yards and rental fleets regularly hire newly licensed drivers, and many pair them with an experienced driver at first. A clean abstract and related warehouse or delivery work help.
How long does it take to get a DZ?
Most people finish training and testing within a few weeks. How long it takes depends on road test availability at your local DriveTest centre.
Start Your DZ Job Search
A DZ licence gives you steady local work and a clear path to AZ if you want it later. Here are your next steps:
- Order your abstract.
- Get a written quote from two or three training schools.
- Pick the sector that suits how you like to work.
Ready to take the next step? Visit TransportationCareers.ca at the TransportationCareers.ca job seekers page to browse current openings and create a candidate profile.