Driving is one of the strongest-paying paths in our sectors, and demand for licensed drivers stays high year-round. The first decision is which licence to pursue.
DZ: straight trucks
A DZ licence covers trucks over 11,000 kg without large air-brake trailers — think delivery trucks, dump trucks, and municipal vehicles. Training is shorter and cheaper (often $2,000-$4,000), and DZ work is usually local: home every night, predictable hours. Typical pay runs $22-$28/hr.
AZ: tractor-trailers
An AZ licence adds full tractor-trailers. Since 2017, Ontario requires Mandatory Entry-Level Training (MELT) — roughly 103.5 hours, typically $8,000-$12,000 at a registered school. AZ opens the highest pay: local and regional runs commonly $28-$35/hr, with long-haul and specialized freight above that.
How to choose
- Want home time and lower upfront cost? Start DZ. Many drivers earn DZ first, work, and upgrade to AZ later.
- Want maximum earnings and don't mind bigger equipment? Go straight to AZ — the training investment usually pays back within the first year of work.
- Hate driving in cities? Regional AZ runs beat urban DZ delivery routes.
Getting hired without experience
New graduates face the classic "needs experience" wall. Agencies help here: we place new licence-holders into yard, dock-and-drive, and local roles that build the seat time bigger fleets want to see.