HOW TO GET YOUR COMMERCIAL AZ LICENSE IN ONTARIO
WHAT IS AN AZ LICENSE?
An AZ driver’s license is the license class that allows you to drive the biggest vehicles in the truck driving industry. The standard license that many truck drivers get is the DZ license. A DZ license allows you to haul and tow 4,600 kg or less. An “A” license, on the other hand, gives you the flexibility to carry any haul without restriction.
As you can imagine, this opens up the door to all kinds of opportunities within your career. For one thing, it makes it more valuable to potential employers. An AZ license makes it easier to land a job in an industry that is packed to the brim with ambitious drivers. Not only that but because you’ll have an edge against your peers with this license you’ll be assigned more lucrative hauls than those working for the same company.
In other words, if you’re looking to get into the truck driving industry, the AZ license is the best way to jumpstart your career. It’s also a great solution for those who are already in the industry and feel like they need an extra boost to reach the next level.
The “Z” Endorsement
Air Brake
There are two portions of the AZ license. The “A” – which, as we just covered, allows you to carry any size haul unrestricted – and the “Z”. The Z-endorsement is what gives you the credentials to operate a vehicle with air brakes. This is extremely important for all kinds of truck drivers, recreational vehicle operators, and other commercial vehicles operators – not just those seeking the AZ license. No matter what kind of driver you are, it’s in your best interest to earn your Z endorsement.
The reason why is that most vehicles with more than two axles use air brakes instead of traditional brakes. This is why you hear a loud “whoosh” sound when a large bus or 18-wheeler completes their stop. Air brakes use pressurized air to clamp the brakes on the tires rather than brake fluid. The reason air brakes are used on large vehicles instead of hydraulic brakes is that pressurized air stores energy, making it a safer and more reliable way to stop larger vehicles.
While air brakes are too complicated and expensive to justify being used on something like a Prius, on a truck they can literally save lives. In order to drive a vehicle that uses air brakes, however, you’re going to need your Z-endorsement which the AZ license includes.
When trying to obtain your Z-endorsement, it helps to go through the official Air Brake Handbook. This is a handbook created by Ontario’s administration of transportation specifically to explain how to drive with air brakes in accordance with their rules and requirements. The tests you’ll need to pass to earn your Z-endorsement come straight from this handbook, making it an invaluable resource during your studies.
What Can You Do With An AZ License?
One of the things that makes AZ licenses so great is that they can broaden your career horizons. An AZ license allows you to do all of the same things that you can do with a standard D license but adds a whole host of other opportunities on top of that. You can stick with the standard truck driving jobs if you like, or venture into some of the more exciting and high-earning positions that are exclusive to AZ drivers.
An AZ license allows you to embark on long, cross-country drives with your haul. In fact, you can even go on international drives with an AZ license without missing a beat. Not to mention that because AZ licenses are harder to obtain, you’ll be the first pick when it comes to hiring and assigning projects to drivers. Since you’re offering a more premium service to companies, you’ll make premium rates, and you’ll always be in high demand.
Additionally, when it’s the off-season for more intense AZ-exclusive hauls, you’ll still be able to pick up work doing the standard D license style hauls. This is particularly handy during the winter months when jobs like operating snow plows and de-icers start to become available.
The Difference Between An AZ License And A DZ License
As we mentioned, an AZ license is essentially an upgrade of the standard DZ license. It affords you greater opportunities due to its lack of restriction on haul size, whereas a DZ license is limited to just 4,600 kg. Since both of these licenses come with Z-endorsements, both are able to operate vehicles with air brakes, which is a must if you want to succeed in this industry.
A DZ license allows you to operate vehicles like fire and rescue trucks, dump trucks, straight trucks, and cement trucks. DZ licenses allow you to drive vehicles weighing over 11,000 kg or a tractor-trailer combination with a haul weighing less than 4,600 kg. Any kind of commercial truck that doesn’t break the weight limit is generally fair game for those with a DZ license.
While an AZ license is certainly better than a DZ license, the DZ variation is nothing to snub. It gives you the flexibility to drive both construction and transportation vehicles, providing you with work during the construction and winter season. It’s also substantially cheaper than obtaining an AZ license. So new truck drivers might consider starting their career with a DZ license and then eventually working their way up to an AZ license.
