Brianna HarrisonA Guide to the 5 Best Truck Driving Schools in Toronto
Whether you’re a complete beginner or upgrading from an existing license, you need top-quality education to get behind the wheel.
Fortunately, you’ll now spend less time searching and more time choosing a school for that because we already collected the best truck driving schools for you!
Let’s start off with the costs of training first before we move on to the individual reviews.
Top Driving Schools in Toronto
Note that all the schools we selected are registered Private Career Colleges under the Private Career Colleges Act, 2005. This is a standard requirement so all the truck driving schools must have this.
In addition, we used the following criteria to evaluate the schools:
The Cost of Attending Truck Driving Schools in Toronto
To be honest, it’s quite expensive, actually. On average, most students pay up to a total of $8,000 until they finish the course.
Fees often vary depending on the type of license they want to earn and whether or not they require lodging.
In cases where there are more flexible payment options, a student can pay for as little as $220 to $300. Fortunately, there are also various funding options from the government that you can apply for.
For instance, there is the Second Career by the Ontario Ministry of Training which provides financial aid of up to $28,000.
There are also other funding agencies such as the WSIB for injured drivers plus the Canada-Ontario Job Grant, which provides up to $10,000 per student for training costs.
1. JAZ Truck, Bus & Forklift Driving School
| Experience and reputation | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Years in business | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Job placement record | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Training programs | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Duration and variety of training program | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Costs and other fees | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Instructors | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Student Satisfaction | ★★★★☆ (5/5) |
When it comes to training programs, we have no major complaints with JAZ Truck, Bus & Forklift Driving School. They basically offer all courses you can expect in a driving school, which include:
- Class A (Tractor-trailer driver program)
- Class B (School bus)
- Class C (Coach bus)
- Class D (Straight truck/dump truck)
- Class Z endorsement (Air brake course)
What makes each of these courses special is that it’s customized to the skills of the students. There’s a combination of classroom lectures and adequate time for practice, which is a minimum we always look for.
Classes follow a set structure but aren’t so rigid to the point where you can’t flip your schedule. In fact, according to its record, most of its students study on a part-time basis, making the school a flexible option if you have a job in your hands.
As far as experience goes, the company has been in the business for 15 years and has had more than 10,000 students. The majority of them were happy to earn their licenses but some had issues they reported to us.
For starters, a few complained about using outdated trucks during practice driving hours. Others pointed out that the customer service was terrible even for general inquiries.
Based on what we’ve observed thus far, they have a wonderful fleet of trucks with certified and well-trained instructors. But we do have to agree that it’s a bit difficult to reach them, especially during busy hours.
Pros
- Comprehensive and customized training programs
- 15 years in business
- 10,000 graduates as of writing
- Intensive and well-detailed courses
- Flexible class schedules available
Cons
- Minor issues on customer response and promptness
- Minor issues on costs of courses
Customer Reviews
Worth every dollar
The experience with Jaz trucking school was the most amazing experience I have ever had . Their in class training was one of the best time I spent during learning. I learned basically everything about Airbrake system. Trucks and equipments were well maintained. Jaz brother techniques for backing up are well taught. Overall, road training and yard training was worth every single dollar spent. I highly recommend this school for truck driving course. – Jidhin Fernandez
Amazing instructors and great courses
Hey I passed my road test on the first attempt. I am very thankful to the team Jaz. Their instructors are amazing and take their job seriously. Air brake course was very informative and detailed. I would highly recommend Jaz to everyone who wish to apply for any commercial license. Thanks very much for your cooperation. – Kennedy De Gale
2. City Truck & Forklift Driving School
| Experience and reputation | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Years in business | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Job placement record | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Training programs | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Duration and variety of training program | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Costs and other fees | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Instructors | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Student Satisfaction | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Looking through its set of training programs, we’re happy that they offer everything you can expect to see. There’s the Truck Driving (AZ & DZ) course that enables you to be a commercial driver and other similar courses for buses and forklifts.
We like that the programs are designed to cater to both part-time and full-time students. In terms of learning experience, nothing’s too different from each setup, except of course for the duration.
Another thing truly valued in this school are the flexible payment plans that they offer. Competitive fees are one thing, but having that option to pay according to your means really won our attention.
Other than that, what impressed us is their great track record and career support to students. For 16 years, they’ve also managed to turn 3,000 graduates into operators with fulfilling careers.
Additionally, they have support tools and resources available online to help graduates find a job fast. For instance, they have a career section on their website that acts as a job listing portal that students can use.
Their site is also rich with relevant information on policy and truck driving updates. The only downside is that these articles aren’t updated as regularly as we’d like, plus we think it’s better if the support translates into real-world care too.
Overall, they’re a great choice if you want really hands-on instructors who focus on real life driving scenarios. Some of them might have a bit of an attitude, we must say, but not to the point that it’s really off-putting.
Pros
- Full-time and part-time schedules available
- Flexible payment plans
- 16 years in business
- 3,000 graduate have become operators
- Comprehensive career support
Cons
- Relevant resources on site aren’t updated regularly
- Minor issues on instructor attitude
Customer Reviews
Professional work culture
I saw three schools earlier. I liked the work culture here and the level of professionalism which indicated to me that they have good working ethics and they would provide me the appropriate training. I was given ample time to practise on the machines which gave me hands on experience of the equipments. I recommend city truck driving school to everyone. – Karan Sabharwal
One of the best schools
One of the best school. I passed my AZ licence in first attempt and in 5 weeks as they promised with me at the time of registration. They are so much flexible with schedule and payment plan .Everything is according to you . You can book your choice of test date and location. I would like to say special thanks to Manjinder bro .Best teacher for inspection. All of the team members are doing great work . – Gurwinder Sarpanch
3. Friendly Truck Driving School
| Experience and reputation | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Years in business | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Job placement record | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Training programs | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Duration and variety of training program | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Costs and other fees | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Instructors | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Student Satisfaction | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
In terms of courses, Friendly Truck Driving School is as comprehensive and versatile as the other schools. They just have a few things that set them apart in certain areas.
One of these is found in the array of additional courses that they offer besides the regular training programs. Here, you can also enroll for courses in defensive driving, transportation of dangerous goods, and air brake “Z” endorsement.
Not every school offers these extra courses, so this is a plus for us. Additionally, they also have one of the best career support services we’ve encountered for graduates.
For starters, they perform criminal record searches, which is a typical requirement for employment, visas, work permits, etc. They also help graduates when it comes to interview and resume application – something that other schools lack.
Other than that, they also provide job placement assistance, which minimizes the effort required for graduates to get a job. All in all, they’re a good choice for those who want to seek employment right after finishing the program.
The only thing we didn’t like was how they insist on teaching backing up in tiny spaces. Yes, it trains the driver to deal with small spaces too, we agree.
But in real life, it’s unlikely that they’ll encounter small truck spaces on the road, which means it may introduce a high bar to leap for students from the very start, which can be discouraging.
Nonetheless, the instructors were as good as you’d expect and often guided students from training to employment. Overall, we’re happy with what this school has to offer.
Pros
- Extra driving courses offered
- Comprehensive career support services
- Performs criminal record searches
- Assists in interview and resume preparation
- Offers job placement assistance
- Funding options available through LendCare and Paybright
Cons
- Relatively less flexibility in training programs
- Certain issues with driving technique teaching
Customer Reviews
Helpful and friendly instructors
I learned so many things about trucks and how to properly drive them. The instructors are very friendly and helpful and my instructors were Das, Ragulan and Theepa. They taught me really well and and I was able to get my license. If you are wanting to get a truck license, I recommend you to go to Friendly Truck Driving School! – Kishna Kanthasamy
A fun learning experience
I had a great experience getting my DZ license with Friendly Truck Driving School. The staff is kind, helpful and knowledgeable. Dhas and Thiva are both excellent instructors, made the experience a fun one, and ensured that I was prepared to pass my driving exam on the first try. Thiru, the administrator, was super helpful with all my initial questions and made scheduling easy. Highly recommended! – Esther Benoit
4. GG Truck Driving School
| Experience and reputation | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Years in business | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Job placement record | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Training programs | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Duration and variety of training program | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Costs and other fees | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Instructors | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Student Satisfaction | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Starting off with it’s courses, we feel that they lack in terms of variety. Unlike most schools, they only offer three courses: AZ Tractor-Trailer (MELT) Program, Forklift Training, and Shunt Training.
But while they failed to meet our standards in that matter, we actually think that they’re among the best in terms of training quality. The combination of highly-experienced and compassionate instructors with technology is something that students can look forward to.
Additionally, they’re more focused on practical application on skills based on real-world driving scenarios. That isn’t to say that the classroom lectures suck, mind you, because they’re just as good as the actual practice.
Another thing that we took interest in is the school’s fleet of trucks and shunts as well as their network relationships. The trucks that they use to teach are also the same trucks they use for the business they’re contracted with.
This kind of setup allows students to actually learn using a truck that is used for commercial purposes. It immerses the learner into the driving process, which is an important factor for quality education in our opinion.
Finally, graduates of this school may not have to worry about getting a job because this school also helps place them. They’re then placed in projects with companies they’re contracted with so landing a job is super-easy.
Pros
- Integrates technology in the learning process
- Focused on practical driving experience
- Sources graduates for instant job placements
- Solid fleet of trucks used for training
- Offer flexible training schedules
Cons
- Lacks variety in program options
- Less structure in training courses
Customer Reviews
Highly recommended school
Had an amazing experience at the school. The staff is really amazing and i loved the way they taught me to back up the tractor and trailer. Gurjot brother the owner of the school is very cooperative. Helped me alot during the classes . I will recommend everyone to get the lessons from the school. – Gairik Dabas
Excellent teaching methods
I got my AZ license from truck school. Their teaching method is excellent. Gurjot bai and coach saab ( jaggi) do there job very nicely. They made my schedule as per my need. I would recommend every one to visit GG Truck school for best training. – Gurinder Bir
5. ABM Truck Driving School
| Experience and reputation | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Years in business | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Job placement record | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Training programs | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Duration and variety of training program | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Costs and other fees | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Instructors | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Student Satisfaction | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
ABM Truck Driving School satisfies all the basics that we’re looking for in a truck driving school. Let’s list down all the highlights that you can expect in this company.
First, they have a wide array of training programs including courses for the AZ Licenses and refresher courses for the same license. Beyond this, they also offer MELT programs including courses such as defensive driving, manual driving, and more.
Second, though it isn’t the best in this area, it has respectable job placement assistance. Graduates can send in their resume and the school will be happy to provide them support.
Third, it offers a well-balanced combination of both practical training and classroom lessons. Both are intensive and have a well-detailed curriculum for students to follow.
Finally, with a perfect 5-star rating on Google Reviews, it’s one of the very few schools to have 100% satisfied students. We heard nothing but great praises for the very knowledgeable instructor and his method of teaching.
The only things we’re not so happy about is the limited number of instructors and lack of availability on weekends. These would’ve been extremely helpful to students who are also juggling other engagements at the same time.
Pros
- Wide range of training programs and refresher courses
- Decent job placement assistance
- Solid combination of classroom and practice
- One-on-one training with the instructor
Cons
- Limited number of instructors
- Closed on weekends
Customer Reviews
Well-trained instructors
ABM truck driving school is the best trucking school in the GTA area. All the trainers are well trained & have very good knowledge of trucking. I am very thankful to all the trainers and owner who helped me to get my AZ license. if you are looking forward to start your career as a professional driver please give them a chance and you will not regret it. – Kulwinder Singh
Highly organized school
My experience at ABM trucking driving school has been a strong step towards my future career in Trucking industry.They are very well organised and provide all new equipment .All the staff members and very polite and professional.I got my AZ in very first attempt…,kudos to whole team of ABM.Thanks – Kirat Sahib
FAQs About Truck Driving Schools in Toronto
Apart from outstanding driving schools in the city, our site is also rich with other relevant reviews that can help you with all your needs.
As our top recommendation, check out our article on the best driving schools in Toronto in case you’re interested in driving private vehicles instead.
