Gazman

Thinking of moving to NB or NS.
As I understand it a UK HGV license is not exchangeable so a new test is necessary in Canada.
But once the test has been passed does the driver automatically get car license too just as they would if they took the HGV test in UK?...

iaink

Just guessing, but would you not swap your UK license to get a valid car license here, and then go on from that to getting a valid A-Z rating?

Aviator

You have to get a car license first, then the truck license is issued on top of that. So if the province does a straight swap, you swap your car license then take the test for a Class 1.

Gazman

Yes it's a bit complex though,..I've been living in Ireland for little over 10 years so currently have an Irish HGV/Car/Motorbike license which I got in exchange for my original UK one some years ago.

But as I understand it the Irish license is not exchangeable anyway, so I was just going to keep hold of it.

My intention is to move to NB or NS and get work long haul. But if I can't exchange a HGV license anyway (whether UK or Irish) and I have to take a Canadian truck test...then I'm thinking why surrender the Irish license......?

Gazman

Oh, I see...so I MUST get a car license first before I can sit the truck test...

iaink

Can you swap it back for a UK one... it might save you a world of pain starting from scratch here (graduated licensing in some provinces, as well as punative insurance premiums for newly licensed drivers.)


Also, might be worth asking in the trucking specific forum, you might not be the first Irish license holder to walk this path, you never know.

Gazman

Yes I could swap it back for the UK license which would make sense if I moved to NS as I see they do a straight exchange for a UK car license...
I also see there are insurance companies in NS that accept UK no claims bonus so that would make sense too......

Aviator

I believe you will find it is no claims history, not the no claims bonus as that is insurable, and does not mean a no claims history.

scrubbedexpat133

In NB you can exchange your car entitlement but not the HGV part - you need to take the theory test, the air brake endorsement and the NB class 1 practical test

All very straightforward and nothing to be afraid of. This is based on UK license dont know about a paddy one.

scrubbedexpat133

Make sure you get a letter from your ins company specifically saying that you have x years claim and accident free and yes there are companies in NS and NB that will accept it.

Gazman

Thanks for your reply, the annoying thing whenever I renew my campervan insurance (which I still have registered in UK) it never goes above 9 years NCB. I take great pleasure in explaining to them every year that "if your IT department was adapt enough my true NCB should now show "26 years!!"...
Still never goes beyond 9 years but i always manage to keep the premium as it was the year before rather than the standard annual 30-quid-ish increase ......