How to become a heavy vehicle mechanic in Quebec and what is the salary?

The heavy vehicle mechanic trade (trucks, buses, semi-trailers) is practised in Quebec under a competence card issued by an automotive services industry parity committee (CPA). The path has three steps:

1. DVS in heavy vehicle mechanics (program 5330): 1,800 hours (Inforoute FPT, program 5330, consulted October 18, 2026). Offered at CFP de Québec, CFP Mont-Joli and CFP de l'Énergie, among others.
2. Paid apprenticeship: an apprentice card from the parity committee is mandatory before practising the trade (s. 12.03 of the Québec and Lévis decree). Length: 3 years in the Montréal region (s. 10.01) and no more than 4 years in the Québec and Lévis region (s. 12.02); each apprenticeship year equals 2,000 hours of experience (s. 1.01, para. 8 of the Montréal decree).
3. CPA (MVL) qualification exam: taken at the parity committee office in your region (s. 10.03 in Montréal); passing it grants the journeyman certificate.

Salary: the minimum hourly rates set by the decree for your region

Wages are governed by the Decree respecting the automotive services industry that applies to the garage's region (Act respecting collective agreement decrees, chapter D-2), s. 9.01. Minimum hourly rates, consulted October 18, 2026:

• Montréal region (decree D-2, r. 10 — rates in force since April 17, 2025): 1st year apprentice $21.28/h, 2nd year $22.26/h, 3rd year $24.80/h; journeyman 3rd class $27.68/h, 2nd class $29.24/h, 1st class $31.76/h.
• Québec and Lévis regions (decree D-2, r. 11 — rates in force since August 2, 2026): 1st year apprentice $21.08/h, 2nd year $22.07/h, 3rd year $24.02/h, 4th year $25.91/h; journeyman class C $28.84/h, class B $30.05/h, class A/B $31.15/h, class A $32.26/h.

These amounts are minimums: commissions, bonuses and premiums are paid on top of the hourly rate (s. 9.04 of the same decrees), and an employer may pay more. The applicable rate depends on your region and on the journeyman class obtained at the exam.

Additional training: electronic systems (Cummins, Detroit, Caterpillar), heavy vehicle air conditioning and welding are valued by employers; the decrees provide no premium for such training.