Skills
Training
What should you check in a job posting that mentions PEP work?
Ask about the GVWR of the vehicles you would maintain and which certificate category is required: truck, bus, trailer or straight truck. If the role covers heavy vehicles of 7,258 kg or more, the employer should ask for the SAAQ competency certificate, not only a diploma or years of experience. To compare this kind of opening, see Canada Motor Jobs.
How do you obtain the PEP competency certificate for vehicles of 7,258 kg or more?
The SAAQ says the process is handled through Camo-Route, with training offered by designated school-service-centre partners. To be admitted, you generally need the DEP in heavy road vehicle mechanics (or the equivalent), or at least 24 months of work as a heavy road vehicle mechanic in the past five years, with employer letters. For the trailer category, a vocational specialized attestation (AEP) in truck-trailer mechanics can also qualify you.
Do you need to pass a SAAQ-recognized exam to do PEP maintenance on heavy vehicles?
For vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 7,258 kg or more, yes. The mechanic assigned to preventive maintenance must hold a competency certificate issued by the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) and must have passed a competency exam on preventive maintenance that the SAAQ recognizes. That requirement comes from Quebec’s Highway Safety Code and the regulation on road vehicle safety standards.
How should you look for a first job without a DEP?
On your résumé, say clearly that you are an apprentice or an applicant without a DEP, rather than presenting yourself as a journeyperson. List the vehicles and tasks you have already handled, even in another mechanical trade, and ask who will supervise your training.
Is this the same trade as automotive mechanics or off-road heavy equipment?
Not quite. A heavy road vehicle mechanic works mainly on trucks, buses and other highway transport vehicles: diesel engines, air brakes, hydraulics, transmissions and scheduled maintenance. The matching diploma is DEP 5330, not the automotive mechanics DEP (5298).
How does starting without a DEP change the apprenticeship?
Without a DEP, you do not receive the hour credit usually granted to graduates. DEP 5330 is an 1,800-hour program, about 17 months, and it typically credits 1,800 hours toward the apprenticeship. If you start straight in a shop, those hours still have to be worked under supervision until you reach the threshold set by your regional CPA and become eligible for the qualification exam.
Can you become a heavy-vehicle mechanic in Quebec without a DEP?
Yes. In Quebec there are two recognized entry routes for heavy road vehicle mechanics: arrive with the Diploma of Vocational Studies (DEP) in Heavy Road Vehicle Mechanics (program 5330), or register as a worker-candidate without vocational training. Not having a DEP does not bar you from starting, but it does not make you a journeyperson either.
How should you present this credential when applying for work outside Quebec?
List your provincial certificate or journeyperson card separately from the Red Seal, if you have it, and say what you actually worked on: highway trucks, buses, trailers or emergency vehicles. Do not treat an automotive mechanic diploma or light-vehicle experience as automatically equivalent.
Is this the same trade as a heavy equipment mechanic?
No. A truck and transport mechanic inspects, diagnoses and repairs commercial trucks, emergency vehicles, buses and other road transport vehicles, including some electric, hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicles. The work covers engines, brakes, steering, suspension, drivetrain, electrical systems, HVAC and hydraulics.