Heavy truck mechanic: pay in Quebec and Greater Montreal
A heavy truck mechanic maintains and repairs a fleet’s trucks, road tractors, trailers and buses: diesel engine, air brakes, transmission, suspension, electrical systems. This page covers carrier garages and truck shops in Greater Montreal, not construction-site machinery. It gives pay by region, the SAAQ rules, and what the table really measures.
- Quebec median
- $28/h
- Range
- $20 – $40/h
- Montreal
- Quebec median
Guichet-Emplois (Job Bank), edition 2025 · CNP 72410
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Heavy truck mechanic pay, region by region
| Region | Low | Median | High | vs Quebec | Offered in postings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All of Quebec | $20 | $28 | $40 | — | — |
| Montérégie | $20 | $28 | $39 | 0% | $30 (89) |
| Montréal | No data of its own: Job Bank shows the Quebec figures | $34.64 (106) | |||
| Laval | No data of its own: Job Bank shows the Quebec figures | $31.25 (18) | |||
| Lanaudière | No data of its own: Job Bank shows the Quebec figures | $30.97 (46) | |||
| Laurentides | No data of its own: Job Bank shows the Quebec figures | $31 (34) | |||
The table covers NOC 72410: the truck and transport mechanic is counted with the automobile mechanic, the bus mechanic and the truck-trailer repairer. Excluded are heavy-duty equipment mechanics (72401), auto body and collision technicians (72411), motorcycle and ATV mechanics (72423), mechanical assemblers, truck trailers included (94204), and supervisors (72020).
Low, median and high wages published by Job Bank (NOC 72410), and pay offered in Greater Montreal job postings (6 months, February to August 2026); in brackets, the number of hourly postings — under ten, no median is shown.
Quebec median by file edition: 2023: $25/h · 2024: $25/h · 2025: $28/h.
What the job postings say
Of 308 postings on Job Bank in Greater Montreal (6 months, February to August 2026), 3% mention a night shift, 17% an evening shift and 7% weekends.
Job Bank puts the work week for this group at 35 to 40 hours. In a fleet garage, the shift mostly changes the kind of work. Days bring the breakdowns, the drivers, and the dispatcher waiting for a truck. Evenings and nights give access to trucks that are off the road: that is where preventive maintenance and major repairs can fit, with fewer people around to help. An SAAQ rule weighs on the schedule: a vehicle with a minor defect cannot be driven after 48 hours if the defect is not repaired, and a major defect takes it off the road. The “What postings say” block gives the share of evening, night and weekend postings in each region.
What a heavy truck mechanic does
- Carry out periodic maintenance on trucks, tractors and trailers: oil changes, lubrication, filters, component inspection
- Diagnose diesel engines, fuel injection and engine brakes with computerized diagnostic equipment
- Repair and adjust air and hydraulic brakes, then measure the brakes and record the readings
- Repair transmissions, differentials, clutches and automatic gearboxes
- Service suspensions, frames, power steering and fifth wheels
- Repair charging and starting circuits, lighting and cab electrical circuits
- Fix the defects drivers record on the pre-trip inspection report
- Fill out the preventive maintenance sheet of the SAAQ program and record minor or major defects
- Prepare a vehicle for its periodic mechanical inspection at an SAAQ-authorized inspection centre
- Road-test the vehicle after a repair, and do welding and cutting work in the shop
Requirements, cards and certifications
- DEP in Mécanique de véhicules lourds routiers (program 5330, Quebec’s vocational diploma in heavy vehicle mechanics) or equivalent truck mechanic experience
- SAAQ certificate of competency to perform preventive maintenance on vehicles of 7,258 kg or more under a recognized preventive maintenance program (Highway Safety Code, section 543.3.1)
- Competency card from the joint committee (CPA) in an establishment covered by the Décret sur l’industrie des services automobiles de la région de Montréal
- Ability to read technical sheets, manufacturer manuals and diagnostic fault codes
- Knowledge of minor and major defects as the SAAQ defines them
- Valid driver’s licence for road tests
- Ability to work under the vehicle, in a pit or on a lift, following the shop’s health and safety rules
Training
The direct route is the DEP in Mécanique de véhicules lourds routiers, program 5330 in the motorized equipment maintenance sector: 1,800 hours, 120 credits, about eighteen months according to Inforoute FPT. It covers the diesel engine and its injection, engine brakes, air and hydraulic brakes, transmissions, suspension and fifth wheels, vehicle electrical and electronic systems, periodic maintenance, and 135 hours of workplace integration. The English version is called Heavy Vehicles Mechanics (5830). In the region, the École des métiers de l’équipement motorisé in Montreal offers it days and evenings; in Montérégie, C.F.P. Paul-Gérin-Lajoie offers it days and Pôle d’expertise en transport ACCESS evenings; in the Laurentians, it is the Centre de formation du transport routier. For trailers only, the SAAQ also recognizes an AEP (attestation of vocational specialization) in truck trailer mechanics.
Career path
According to Québec.ca, experience leads to shop supervision or to a specialty: transmissions, suspension, alignment. In a fleet garage, the TRUCK category of the SAAQ preventive maintenance certificate covers every vehicle type. A qualified mechanic can also aim for the Red Seal endorsement through the interprovincial exam, then a foreman position.
Frequently asked questions
What is the DEP in heavy road vehicle mechanics?
The DEP in Mécanique de véhicules lourds routiers is program 5330 in Quebec vocational training: 1,800 hours and 120 credits, according to Inforoute FPT. It teaches the diesel engine, air brakes, transmissions, suspension and electrical systems of trucks and buses. It ends with 135 hours of workplace integration, an internship in a company. The English version is Heavy Vehicles Mechanics (5830).
How much does a heavy truck mechanic make in Quebec?
The table above gives a median, not an average: half of workers earn less, half earn more. It comes from Job Bank and covers NOC 72410, which also counts automobile mechanics.
What do truck mechanic postings in Montreal offer?
The rate offered to a truck mechanic appears in the “What postings say” block, region by region, next to the Job Bank median. The two do not measure the same thing: a posting shows what an employer offers today, the median what workers in the group already earn, automobile mechanics included.
Which mechanics are the best paid?
No official source ranks mechanic specialties within NOC 72410: Job Bank publishes one wage for automobile, truck and bus mechanics together. To compare trades, compare tables: the industrial mechanic (72400) and the electromechanical technician (72422) each have their own page on this site.
Can I take the heavy vehicle mechanics DEP in the evening?
Yes. Two schools in Greater Montreal offer DEP 5330 in the evening, according to Inforoute FPT: the École des métiers de l’équipement motorisé in Montreal and Pôle d’expertise en transport ACCESS in Montérégie. C.F.P. Paul-Gérin-Lajoie and the Centre de formation du transport routier, in the Laurentians, offer it during the day. Schedules change from one intake to the next: check with the school.
Is the heavy vehicle mechanics DEP offered in Drummondville?
Yes. In Drummondville, DEP 5330 is taught during the day at C.F.P. Paul-Rousseau, and the Drummondville business services office offers recognition of prior learning, according to Inforoute FPT. For people living in Greater Montreal, the closest schools are the École des métiers de l’équipement motorisé, C.F.P. Paul-Gérin-Lajoie, ACCESS and the Centre de formation du transport routier.
Can I become a heavy truck mechanic without a DEP?
Yes, through experience. Job Bank describes a four-year apprenticeship in truck and transport mechanics or truck-trailer repair, or equivalent experience combined with specialized training. For the preventive maintenance certificate, the SAAQ also accepts 24 months of experience as a heavy road vehicle mechanic within the last five years.
Do you need a competency card to repair trucks in Quebec?
It depends on the shop. Job Bank states that the occupation is regulated by the Comité paritaire de l’industrie des services automobiles (CPA), the automotive services joint committee. In the Montreal region, the decree this committee administers excludes, in section 2.01, work done exclusively for the employer’s own needs. A garage that repairs only its own fleet should check its status with CPA Montréal.
What is the SAAQ preventive maintenance (PEP) certificate?
The PEP certificate is the certificate of competency required of a mechanic who performs preventive maintenance on vehicles of 7,258 kg or more under an SAAQ-recognized program. It is obtained through Camo-Route in three steps: a pre-test, 8 hours of theory training, then written and practical exams. It comes in four categories: truck, bus, trailer and straight truck.
Heavy truck mechanic or heavy-duty equipment mechanic: what is the difference?
A heavy truck mechanic works on road vehicles: trucks, tractors, trailers, buses. A heavy-duty equipment mechanic repairs off-road machinery on construction sites, mines and farms; that trade has its own NOC, 72401, excluded from this page’s table. Fly-in fly-out postings target remote sites; this page stays in industrial fleet garages.
Is the job outlook good for heavy truck mechanics?
Job Bank rates the outlook Limited in Montreal, Laval, the Laurentians and Lanaudière, and Moderate in Montérégie. It points to a few new positions, retirements, and experienced workers looking for jobs. Québec.ca, for Quebec as a whole, rates it Excellent. Both cover the whole group, automobile mechanics included.
What is a heavy truck mechanic called in French?
In French, the trade is mécanicien de véhicules lourds, or mécanicien de camions et de véhicules de transport, the title used in NOC 72410. The DEP is called Mécanique de véhicules lourds routiers (5330). In a bilingual Montreal posting, both titles mean the same job: maintaining and repairing the trucks and trailers of a road fleet.
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