Canada · Air brake testHow does the NB air brake test work?
- Book the written test online through SNB’s driver examination booking service or by calling SNB TeleServices.
- Study the New Brunswick Air Brake Manual. Each section ends with study questions, and the fold-out diagram shows a complete dual air brake system.
- Pass the Air Brake Knowledge and Diagram Exam, then the Air Brake Practical Test.
- Finish within six months: test results are valid for six months, and any licence issue or upgrade must be done within six months of starting.
What New Brunswick’s practical air check includes
The practical part of the NB air brake test follows New Brunswick’s Air Check Demonstration sheet, which sets its own figures for a combination unit:
- With full pressure, the parking brakes released and the motor off, a full brake application shouldn’t lose more than 8 to 12 psi (pounds per square inch), and then less than 3 psi in a minute, or 4 psi for a truck and trailer.
- Fanning the brakes, the warning device should come on at 55 psi, and the trailer brakes and the parking brakes (if plumbed to the main tanks) should apply between 45 and 20 psi.
- Building back up, pressure should go from 50 to 90 psi within 3 minutes, and the governor should cut out between 115 and 135 psi.
- Finally you tug against the parking brakes and the trailer brakes in low gear, then check the service brakes moving slowly ahead.
What endorsement E lets you do
Endorsement E lets you drive vehicles with air brakes in the class you’re licensed for. New Brunswick’s Air Brake Manual adds that to adjust manual slack adjusters you must hold the E endorsement.
Class 1 and mandatory training
A Class 1 licence lets you drive a truck towing a trailer with air brakes, and Class 1 applicants also complete mandatory entry-level training (MELT). The licence classes page has the hours.
Sources: Service New Brunswick · New Brunswick Motor Vehicle Branch · Government of New Brunswick and 3 more. Checked October 2026.
- Service New Brunswick: Driver licence testing ↗
- New Brunswick Motor Vehicle Branch: Driver’s Licence Testing Requirements (PDF) ↗
- Government of New Brunswick: Driver’s licences ↗
- New Brunswick Department of Justice and Public Safety: Air Brake Manual (PDF) ↗
- Government of New Brunswick: Air Brake Practical Test (PDF) ↗
- Government of New Brunswick: Mandatory Entry-Level Training for transport truck drivers ↗
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.
Explore
Everything else, in one place
Alberta courses
How air brakes work