TDG Online Training

Under the federal TDG Regulations, anyone who handles, offers for transport or transports dangerous goods must be adequately trained and hold a training certificate. The only alternative is to work in the presence and under the direct supervision of someone who is trained and certified.

These terms reach beyond drivers:

• Handling means loading, unloading, packing or unpacking dangerous goods for transport, including storing them along the way.
• Offering for transport includes choosing a carrier and preparing dangerous goods so a carrier can take them.

You are adequately trained when you have sound knowledge of the TDG topics that relate to your duties and the dangerous goods you work with. These include classification, shipping documents, dangerous goods marks, ERAPs, reporting, safe handling and emergency measures. Your employer decides what adequate training means for your role.

Once your employer is satisfied, it issues your training certificate. The certificate lists what you are trained to do and is signed by you and your employer. If you are self-employed, you issue your own. A certificate for road, rail or marine transport expires after 36 months. One for air expires after 24 months.

Pick the course that matches how the goods move and what you do with them:

• Most road roles: Transportation of Dangerous Goods - TDG. About 3 hours on classes, packaging and labelling, shipping documents, loading and ERAPs.
• A shorter road course: TDG: Transportation of Dangerous Goods (2025). About 2 hours, with chapters on exemptions and transporting across borders.
• Shipping by air: ICC Shipping Dangerous Goods by Air. About 4 hours, built for people new to the air rules. You need a physical copy of the IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations.
• Farms: TDG: Agriculture Industry in Canada. About 45 to 60 minutes on TDG duties on the farm and the farm exemptions.
• Renewing: there is no separate TDG refresher. Retake the course that fits your duties before your certificate expires.

• The course gives you training and a certificate of completion. Your employer issues the TDG training certificate itself.
• Class 1 (explosives), Class 6.2 (infectious substances) and Class 7 (radioactive materials) need additional training, as both road course descriptions note.
• TDG covers transport only. If you also use hazardous products at work, you need WHMIS training too.