Coach Hire Canada

Travelling to the Game as a Team

Away games, weekend tournaments, a club's first trip to a national final: whatever the level, you'll want the roster, the coaching staff and every equipment bag arriving together and on time.

Size the vehicle for the kit

Equipment decides the vehicle as much as the headcount does. A minibus has only modest room at the back once every seat is filled, and hockey bags and sticks swallow it quickly. For fifteen players in full gear, a minibus with seats to spare, or a midi coach with underfloor bays, is usually the smarter call.

Sprinter minibus cabin
Sprinter minibus cabin

Why 24 is the number to watch

In most big provinces, the driver's licence class changes at 24 passengers. Ontario uses class F for 10 to 24 and class C above that, Alberta class 4 and then class 2, and Québec class 4B and then class 2. BC draws its line at 25 people including the driver.

The operator supplies a driver licensed for the vehicle you book. A squad too big for a 16 to 19 seat minibus moves up to a midi coach, and its driver to the higher class.

Rules worth knowing

  • BC: class 2 for buses; class 4 (unrestricted) covers buses carrying up to 25 people, including the driver
  • On Highway 407 ETR, every vehicle over 5,000 kg, including buses, must carry a valid transponder by law
  • Stampede Park lots take only vehicles that fit a standard stall; oversized vehicles are not allowed

Game day at the big venues

Some venues are strict about vehicles. During the Canadian Grand Prix, nothing without a parking pass is allowed onto Parc Jean-Drapeau, and the lots at Stampede Park in Calgary take only vehicles that fit a standard stall. Plan on a drop-off nearby rather than parking on the grounds, and ask the venue where team vehicles should set down.

Heading out on Highway 407 ETR from the Toronto area? Any vehicle heavier than 5,000 kg, buses among them, is legally required to carry a transponder, which is the operator's job to sort out. And if the tournament is in another province, federal rules cap the driver at 13 hours behind the wheel and 14 on duty in a day, so a long haul may need a second driver or an overnight stop.

Your questions

Can we stop for food on the way home?

Yes. Put the stop in the plan, or ask the driver on the day if the schedule and the driver's hours allow it.

Can parents travel with the team?

If there are seats, yes. Count them in your numbers so the vehicle fits everyone and their bags.

What if the game goes to overtime?

Tell us the latest likely finish when you book and the return is timed around it. Time well beyond the booked hours is handled under the operator's terms on your quote.

Cities

Vehicles