BlaakLane.com arranges armoured car service with a chauffeur for executives, public figures and delegations whose risk assessment calls for it. Certified B6 or B7 armoured SUVs and sedans are supplied through specialist partners and driven by chauffeurs trained in protective driving. Each programme is quoted in writing, all-in in CAD, because armour level, availability and distance vary.
When an armoured car is the right answer
Most of the principals we drive do not need armour. A discreet, unbranded car, a vetted chauffeur, a plan for every arrival and an NDA deal with the realistic risks of being well known. Armour becomes the right answer when a professional threat assessment says so: a principal with a credible, specific threat; a visit to a city or a venue with a known security problem; a protest or an event where crowds may surround the car; or a client whose insurer or board requires it.
If you have a security lead, they will usually tell us. If you do not, the desk can put you in touch with licensed security consultants who carry out assessments; in Ontario, security work for hire is licensed under the Private Security and Investigative Services Act.
What "B6" and "B7" mean
Armour is described by the threat it is certified to stop. Vehicle armour in North America and Europe is commonly rated against ballistic standards such as the European CEN levels, and in the trade the levels are often shortened to B4 through B7.
- B4 and B5 stop handgun and some rifle rounds and are the lightest, least noticeable conversions.
- B6 is the level most often specified for executive protection: it is designed to stop high-velocity rifle rounds commonly encountered in the threats protection teams plan for.
- B7 adds protection against armour-piercing rifle rounds and is heavier, with consequences for handling, braking and the number of vehicles available.
Ask for the certificate, not the brochure. Our partners supply the certificate for the specific vehicle, the date of the conversion and its inspection history, and we pass it to your security lead before the first movement.
Vehicles available
Most armoured work uses a full-size SUV, such as a Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Suburban or Lincoln Navigator, or an armoured sedan such as a Mercedes-Benz S-Class Guard, depending on what the partner holds in the city. Every vehicle is black, unbranded and, like the rest of our fleet, held to an age limit; armoured conversions are confirmed individually because they are built in small numbers. Run-flat tyres, reinforced suspension and brakes, and protected fuel tanks are standard on certified conversions. A non-armoured follow car, usually an SUV First Class, is often added for the protection team.
The chauffeur matters as much as the armour
An armoured car driven badly is a heavy car. Our chauffeurs on armoured work are trained in protective driving: reading the road ahead for choke points, keeping escape routes open, positioning the car at every stop for a fast departure, managing the extra weight in braking and cornering, and responding to the protection lead's instructions without debate. They are not bodyguards and do not carry weapons; close protection is the job of your security team, and the chauffeur works with them. Every chauffeur on armoured work holds a clean driving abstract, an annual background check and the passenger-for-hire licence their city requires, and drives within the Ontario Highway Traffic Act and its equivalents elsewhere.
How an armoured programme is arranged
- The brief. The principal, the cities, the dates, the expected movements and, ideally, the threat-assessment level from your security lead.
- Availability and certification. We confirm which certified vehicles can be in place, at what level, and send the certificates.
- The chauffeur and the plan. The chauffeur is introduced to the protection lead, routes and alternates are driven in advance, and safe havens such as hospitals and police divisions are marked.
- The quote. A written, all-in quote in CAD covering the vehicle, the chauffeur's hours, any positioning from another city and any follow car.
- On the day. The protection lead is in charge; the chauffeur and the 24/7 desk support the plan.
How armoured car service is priced
Armoured vehicles are quoted to the requirement rather than shown on a rate card, because three things vary widely: the armour level, whether a certified vehicle is already in the city or must be positioned from another, and the length of the programme. Every quote is all-in in CAD, with taxes and a 20% gratuity included, and states exactly what is covered. For the non-armoured parts of a programme, such as a follow car or staff transport, our standard rates apply: an SUV Business Class is $185 an hour and an SUV First Class $235 an hour, with 150 km a day included, $4 for each extra kilometre, tolls and parking at cost, and out-of-town hours at the rate plus 50% with the chauffeur's hotel and a $100 travel allowance.
Where we can supply armour
Certified armoured vehicles can be arranged in Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal, Vancouver, Calgary and many of the major cities in our network, including New York, London and Dubai. Lead times range from a day in a city where a partner holds stock to a week or more where a vehicle must be moved. Book as early as the brief allows.
Questions your security lead will ask
We expect them, and we answer each one in writing before the first movement:
- What exactly is the vehicle certified to? The armour level, the standard it was tested against, the converter and the date.
- Who is the chauffeur? Name, training record, driving abstract summary and background-check date, plus the backup.
- What is the plan if the vehicle fails? A second certified vehicle, a non-armoured fallback, or both, and how long each would take to arrive.
- How is the route chosen? Primary and alternate routes, choke points, safe havens and timings, driven by the chauffeur in advance.
- Who knows the schedule? The list of people at BlaakLane.com and at the partner who can see the movements, and how that information is held.
- How does communication work? The chauffeur's phone, any radio the protection team issues, and the 24/7 desk number for escalation.
A protection programme is only as good as its weakest link, and the honest answer to each of these questions is the best evidence that the link is not us.
Discretion
Armoured work is always run under a non-disclosure agreement, signed before the brief is shared. Bookings can carry a code name; the principal's name never appears on a sign, a manifest or an invoice unless you ask for it; and chauffeurs do not discuss, photograph or post about any client or movement. For lower-risk principals, a discreet secure transportation or VIP chauffeur programme in a non-armoured car is often the better answer, and the desk will tell you if we think so. The national framework for vehicle safety is published by Transport Canada.
Cancellations
Positioning an armoured vehicle has a cost, so the quote states any non-refundable positioning charge. Otherwise the standard scale applies: more than 72 hours before the first movement, no charge; 72 hours or less, 10%; 48 hours or less, 50%; 24 hours or less, or a no-show, 100%.
