It's no secret that there's a shortage of truck drivers in Australia, and that shortage is only going to worsen if Government freight projections prove true. Authorities say the road freight task is set to double in this country by 2030 and triple by 2050. With the Aussie population increasing and internet shopping opening up a truly global marketplace, we're going to need many more drivers to shoulder the transport load…
That spells some fine employment prospects for truck drivers now and into the future, but if your heart is set on getting behind the wheel of a big rig you're going to need the appropriate licence – and some quality training.
trucksales.com.au recently tackled a Heavy Combination (HC) licence course with one of Australia's longest established and most trusted training organisations, Driver Education Centre of Australia (or DECA).
Initially founded as the Goulburn Valley Driver Training Complex in Shepparton, Victoria, in 1976, the body was established by one Eric Montgomery – a former traffic policeman who wanted to address the alarming road safety stats of the day.
Changing its name to Driver Education Centre of Australia in 1985, DECA has gone on to offer a wide range of driver and rider training, its expertise encompassing cars, motorcycles, trucks and more. From 2012 it's been a part of Victoria's Wodonga TAFE, which has given it the resources and backing it needed to address the changing needs of Australia's next generation of drivers. Importantly, that also means it’s a not-for-profit organisation, meaning students can rest assured their training is in safe hands – ones where building skills and competency take the utmost priority.
Today DECA is active in Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania, with outlets in a number of metropolitan and regional centres delivering a wide range of tuition. For those looking to obtain a new licence, brush up on old skills or take existing skills to another level, there's a probably a DECA course to meet your needs.
BACK TO SCHOOL
Having already completed DECA's Heavy Rigid (HR) licence course and its unique Rollover Stability and Prevention Program, trucksales.com.au recently turned to the organisation's Altona North campus in Melbourne to take a closer look at its Heavy Combination licence course.
If you want to drive a prime mover with a single trailer with a Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM) of over nine tonnes – or a rigid truck with a trailer with a GVM of over nine tonnes – you're going to need a Heavy Combination licence.
In Victoria, those who have held a car licence for two years and either a Medium Rigid or Heavy Rigid licence for one year are eligible to apply for an HC licence. Though largely uniform, the eligibility criteria can vary slightly from state to state, so check with your local licencing authority to confirm the requirements in your part of the country.
Victoria also gives HC students the opportunity to complete their Multi Combination (MC) training 'back to back' with their HC training, provided applicants have held at least an HR licence for one year.
An MC licence is required to drive a prime mover in B-double or road train format and so represents the peak of the truck licencing ladder. Experienced drivers with MC licences are highly desirable for transport companies and trucksales.com.au will put that training under the microscope down the track, but for now we'll focus on the HC course.
DECA can provide HC training in a one-on-one or group format, with small classes of up to four students. The length of the training is determined by a combination of class size and the amount of tuition required. The cost of the HC course varies: it too is influenced by the number of students, the duration of the training, and whether or not students meet any of a variety of criteria to be eligible for government subsidies.
trucksales.com.au completed the HC course in a one-one-one format over two days, and we can attest to the value of having personalised tuition.
CLASSROOM REFRESHER
The course begins with a morning of classroom tuition, giving students a brush-up on areas like fatigue regulations, truck axle limits, load restraints, road rules and the importance of pre-drive checks, among others.
Then, after an eyesight test and a 20-question multiple-choice VicRoads exam, it's out to the training range to begin the practical component.
Students can choose from a range of truck and trailer combinations at DECA, although availability varies from campus to campus. We completed most of our HC training in a Freightliner Argosy with Eaton's non-synchromesh Roadranger gearbox, hooked up to a tautliner tri-axle trailer, but passed the on-road driving test in a Scania with automated manual gearbox (and flatbed trailer).
While the truck industry is increasingly adopting automated manual (or AMT) transmissions in HC rigs, the rugged Roadranger is still preferred for heavier work and for certain applications. It requires more skill to operate a Roadranger but if you only pass your truck licencing course in an AMT, your licence will restrict you to driving trucks with auto and AMT transmissions – thereby restricting your employment prospects, too.
As trucksales.com.au had previously completed the HR course and test in a truck with a non-synchromesh transmission, we were able to do the HC test in an AMT without incurring any transmission restrictions.
TRAILER TIME
Hauling a trailer out the back obviously adds an extra element beyond driving a rigid truck, and so the HC training focuses on the additional requirements involved in safely guiding a truck and trailer both on the road and in a loading-dock environment.
The importance of regular mirror checks and road positioning, especially when negotiating corners and roundabouts, comes to the fore, while reversing is skill all its own.
Practical training is delivered to help students pass two specific reversing tests – a straight-line reverse and an off-set reverse – with each requiring the student to successfully back the rig into a loading bay (or an area with a typical loading bay's dimensions marked by traffic cones). There's little point in explaining the technique here – it's more a matter of getting out there, getting stuck in, listening to DECA's experienced instructors and practising until it all falls into place.
Similarly, coupling and uncoupling a trailer are crucial elements of the training, with the whole procedure forming another part of the HC licence test. Lowering and raising landing legs, connecting and disconnecting air and power lines, operating the airbag suspension and checking turntables and kingpins – for the uninitiated there's a lot to learn, but it's of paramount importance that everything is done correctly. After all, the consequences of a trailer breaking free don't bear thinking about…
The reversing and coupling/uncoupling tests are performed at DECA's closed training range, while the one-hour driving test is conducted over a circuitous test loop through Melbourne's western suburbs. The test is fully recorded via forward and rear-facing cameras to comply with VicRoads requirements. Students are permitted to make a certain number of minor errors, but rack up too many – or do anything drastically wrong – and you'll have to re-sit the test at a later date.
That's not the end of the world; training simply resumes until such time as DECA's instructors think you're ready to have another go, once you've met a satisfactory standard.
When that standard has been met, and all the various tests passed, you can hold that stamped Certificate of Competency with due pride – new roads, and new job opportunities, now lie just around the corner.
CLASS ACT
DECA prides itself on equipping students with all the necessary skills to become safe, competent and professional truck drivers. A proven teaching curriculum carried out by expert trainers – each with decades of trucking experience behind them – delivers excellent results, while the training itself is flexible, catering to each student's individual needs.
If you're looking to step up to a big rig you can trust the team at DECA to train you right – to licence standard and well beyond.
For more information on DECA's HC licence course, or any of DECA's courses, visit www.deca.com.au.