How do I get a truck licence in the ACT?

The road transport industry offers a rich array of career options and is a vitally important sector in Australia, but before jumping into a truck you need to obtain the right licence class.

Getting your heavy vehicle licence in the ACT involves a knowledge test, time behind the wheel as a learner driver, and a practical examination.

The ACT government outlines the process on its website, with the relevant heavy vehicle drivers’ handbook and load restraint guide also available for you to study.

Any motor vehicle with a gross vehicle mass (GVM) of 4.5 tonnes, or that seats more than 12 adults (including the driver), falls under the classification of a heavy vehicle.

In the ACT the licence classes range from Light Rigid up to the road-train-suitable Multi-Combination class, with varying requirements for each.

Light Rigid (LR) An LR vehicle licence allows you to drive a truck with a GVM of more than 4.5 tonnes, but no more than eight tonnes. This class also allows you to drive a vehicle equipped to seat more than 12 adults (including the driver), as well as being able to tow a single trailer with a GVM up to nine tonnes. You must be 18 years of age and have held an Australian C class driver licence for at least 12 months to be eligible.

Medium Rigid (MR) An MR licence permits you to drive a truck with two axles and a GVM of more than eight tonnes, as well as a single trailer with a GVM up to nine tonnes. This licence class does not allow you to tow two or more trailers, or a single trailer with a GVM exceeding nine tonnes. MR applicants must be 18 years of age and have held an Australian C class driver licence for at least 12 months.

Heavy Rigid (HR) The highest rigid classification, HR, allows you to drive a truck with three or more axles and a GVM of more than eight tonnes. It also allows you to drive an articulated bus with three or more axles, and tow a single trailer up to nine tonnes. However, this class does not allow you to tow two or more trailers, or a single trailer with a GVM exceeding nine tonnes. To get your HR licence, you must be at least 19 years of age and have held a C class Australian driver licence for at least 24 months.

Heavy Combination (HC) An HC licence, aimed at semi-trailer operators, allows you to drive a prime mover with a single trailer attached, plus any unladen converter dolly. It also allows you to drive a rigid truck which is attached to a trailer with a GVM of more than nine tonnes. HC applicants must be at least 19 years of age and have held an Australian driver licence with MR or HR class for at least 12 months.

Multi-Combination (MC) An MC licence allows operators to drive any motor vehicle or combination other than a motorcycle (unless you already hold a motorcycle licence), including B-doubles, road trains, and other configurations. In Australia, an MC licence allows you to operate large multi-trailer setups, none more iconic than the B-double that is ubiquitous on our highways. To apply to drive MC trucks, you must have first held your HR or HC class Australian driver’s licence for at least 12 months.

Those interested in attaining their heavy vehicle licence will also have to consider the gearbox type they plan on operating, as this will dictate whether you can drive manual and non-synchromesh manual trucks in the future. While many modern trucks are automatic, there are still plenty of non-synchromesh manual trucks being put to work in Australia.

Automatic and tiptronic transmission vehicles will require an ‘A condition’ to be applied to your heavy vehicle licence, but those who opt for a synchromesh manual ‘B condition’ will be allowed to drive three-pedal trucks.

If you complete the test in a non-synchromesh gearbox truck, usually found in 9-, 13-, 15-, or 18-speed configurations, you will be issued a heavy vehicle licence without a transmission condition added. This means you will be allowed to drive all non-synchromesh, manual, and automatic vehicles, but it is a more difficult gearbox type to operate which will mean more time behind the wheel prior to your practical exam.

If you have a B condition on your licence, you will only be allowed to drive a synchromesh manual or an automatic, and an A condition only allows you to drive automatic trucks.

Once you have decided what heavy vehicle class best suits your trucking aspirations, it is time to go through the licensing process.

The process in the ACT involves first applying for your HV learners which requires you to sit the knowledge examination, a 45-question online test containing questions sourced from the ACT Heavy Vehicle Drivers’ Handbook and Load Restraint Guide.

Once you have completed the online test for an LR licence, you do not need to pass it again for MR and HR classes. A different test is required for an HC licence, but you do not need to pass it again before obtaining an MC licence.

Now it is time for you to practise driving a truck as a learner driver. You must be accompanied by a person holding a full licence of the appropriate class, or a higher class, and you must display ‘L’ plates at all times. All learner drivers must maintain a strict zero blood-alcohol concentration.

Once you feel ready, having learned privately or through a registered training organisation, you will have to undertake a 90-minute practical driving assessment with an Accredited Heavy Vehicle Assessor.

The practical component will assess your knowledge across the following areas:

You are allowed to use your own vehicle, a company vehicle, or a vehicle supplied by the training provider. The vehicle is required to fit within the GVM and axle requirements of the licence class you are being assessed for, as well as being loaded to 60 per cent of the vehicle’s carrying capacity.

If you are applying for an MR, HR, HC, or MC licence, you will be required to undertake a Commercial Medical Assessment which, for most people, can be completed by your regular general practitioner. More information on medical standards for heavy vehicle drivers can be found here.

Once you pass your practical examination, you are ready to head down to an Access Canberra Service Centre where you will be asked to provide your ACT driver licence, heavy vehicle knowledge test certificate, and passed practical driving assessment.

The good news? Upgrading your licence is free in the ACT, which will then be mailed out to you within five business days. Until receiving your new licence, you will be required to carry your temporary receipt.

Congratulations, you are ready to hit the road as a licensed truck driver. Stay safe and enjoy the view from the cab!