What's Involved In Getting A Heavy Rigid Licence?
A heavy rigid (HR) licence allows you to drive buses and trucks over eight tonnes. There are several reasons a person may decide to get their HR licence, such as to start a new career as a truck driver or to simply widen their skill set. Regardless of your reason for pursuing this type of licence, there is a fixed pathway that must be followed. Read on to learn about what's involved in getting an HR licence.
Eligibility
In order to apply for your HR licence, you must have had your full class C licence for at least two years. You will also need to pass an eyesight test and the HR theory test, which is a test of your driving knowledge. The final step of the process is a competency-based assessment, which tests your driving skills. Your HR licence course will cover everything you need to know to pass the theory tests and ensure you are a competent driver before signing off for you to take your final assessment.
Course Contents
During your HR licence course, you will learn how to carry out a pre-operational check on your vehicle and cover the basics of how to start, move off and stop your vehicle in a safe way. You will also learn how to navigate the gears, steering and brakes and how to control your vehicle during hill starts and stops. Driving such as large vehicle comes with a lot of responsibility, and to ensure you and others are safe on the road, the course will also teach you how to create a crash avoidance space and maintain that space on the road. You'll also learn how to secure loads and you'll get plenty of time on the road practising these skills until you feel confident handling your vehicle.
Final Competency Assessment
Once you've completed your HR licence course and your theory test, which involves answering several questions on road and vehicle safety, you can apply to take your final assessment. This is known as the Heavy Vehicle Competency Based Assessment (HVCBA) and involves a drive accompanied by an assessor to test your skills on the road. You will be told at the end of the assessment whether you have passed or not, and if you do not pass, you can book another assessment with or without the inclusion of additional training time beforehand.
If you'd like more details on the HR licencing process, contact a local driving school.