HR licence

Just got mine, it is a lot easier here than down at Vicroads.

ive been thinking about it for years(ive only a MR ) but ive been driving my own boggie or twin steer trucks on & off for a while .. it seems here in nsw the driving schools charge around $1000+ ..for the licence upgrade

In real life I have a HC licence, I got it in the early 80's I seem to remember.
There were only five types of licence then, motorcycle, Car, Truck and Artic. So you could get your licence in a Daihatsu 3 tonner and then head off in a four axle rigid.
That $1000 from the driving school is a rip off, if you have to re sit the test you might as well go right on to HC. Some of the things they want you to do for the test are just plain silly, like checking your mirrors every 3 seconds or so. 200ks down the road and your head would just drop off.

The prices are similar here in Vic now. They went beserk when they pu the national system in place.

These days you have to have had a Medium Rigid or greater licence for at least 12 months to do the Heavy Combination (or artic) licence and another 12 months of that before you can do your MC (Multi combination or B-Double). I think that also allows road trains.

Given you have to have a car licence for at least 2 years to get to your MR (with exemptions available) is there any wonder there is currently a shortage of drivers?

i agree the sysyem is crazy.. as you say in the 80s(i got my truck licence in early 90s)there wernt so many different classes of licences ..at the moment ive got a twin steer merc with a 3 axle furniture trailer . . but the wrong class of licence !

Stupid thing is you can get a 2 ton truck, attach a 40' caravan to it, drive it on a CAR licence, no weighbridges, log book etc, etc.

just done a newcastle to melb trip (1050kms) ..anyway the old UD truck i have (unlike a semi) cant do the trip in 12 hours driving time ...obviously the log book has to be adjusted .. id rather do the trip in 1 day not 2 !

Have done a bit of "creative writing" in my day. Was often given a run that might take 10 hours if all went well but more likely to take 12 or 14.
Do they check your log book times against the safe- t cam thingy up there?

they dont seem to..but if you come undone(have a accident etc)they will most likely check everything..im heading down again to melb sunday nite or monday morning..nowadays when ive a little spare time i break the journey & camp overnite i even cook some snags etc beside the truck! (truckstop food is usually sh@#t) .. not like the old days !

A mate of mine is driving buses and it is worse for them. In a truck you can always pull up and grab a couple of hours ( sure the boss will carry on but better than falling asleep at the wheel) but you cant really do that with a bus load of passengers.