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Hiring the Best Heavy Construction Equipment: Everything to Consider

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Hiring the Best Heavy Construction Equipment: Everything to Consider

If you are hiring heavy construction equipment for your business, there are so many things you need to consider, from driver training to safety features, from cost to supplemental insurance, and, of course, there are many other factors to consider. Hi, my name is Dave, and I used to work in the oil fields. During that time, I ran almost every type of heavy machinery you can imagine, and I also saw a lot of mistakes being made. I learned a lot, and now that I am semi-retired, I want to share a lot of that info. Before you hire a heavy machine, take a look at these posts.

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Steps to Getting a Heavy Vehicle Licence

24 August 2015
 Categories: , Blog

According to the Australian Taxation Office, in order to be allowed to drive a vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Mass equal to or greater than 4.5 tonnes, you will have to obtain an LR heavy vehicle licence. In order to get the licence you will need to pass a series of tests, such as: an eyesight test, a heavy automobile knowledge test, as well as on-and-off road tests. Here are the steps required to obtain a heavy vehicle licence.

Checking Your Eligibility

First of all, before being allowed to get a heavy vehicle licence you must have previous experience with driving smaller vehicles. For example, if you're looking to get an HR class licence, you must have held a class C licence for at least two years. If you have had your driving licence suspended for a period of time, keep in mind that this period will be excluded when calculating the minimum time required to hold the class C license.

Learning how to drive heavy vehicles on the road

Professional training for driving heavy vehicles can be offered by either accredited heavy vehicle training providers, by driving schools, or by your employer. Here's a list of accredited providers in Australia. If you happen to know someone that owns a heavy vehicle licence, that person can also help you with your training, provided that he has a current licence for the type of vehicle you're learning to drive.

Keep in mind that if a friend chooses to help you learn to drive, "Driver under Instruction" must be visible on the plates at the back and front of the truck or bus that you are driving. Because the bus industry features its own training system for want-to-be drivers, your employer will let you know whether or not you need any special training.

Booking your licence assessments

In order to organise the tests for your heavy vehicle licence, you must contact an accredited provider and advise them if:

  • You're currently banned from driving in Australia
  • You have been disqualified from driving in the past
  • You have had your driving licence suspended or cancelled
  • You have any medical condition that affects your ability to drive

Once you have informed the provider of your past, you must proceed with the payment for the assessment fees. This is payable directly to the provider.

Getting your vehicle licence endorsed

Once you have completed the assessments successfully, you will be provided with a Certificate of Competence. The next step involves endorsing your driver licence; a process done by presenting your certificate of competence and your licence application form to a VicRoads customer service centre.

For more information, contact a company like All Onsite Training and Assessment.