Get a heavy vehicle licence

Find out how to get a Victorian heavy vehicle licence.

You need a Victorian heavy vehicle licence to drive a vehicle with a gross vehicle mass of more than 4.5 tonnes. You must also gain experience driving smaller vehicles before you move onto driving larger more complex vehicles. Also read through the information on how to get a heavy vehicle licence on the Transport Victoria website.

To get your heavy vehicle licence you’ll need to meet eligibility requirements, learn how to drive a heavy vehicle and then pass an assessment before you can start driving.

Eligibility

To be eligible to get a heavy vehicle licence, you must:

• Hold a current Victorian car licence.
• Hold or have held an Australian car licence (including probationary P1 or P2) for the minimum time, or a lower heavy vehicle category for the required minimum time. Any period where your licence has been suspended or you’ve been disqualified from driving is deducted from the minimum time. You can apply for a heavy vehicle licence exemption from the minimum holding period for specific reasons.
• Pass an eyesight test.
• Pass a heavy vehicle knowledge test.
• Pass an on-road heavy vehicle driving assessment.
• Pass an off-road heavy vehicle skills assessment.
• Complete a formal training course (heavy combination and multi-combination applicants only).
• Meet national medical standards for private and commercial vehicle drivers.
• Ensure you don’t have an active Fines Victoria sanction when you take the assessment.
• Pay the licence variation fee.

Learn how to drive a heavy vehicle

As the first step in your training, read the latest edition of the Victorian Bus and Truck Drivers’ Handbook on the Driver handbooks and logbooks page of the Transport Victoria website. 

Next, enrol for professional driving training at an accredited heavy vehicle training and testing provider, a driving school or your employer.

If you know a person with a heavy vehicle licence, that person is allowed to help with your training, as long as that person has a current Australian licence for the type of vehicle that you are learning to drive.

When you are learning to drive a truck or bus, you must always display ‘driver under instruction’ plates at the front and back of the vehicle. The plates must meet the following requirements:

Training to drive a bus

The bus industry has its own system for training bus drivers. If you drive trucks and want to be a bus driver, the bus company that employs you will let you know if you need special training.

To drive a commercial or local bus in Victoria you need to apply for a Commercial Passenger Vehicle and Bus Driver Accreditation. To learn more about the accreditation visit Safe Transport Victoria.

Book a heavy vehicle assessment

Assessments for a heavy vehicle licence are conducted by government-approved accredited providers. You’ll need to pay the assessment fees directly to the provider.

When you book, you’re obligated to tell the accredited provider if you:

• are currently disqualified from driving in Australia
• are currently subject to a Fines Victoria sanction
• have ever been disqualified from driving or refused a driver licence or learner permit in Australia
• have ever had your driver licence or learner permit cancelled or suspended
• wear corrective lenses or a hearing aid or have a medical condition(s) or physical disability that may affect your fitness to drive
• are taking any prescribed medication.

Get your licence endorsed

When you’ve successfully completed your heavy vehicle assessment, the accredited provider will upload your application and score sheet to the VicRoads partner portal. 

On the day you’ll receive a temporary paper licence with your new licence holding displayed. Your new licence card with the heavy vehicle endorsement will arrive in the mail in approximately 7-10 working days. 

You may need a new photo if your existing photo is over 5 years old. The provider will tell you if you need to visit a VicRoads Customer Service Centre to have a new photo taken. If you need to get a new photo taken, wait 24 hours after you’ve completed your assessment to ensure the results are available.

Licence conditions and restrictions

Once you have your heavy vehicle licence you’ll need to abide by its conditions and restrictions to keep your licence. This includes keeping work diaries or logbooks. You can buy your work diaries from a VicRoads Customer Service Centre.

It’s important to read the information on the Heavy vehicle licence assessment page on the Transport Victoria website to learn about the conditions of your licence and your ongoing obligations.