If you are a professional driver in Melbourne who is looking for an opportunity to expand your horizons in the transport industry, obtaining a heavy vehicle licence should be your next step. When it comes to heavy vehicle licences, there are various categories available in Melbourne and making the right choice might become frustrating at first. This guide helps you to understand how to choose the right heavy vehicle licence to suit your driving needs in Melbourne.
Types of Heavy Vehicle Licences
There are five types of heavy vehicle licences in Australia. However, it is not possible to obtain all five licences at once. There are minimum requirements to upgrade to the next class. Each vehicle licence pertains to a particular weight of the vehicle known as the gross vehicle mass (GVM). These are the five types of heavy vehicle driver’s licences that are offered in Australia:
- LR – Light Rigid
- MR – Medium Rigid
- HR – Heavy Rigid
- HC – Heavy Combination
- MC – Multi Combination
The above classifications have been made by the Department of Transport of Australia.
Light Rigid (LR Class) Vehicle Licence
You need to apply for a light rigid licence if you have a vehicle with a GVM of over 4,500 kg to a maximum of 8,000 kg. Vehicles that belong to the LR class cannot carry more than 12 passengers, including the driver.
In order to obtain a light right licence in Melbourne, you need to have held a car licence for at least one year. Once you have attained your car licence, you can apply for heavy vehicle training to get a light rigid licence.
Medium Rigid (MR Class) Vehicle Licence
A medium rigid licence is required if your vehicle has 2 axles and a GVM that is greater than 8,000 kg. Similar to light rigid licences, you need to have owned a car licence for at least one year to apply for this heavy vehicle licence although you can start heavy vehicle training courses as soon as you get your car licence. With a medium rigid licence, you can also drive a vehicle that belongs to the light rigid vehicle class.
Heavy Rigid (HR Class) Vehicle Licence
You need to apply for a heavy rigid licence in Melbourne if your vehicle has 3 or more axles and if the GVM is greater than 8,000 kg. However, to be eligible for an upgrade to the heavy rigid licence, you need to have owned a car licence (C class) for at least two years.
You can also upgrade to an hr licence melbourne if you have been using a light rigid licence or a medium rigid licence for at least one year. This also means that if you have qualified for an HR licence, you can drive LR and MR vehicles with the same licence.
In addition, when you have an HR licence in Melbourne, you can use an HR class motor vehicle to tow a trailer. The GVM of this trailer cannot exceed 9,000 kg.
Heavy Combination (HC Class) Vehicle Licence
A heavy combination vehicle has three or more axles and usually comprises a towing vehicle with one or more trailers. In order to obtain a heavy combination licence, you need to have held a car licence for three years and a medium rigid licence or a heavy rigid licence for at least one year. Without having either obtained an MR licence or an HR licence, you cannot apply for a heavy combination licence.
Multi Combination (MC Class) Vehicle Licence
The MC licence is the highest level of the licence classes available in Melbourne. This means that you can drive all types of vehicles when you get this licence. With a multi-combination licence, you are authorised to tow one or more trailers, each having a GVM that is greater than 9,000 kg. By joining a heavy vehicle training centre in Melbourne, you can prepare for MC vehicle driver assessments.