Bus Pre-Employment Course

Armstrongs' Bus Training courses have been custom designed to develop vital driving skills and knowledge necessary to successfully operate a Route Bus.

The course options include practical training only, no theory required

There is no separate license category for buses or coaches.  Heavy vehicle driver licences are issued for all vehicles above 4.5 tonnes GVM in the following five categories only: light rigid, medium rigid, heavy rigid, heavy combination, and multi combination.

In order to be licensed to drive a bus or a coach you must first complete training and assessment in the heavy vehicle license category that best represents the type of bus or coach you intend to drive.

Although it is possible to undertake your heavy vehicle training in a ‘bus’, it is not generally possible for you to be assessed in a bus unless special circumstances apply and prior approval is obtained from VicRoads (please refer page 10 of the Victorian Bus & Truck Handbook).   

As a general guide, if you are looking to obtain employment in the public transport sector driving a route bus (a vehicle normally greater than 8 tonnes GVM and with a total of 2 axles) you will be required at a minimum to obtain a Medium Rigid licence.  If you are looking to gain employment as a coach driver (a vehicle greater than 8 tonnes GVM but normally with 3 axles) you will be required at a minimum to obtain a Heavy Rigid licence. 

As there are differences between the exact type, weight, and length of buses that individual route bus and coach companies operate it is always advisable to check with the route bus or coach company that you are seeking employment with to confirm the license category that they prefer prospective applicants hold before applying for a position with them. 

Once you have obtained your MR or HR licence and have undergone pre-employment bus driver training you'll be able to confidently apply for roles as a route bus driver.

In order to apply for a job as a route bus driver you may need to provide some, or all, of the following with your application:

Drivers Accreditation: To drive a commercial or local bus in Victoria you need a Commercial Passenger Vehicle and Bus Driver Accreditation. For more information on how to obtain a Drivers
Accreditation please visit the Taxi Services Commission (TSC).

Driver History Report: You can find out more about a Driver History Report and how to obtain one by visiting VicRoads.

Working With Children Check: You can find out more about whether you require a WWC Check and how to obtain one by visiting the Victorian Department of Justice & Regulation.

Once you have obtained your Medium Rigid or Heavy Rigid licence (Heavy Rigid Non-Synchromesh, or Heavy Rigid Automatic), you will now be ready to undertake specialised bus training.  This additional training is specifically designed to:

• identify and familiarise clients with the general differences between driving a bus and driving a truck (for example the driving position in a bus is positioned significantly forward of the front axle and this affects many things, in particular cornering).
• build on existing heavy vehicle driving skills already obtained during the Medium Rigid/Heavy Rigid license phase.
• Introduce clients to specific skills that are essential for successfully completing a pre-employment driver evaluation.

• A current Australian Driver's Licence card; and hold a minimum of a Medium Rigid (MR) licence.
• Wear appropriate clothing, including fully enclosed shoes, either boots or runners.

Bus companies providing public transport services and coach services require that their drivers possess specific skills in order to ensure passenger safety and comfort. Students will be introduced and trained in bus specific skills which will enable them to better prepare for a pre-employment driver evaluation.

Some of the areas covered include:

• Accelerating
• Lane Keeping & Changing
• Turning Procedures & Straddling
• Signalling
• Braking
• Bus Stop Entry & Exit Procedures