Heavy Rigid Automatic Course
Is This The Right Licence For You?
A Heavy Rigid (HR) licence is required for any rigid vehicle with three axles or more and with a GVM greater than 8 tonnes.
A Heavy Rigid (HR) licence is generally required for the following driving roles:
- Heavy General Freight Delivery Driver (Garden Supplies, Timber Yard, Steel)
- Furniture Removalist
- Coach Driver
- Concrete Agitator Driver
- Refrigerated Transport
- Tow Truck Driver
Further information and an overview of the road transport industry, employment prospects, weekly earnings, current vacancies, and whether you’re the right fit for the industry can be found here.
Course Options
Armstrongs offer a range of weekday and weekend courses. Depending on the amount of behind-the-wheel training you want, students can choose from the following course options. (please note the heavy vehicle training courses are one-on-one with the trainer so you will not be sharing any behind-the-wheel training with another student).
| Course Type | Length | Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Rigid Automatic Basic | 1 Day | $1250.00
Special
$1125.00
|
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|
| Heavy Rigid Automatic Bronze | 1 Day | $1440.00
Special
$1295.00
|
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|
| Heavy Rigid Automatic Silver | 1.5 Day | $2100.00
Special
$1890.00
|
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|
| Heavy Rigid Automatic Gold | 2 Days | $2720.00
Special
$2450.00
|
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|
| Heavy Rigid Automatic Platinum | 3 Days | $4080.00
Special
$3675.00
|
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|
Special price is only valid online and not over the phone or counter.
* All heavy vehicle training conducted on a Saturday will attract an additional $160.00. Where a student's course takes place over successive Saturdays, or a series of Saturdays, students will be charged $160.00 for every Saturday that the student's course is delivered. Weekend course fees will also be charged if all, or any part thereof, of the course takes place on a Victorian Public Holiday.
Course Overview
Armstrongs' heavy rigid automatic courses have been custom designed to develop vital driving skills and knowledge necessary to successfully gain your heavy rigid (automatic) licence.
The course consists of the following components:
- Pre-drive Session - enrolment, eyesight check and knowledge test (available Monday to Friday)
- On-road Training - practical training and testing (available Monday to Saturday)
Course fees cover both the optional Pre-drive session and driver training. Terms and conditions apply.
What's Included in Your Course
Our course options come with the following:
| BASIC | BRONZE | SILVER | GOLD | PLATINUM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-drive Session (1.5 hours) | Included | Included | Included | Included | Included |
| Practical Training & Assessment | 8 Hours** | 8 Hours | 12 Hours | 16 Hours | 24 Hours |
| Trainer:student ratio | 1:2 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 |
| Free re-tests if required | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
*Where a student has used all free retests available, additional fees apply (knowledge assessment $55 practical assessment $170). Additional training prior to any practical assessment is available at an additional cost per hour.
**On the day of the course, if there is only one student enrolled, the course will be cut down to 5 hours 1-on-1.
Training Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course students will be able to:
- Correctly start, steer, position, manoeuvre, and stop the vehicle
- Correctly managing engine power to minimise gear and engine wear
- Reverse, maintain visibility, and accurately position the vehicle
- Correctly park, shut down and secure the vehicle
- Successfully identify and avoid hazards (defensive driving)
- Safely load the vehicle and use the most appropriate load restraint method
Please Note: If you have a manual car licence and you are tested in a heavy vehicle with an automatic transmission, you will be restricted to driving heavy vehicles with synchromesh gears and the letter “B” will show on your heavy vehicle licence.
If you have an automatic car licence and you are tested in an automatic heavy vehicle, you will be restricted to automatic vehicles during your probationary period. After your probationary period, your licence will be converted to a synchromesh (manual) licence for both car and heavy vehicle. The letter "A" will then be replaced with the letter "B" at this point.
Pre-requisites & Entry Requirements
- A current Australian Driver's Licence card; held for a minimum of 24 months; a secondary form of ID is also required; please refer to Armstrongs' Terms & Conditions for details.
- Wear appropriate clothing, including fully enclosed shoes, either boots or runner.
- All training and assessment is conducted in English so a practical level of English language comprehension is required. Student's whose first language is not English must contact Armstrongs before booking a course to better assess their suitability to undertake this course and restrictions around the use of interpreters during training and assessment. Failure to do this may result in any course fees paid being forfeited.
Required Training Materials
You will need to purchase or download a copy of the Victorian Bus & Truck Handbook.
eLearning is available to all students to support their learning, access to this is available through the Resources page of our website.
Applicable Fees
Upon successful completion of your course, there will be further fees payable to be issued with your licence that Armstrongs will collect on VicRoads behalf:
| Fee Type | Fee |
|---|---|
| VicRoads Assessment Fee | $30.80 |
| VicRoads Issue Fee | $34.99 |
Please note that the VicRoads Issue Fee can only be paid via Mastercard or VISA. No cash payment can be accepted.
By booking a heavy vehicle license training course you are acknowledging acceptance of Armstrongs heavy vehicle terms and conditions of sale.