Licensing & CBT&A

How Competency Based Training and Assessment works, and the steps from your first enquiry to a heavy vehicle licence.

Licence rules vary by state and territory. Minimum ages, how long you must have held your current licence, and the exact assessment process differ across Australia. The guidance below is general — call us on 0433 532 570 and we will confirm exactly what applies to you before you book anything.

The Process

Six Steps to Your Truck Licence

With CBT&A you are assessed progressively as you become competent, rather than sitting one pass-or-fail test on a fixed date.

01

Check Your Eligibility

Before you spend anything, we confirm you can actually hold the class you are after.

  • How long you have held your current licence (typically 1 year for LR and MR, 2 years for HR)
  • That your licence is current and not suspended
  • Any demerit or medical conditions that need addressing first
  • Which class actually suits the work you want — sometimes it is a lower class than you think
02

Knowledge & Medical Requirements

Depending on your state, there may be a knowledge test or eyesight and medical check before training starts.

  • Heavy vehicle knowledge test where your state requires one
  • Eyesight check and, for some drivers, a medical assessment
  • Identification and residency documents for the licence upgrade
  • We will tell you exactly which of these apply to you
03

Assessment Drive

Your first session is a short drive so we can see what you can already do.

  • Honest estimate of how many lessons you are likely to need
  • A training plan built around your gaps, not a fixed package
  • Quoted price before you commit to anything further
04

Competency Based Lessons

One-on-one lessons in the truck, working through each unit of competency until it is signed off.

  • Daily inspection, cabin drill and controls
  • Gear selection, clutch control and hill starts
  • Road positioning, turning lines, roundabouts and merging
  • Reversing, docking and confined-space manoeuvring
  • Load restraint, mass limits and fatigue management awareness
05

Final CBT&A Assessment

Conducted in-house by an authorised CBT&A examiner, in the same vehicle you trained in.

  • No unfamiliar truck and no unfamiliar assessor on the day
  • Assessed against the national competency standards
  • If a unit is not yet achieved, you get clear feedback and more practice — not an automatic fail
06

Licence Upgrade

Once assessed as competent you take your paperwork to your state road authority to have the class added.

  • Certificate of competency issued on successful assessment
  • We explain exactly what to take to the licensing centre
  • Advice on your next step, whether that is HC, MC or getting work

Licence Classes

The Australian Heavy Vehicle Ladder

Each class builds on the one before it. You cannot skip straight to the top — holding periods apply at every step.

  • C — Car: up to 4.5t GVM
  • LR — Light Rigid: over 4.5t up to 8t GVM, including light buses
  • MR — Medium Rigid: 2 axles, over 8t GVM
  • HR — Heavy Rigid: 3 or more axles, over 8t GVM, plus buses
  • HC — Heavy Combination: prime mover and semi-trailer, or rigid with heavy trailer
  • MC — Multi Combination: B-doubles and road trains

We train and assess LR, MR, HR and HC. If MC is your goal, HC is the step in front of you.

Driver completing a daily vehicle inspection before a lesson

Licensing FAQs

Common Questions

It depends entirely on your starting point. Because CBT&A is competency based, a driver with plenty of manual and towing experience may need only a handful of lessons, while someone who has only ever driven an automatic car will need more. The assessment drive on your first session gives us a realistic number, and we tell you honestly.

A traditional test is a single pass-or-fail assessment on a booked date. CBT&A assesses you progressively against units of competency during training, with a final assessment by an authorised examiner. It suits most people better because there is no one-shot pressure, and you are assessed in a vehicle you already know.

No. Training and assessment are conducted in our vehicle, matched to the licence class you are working towards. If your employer wants you assessed in a company vehicle, call us and we will discuss it.

In most cases yes, but the condition on your existing licence matters and the rules differ by state. If you are assessed in an automatic heavy vehicle, your heavy vehicle licence may carry an automatic condition. Call us and we will explain what applies to you before you book.

Overseas heavy vehicle experience often reduces the number of lessons you need, but it usually cannot be transferred directly. Bring your licence and any employment letters to your first session and we will build a shorter plan where your driving supports it.

Nothing dramatic happens. Competency based assessment is not pass or fail on the day — any unit not yet achieved is identified, you practise it, and it is reassessed. That is the whole point of the model.

Not Sure Which Licence You Need?

One quick phone call and we will tell you which class suits the work you want — and what you are eligible for right now.