Want to get your Heavy Combination (HC) Licence in Sydney? Keep reading below to find the answers to the most commonly asked questions about getting your HC Licence!
How do I get started? First, you will need to book to attend a Service NSW centre to complete a Heavy Vehicle Driver Knowledge Test (DKT). You will need to select the "Combination" Driver Knowledge Test. To book online, click here.
How much does it cost? The answer varies depending on which course you choose to do. At Truckability in Sydney we can offer a HC Auto Licence for as low as $1161 and a HC RoadRanger Licence for as low as $1251. You have two options for how you complete your course. They are either a one day course or an afternoon course which is split over two afternoons. Both types of courses involve 5 - 6 hours of training before the driving test. If you are interested in a full day HC Auto course at Truckability in Sydney, it'll cost $1290, and for an afternoon course, $1161. For a full day HC RoadRanger course it'll cost $1390, and for an afternoon course, it will cost $1251. To book one of courses online, click here.
What is the difference between an Auto/Synchro and RoadRanger gearbox? An Automatic/Synchromesh gearbox are two different types of gearbox. Automatic, is just like any automatic gearbox you find in a car. A synchromesh gearbox is just like the manual gearbox you would find in a modern car, which requires a driver to press the clutch pedal down once whilst changing between gears. If you do your training in a heavy vehicle with an automatic gearbox, you can drive vehicles with an automatic or synchromesh manual transmission. A Constant Mesh gearbox, also known as a "RoadRanger" or "Crashbox", requires the driver to use a double-declutching method. It requires the driver to depress the clutch pedal before pulling the gear stick out of a gear, followed by releasing the clutch pedal and then pressing it again, to allow the gearstick to go into the next gear. What makes this manoeuvre trickier than your standard manual car gearbox is that the driver must match the road speed of the vehicle to the speed of the engine, commonly known as "rev matching", otherwise it will grind the gears or the vehicle may not go into gear. A modern, manual car gearbox (Synchromesh) does this for you automatically.
What does a HC licence allow me to drive? A Heavy Combination Licence allows you to drive an articulated vehicle that has over 3 axles and tow a trailer that has a GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass) of more than 9 tonnes. The most common vehicles driven in this class are semi-trailers, and truck and dog combinations. This class allows you to drive anything in the LR, MR, or HR class and you can upgrade to this licence after holding a MR or HR licence for 1 year.