annqldau

Hi all you HGV drivers comming to aus.

Sad fact is you can't convert your HGV license. Even if you pass the conversion questions on QLD Transport written test they still want you to do the full physical driving test at cost of $800 (approx 400 GBP). If you wanted the MC multi combo license you will then have to stump up another $1600 (approx 800 GBP). What a rip off....

My hubby has spoke to numerous people at QLD Transport and they won't budge despite him having HGV for 10yrs + and having haulage yard license etc.

He even said can I just do MC and skip HGV then and they said no have to do the HGV equivilant before you go for MC and if they want to be sods can make you wait another year before you do MC as you are suposed to have held HC for one year...

jimtrish

hi we are in the same boat.
we have made contact with companies and friends of friends who are lorry drivers out there, we have been given totally different info on the price for the test. you do have to do the theory and the practical, but apparantly not as intense as ours here.
The price i got for the test is $250 so quite different from what you got given.
what qld transport dont tell you is that alot of companies will pay the fees for you to do mc licence, so dont give up!
jim will do a days lesson first at the cost of £40 and then use the lorry for his test which will cost him £25 so will let you know how it goes.

all the best

trish

annqldau

He might of been able to have got his test paid for around here but he is mainly a logistics wharehouse manager (hopefully trying to track down job) and wanted to retain his HGV as part of that job and incase we need to move again for furniture shifting and so he can get temp job driving whilst looking for permanent job. Think that price includes couple of days refresher and use of lorry for test, doing couple of days just incase anything different about Aus practical test.

Questions at QLd Transport where easy he said passed first time no problems really basic. Saying that I failed car conversion by one giveway question but passed next day.

Seemed plenty of work around Townsville when we passed through.

jimtrish

thought I recognized you! did you learn from one of the books beforehand? silly isnt it about the licences, our friends in perth didnt have to do the test they just had to do the theory and then his hgv was converted.
hope youre right about the job situation though!
did you do your theory straight away? so much to do!!
take care and hope your hubby gets it sorted soon

luv

Trish

TracyAnne

Hi Trish,

We have sent a few PM's to each other a few months back, I thought you had gone already. Did your hubby get one of those truck driving jobs thru the migration agent that put a post on here in July?

Send me a PM and we'll talk "HGV's" further.

Tracy

annqldau

Yes we had one of the books beforehand? Like being back at school. Suggested hubby fly over to perth dbut he thinks he still has to redo.
He did his theory with in one month of getting here as you only have the three months and is going to do HC next week probably and take money hit so he sill has itm, think he is not bothering with MC at moment.

Good Luck with your move.

jimtrish

just spoken to the truck driving school out in townsville, the test fee is $80 and there is a booking fee of $38.20 each lesson is also $80 as the gears are different from over here.
that might cheer your hubby up?
My mate only had to do his theory in perth, no practical.
like i said, most companies weve been in contact with, have said they pay for the mc anyway, hang on in there.

take care and all the best, keep in touch

Trish

annqldau

Hi, this is Graeme, not Ann. The gears aren't different as such - all they have is a 'non-syncromesh' category which goes on the licence. I am just taking a 'syncro-only' one as the non-syncro applies to older trucks and they are being phased out. A lot of the trucks are American style long fronted ones, but a lot of European ones taking over - seen loads of Scanias, Volvo's, Ivecos etc, alongside Mack and Kenworth. I'm not sure (I'll ask on Tuesday when I have my 'lesson') if you can demonstrate non-syncro skills ie double de-clutching, they might give you a non-syncro licence. Not sure when you (he) passed his UK test, but I had to double up and down the box so I tend to drive like that anyway. I'm doing my test in a new MAN 6x2 and not sure if I might go for the MC licence as well. Hope I never have to use them but don't want to lose it all the same - never know when it might come in handy. There is no entitlement over here to even drive a 7.5T on a car licence like the UK had pre Jan 97 so even moving house on your own anytime you couldn't hire a 7.5 without a light rigid licence here. I also have my CPC to work as a Transport Manager so need to see how that converts over here.

Hope this helps you a little,

G

Rushman

Am I reading this right?

They have 2 different tests in Aus. One for a non-syncromesh (crash) gearbox and another for a syncromesh gearbox. Even if the actual gross weight and model of both trucks is exactly the same?

Just as a piece of advice. "If you double de clutch you double de damage" as the saying goes.
If you can time your gear changes well enough to double de clutch then you can change up and down (with practice) without using the clutch at all, just using the engine revs as a guide therefore saving expensive clutch wear. You'll play a few tunes on the gearbox before you get the hang of it but once you can change up and down without the clutch you'll be able to do it in any manual vehicle.

rossifumi

Hi is this the same case (retaking exam) if you move from Oz to UK? I wonder

jimtrish

Hi Graeme,

jims just been told a 4 wk waiting for the driving test, also that he can only do the HR licence and then after 12mths he can do his HC. so were a wee bit confused now??

Trish/Jim

onlinetruckers

I am reading this with interest,it would seem that it is not so easy to move to australia and start driving?.The same thing is going on over here in the uk,drivers from the states cant drive here in the uk but drivers from poland and other ex eastern block countrys are walking into hgv jobs with no problem at all.Some haulage companys are recruiting them on block as many as 30 drivers at a time

TracyAnne

Hi Jim and Trish,

We are heading for Victoria and VicRoads told us that if you hold a Class 1 licence in UK then you are exempt from the 1 year at HR before HC rule. That is Victoria but I know they do vary from state to state. Hubby is booked on a course for 2.5 days (he is a bit rusty at articulated level) and then he will do the test on the last day.

Tracy

zx10r_aus

Yes it is I tried to get my HGV licence when I was in Scotland, even after having my Aust. HGV license for 10 years.

ZX.....

annqldau

If they want to be funny can make you hold HC for 1 year in Aus before they let you do MC even though you may have had HGV for years in UK.