Heavy Vehicle Driver Licensing Needs Overhaul
Australia’s system of licensing heavy vehicle drivers urgently needs reviewing, according to Ian Bushby, Managing Director of DECA Training.
“We are facing a critical shortage of drivers at the heavy articulated end of the industry. It takes too long to progress through the categories and there are simply not enough vacancies for drivers at the rigid end of the market, so many just give up and find jobs elsewhere,” Bushby explained.
“Between 1985 and 2006; registrations of articulated vehicles jumped by 47.29 per cent; while rigid truck registrations moved up by just 9.27 per cent.”
Source: Industrial Logistics Institute
At present, drivers wanting a heavy rigid licence must hold a motor car licence for two years, then wait a minimum 12 months to progress to heavy combination and/or their multi-combination licence. In cases where drivers move directly from HR to MC then they rarely find work due to their inexperience in articulated vehicles and most are ‘lost’ to the sector.
Bushby suggests that to provide a significant boost for the industry and increase the driver pool, the Graduated Driver Licensing System (GDLS) needs change to allow greater flexibility in drivers moving from one category to another. His proposal is:
Bushby added that this proposal does not recommend or suggest accelerating drivers from HR to MC. He added that approved courses for these vehicles could be conducted under the national guidelines already agreed at all levels of government and industry.
“Accelerating people through the system would help ease the chronic shortage of drivers at the articulated end and road safety would improve as trainees completed more rigorous training and assessment.”
Bushby pointed out that the transport industry employed more than 420,000 people across the country.
“The sector is vital for Australia’s economic future. Every day, every Australian makes use of the industry. Everything they buy has been transported at some time by road,” he says.
