Driving A Road Train
What Does It Take To Drive A Road Train?
Trucks that pull several trailers (3 or more) are referred to as road trains. Road trains are used to lug heavy loads in remote areas around Australia. They are only permitted on specific roads and these roads are usually found at a considerable distance out of towns and cities. To get heavy cargo transported to remote areas, road trains are the most cost-effective option. Remote places rely on these to get their weekly, fortnightly, or monthly consignments. Simply put, road trains are the kings of the road in the outback.
There are many types of road trains. There are doubles that carry two trailers, triples have three trailers, and AB quads which are when B double trucks carry two additional trailers. Trailers are connected by converter dollies. The extra number of trailers makes these trucks very long. They can be as long as 53.5m and can carry loads of up to 200 tonnes. The sheer size of them is enormous so states have their own rules that they use to regulate road and train traffic.
Road trains require special truck drivers. The workload is always taxing and there are many days when a driver has to spend extended periods of time alone. Becoming a driver for these trucks is challenging but well worth the investment. You need to have a normal driver’s licence for a year and to pass the TAFE course for you to obtain the MC licence. But that’s not all. Companies that employ road train drivers require extensive experience as a truck drivers for them to hire you. This means that you may need to spend a couple of years working as a truck driver for you to be eligible to apply for these jobs.
As a general rule of thumb, you can start by driving smaller trucks and progress to larger trucks as you gain more experience. Gaining this all-important experience will prove to employers that you can be entrusted to transport up to 200 tonnes of precious cargo without accidents. Having some knowledge of fixing trucks is a big plus as it means that you can deal with the basic issues that you may face on the road.
Now that you know what it takes for you to become a road train driver, you can start your journey at Highway Truck Driving School. We can help you get your MC licence in Sydney and we provide MC truck training for rookies and experienced truck drivers alike.
At Highway Truck Driving School, we are more than ready to get you started on your trucking journey, contact us today and we will be able to help you get your Licence in Sydney.
