All You Need To Know About MC Courses

In Australia, a multi-combination (MC) licence permits you to drive all categories of trucks. In particular, licence holders can operate sophisticated trucks such as road trains, low loaders and B-doubles. Below is a guide on MC courses in Australia. 

Eligibility Criteria

You will need to meet the following eligibility criteria:

• MC licence applicants should be at least 18 years old.
• You must have held a heavy rigid (HR) licence or HC licence for at least one year. It is a guarantee that you can operate lower vehicle classes such as articulated trucks and buses.
• Heavy truck drivers rely on their senses when driving. Therefore applicants are required to undergo an eyesight test.
• You are required to inform your trainer of any medical conditions or medication that could impair your judgement or affect your driving. For example, it could be you take medication that makes you drowsy. 

Choosing A Training School

MC courses are taught in Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) approved to offer MC training. Conduct some research to identify RTOs that offer MC training in your area. When choosing one RTO over the other, assess the experience and skills of the trainers. Typically, you would want to be trained by an approachable individual who is patient with their students. Trainers with years of experience on the road will offer quality training since they understand the challenges that drivers face on the road. 

What To Expect During Training

To acquire your MC licence, you are required to undergo a Heavy Vehicle Competency Based Assessment (HVCBA). The assessment has theory, practical and exam components. Applicants are allowed to choose the vehicles that they would want to be trained in. For instance, you wish to be trained in your truck or a friend's truck. The truck you choose must be in the MC class. Besides, it should be registered, roadworthy and loaded up to 75% of its GVM. It is important to note that if the vehicle has an automatic or synchromesh transmission, your licence will have a condition that prevents you from driving manual trucks. 

HVCBA tests are usually recorded on camera. Your trainer will let you know this in advance to ensure you do not panic when they mount video cameras during training. You could also be asked to wear a body camera. The cameras are a checks and balances measure that compels trainers to be fair to all their students. If you pass the practical tests, your trainer will issue you with a certificate of competency. You will use this certificate to update your licence details. 

Check out local services or schools that offer MC courses to learn more.