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Heavy Vehicle Licensing Reform
We are making important changes to the heavy vehicle licensing system in South Australia.
This follows a petition from the community who called for stricter requirements for truck driver licensing.
The petition is led by Delphine Mugridge, who lost her husband in a truck crash in early 2024. The petition gathered more than 19,600 supporters.
We will introduce two new initiatives:
- Multi-Combination (MC) Licence Program
- Changes for overseas licence holders.
These initiatives aim to improve road safety and driver training for heavy vehicle drivers. Changes will be introduced in late February 2025.
About the changes in South Australia
MC Licence Program
The new MC Licence Program will provide heavy vehicle drivers with a clear and efficient pathway to obtain an MC licence.
The program is a structured learning program.
Heavy vehicle drivers will complete the program with their employer’s support.
Drivers will need to complete the following:
- Receive approval from their employer.
- Apply for entry onto the program and be issued a learner’s permit for the MC licence.
- Complete an MC competency-based training course. The course must be through a South Australian-approved registered training organisation. The course will include theory and practical components.
- Complete a driving log and specified learning components with a qualified supervising driver.
- 50 hours for Heavy Combination (HC) licence holders
- 60 hours for Heavy Rigid (HR) licence holders.
- Pass a practical driving test in an MC vehicle. This must be completed with an authorised examiner from a registered training organisation.
To enrol in the new MC Licence Program, drivers must:
- work for a business or organisation that uses MC class vehicles as part of its daily operations
- need to operate MC vehicles as part of their job.
Drivers can follow the current pathway if they do not want to complete the MC Licence Program. To obtain an MC Licence under the current pathway, drivers must hold a HC or HR licence for at least 12 months.
Both options will support drivers to gain the skills they need to drive safely on our roads.
Further details about the program will be available in early 2025.
Changes for overseas licence holders
From late February 2025, South Australia will no longer accept overseas heavy vehicle driving experience for drivers wanting to obtain an MC licence.
This is because there are different vehicle standards and road conditions between countries. This is especially true for complex vehicles like road trains and B-doubles.
The change will apply to all countries, except New Zealand.
Before applying for an MC licence, overseas drivers must either:
- hold a South Australian HR or HC licence for at least 12 months
- complete the new MC Licence Program.
National heavy vehicle changes
There are two separate national projects that aim to improve heavy vehicle driver skills on Australian roads. These initiatives are:
- reviewing the existing National Heavy Vehicle Driver Competency Framework
- reviewing the current policy for Overseas Driver Licensing.
It will take time to undertake these reviews and introduce recommended changes. This is why we are introducing two interim state-based initiatives now.
Timeframes and next steps
The new state-based initiatives will be introduced in late February 2025. More information will be available in early 2025.
We will add more information to this page during this process.