How long must I hold a car licence before going for HR?

Two years on a class C licence or equivalent. LR and MR each need only one year on a class C.

Can I go straight from a car licence to MC?

No. MC requires an unrestricted HR or HC licence held for at least one year, and HC in turn requires an unrestricted MR or HR held for at least a year.

Heavy Vehicle Competency Based Assessment: you are trained and assessed over multiple sessions by a registered assessor at an RTO rather than sitting a single driving test. It is the main pathway in NSW, and the only pathway for MC.

What does a heavy vehicle course cost in NSW?

Few providers publish a price. Those listed here advertise roughly $1,650 to $1,900 for HR, $1,700 to $2,200 for HC and $1,800 to $2,800 for MC. Transport for NSW licence and test fees are separate.

HR, HC and MC truck licences in NSW: the pathway

The NSW heavy vehicle licence ladder — what each class drives, how long you must hold the class below, and how HVCBA assessment works.

Updated 2026-09-25

The ladder

Each class requires you to have held the one below it for a set period. There is no skipping.

Class	Drives	You must first have held
LR Light Rigid	Trucks to 8t GVM; buses seating 12+ adults	Class C for 1 year
MR Medium Rigid	Trucks and buses over 8t GVM, 2 axles	Class C for 1 year
HR Heavy Rigid	Trucks and buses over 8t GVM, 3+ axles, including articulated buses	Class C for 2 years
HC Heavy Combination	Articulated vehicles with 3+ axles, and heavy trailers	Unrestricted MR or HR for 1 year
MC Multi Combination	B-doubles, road trains, low loader combinations	Unrestricted HR or HC for 1 year

Provisional P2 tenure on MR or HR counts towards the waiting period, but you cannot learn or upgrade to HC or MC until the licence below is unrestricted.

The two steps

Heavy Vehicle Knowledge Test — sat first, for every class.
Practical assessment, by one of two routes:
- HVCBA (Heavy Vehicle Competency Based Assessment) — training and assessment over several sessions with a registered assessor at an RTO. This is the main pathway, and the only pathway for MC.
- Driving test with a Service NSW testing officer, available where HVCBA is not.

MC also requires a medical assessment.

Cost

Heavy vehicle providers publish prices less often than short-course RTOs, so treat these as indicative of the listings we hold rather than a market rate: HR around $1,650–$1,900, HC around $1,700–$2,200, MC around $1,800–$2,800. Transport for NSW licence, knowledge test and assessment fees are charged separately.

Picking a provider

Heavy vehicle training is one of the few areas where the cheapest quote is rarely the useful comparison — ask how many driving hours are included, whether the assessment fee is in the price, and whether the vehicle is the configuration you will actually drive.

HR courses · HC courses · MC courses

Frequently asked questions

How long must I hold a car licence before going for HR?: Two years on a class C licence or equivalent. LR and MR each need only one year on a class C.
Can I go straight from a car licence to MC?: No. MC requires an unrestricted HR or HC licence held for at least one year, and HC in turn requires an unrestricted MR or HR held for at least a year.
What is HVCBA?: Heavy Vehicle Competency Based Assessment: you are trained and assessed over multiple sessions by a registered assessor at an RTO rather than sitting a single driving test. It is the main pathway in NSW, and the only pathway for MC.
What does a heavy vehicle course cost in NSW?: Few providers publish a price. Those listed here advertise roughly $1,650 to $1,900 for HR, $1,700 to $2,200 for HC and $1,800 to $2,800 for MC. Transport for NSW licence and test fees are separate.