Truck licensing in crisis: Driver trainer calls for urgent reform

With many echoing calls for urgent truck licensing reform, Queensland driver trainer John Skinner says unsafe practices are putting the public at risk.

 

John has over 30 years of experience as a truck driver. In January 2023, he launched Gold Coast Truck Driving School, where he helps new drivers get their start behind the wheel and experienced drivers upgrade to higher licence classes.

While this second generation truckie has decades of experience out on the highways, he believes that not all truck driver trainers and assessors are adequately equipped with the skills and knowledge needed for the job.

“Many are testing drivers in Road Ranger, HC and MC trucks with no industry background at all,” John said. “This lack of accountability is having real consequences,” adding that he’s seen the ramifications firsthand.

“I recently saw a Heavy Rigid (HR) licence issued to a student who clearly could not drive,” he added.

“The student was bunny-hopping for the first two minutes of the test, braking harshly at every intersection, unable to keep the truck in the lane or get it up to speed.

“He even admitted he didn’t expect to pass but said he’d just ‘have a crack’ because he couldn’t afford more training,” said John.

“At the end of the test, the examiner told him, ‘Great drive!’ – then turned to me, blamed my truck and walked off.”

John says he has reported cases like this to relevant authorities many times, but no one has ever followed up.

“Drivers can leapfrog from a car licence to Heavy Rigid (HR) and then straight to Multi-Combination (MC) – putting them in charge of B-doubles and road trains with minimal real-world training,” John added.

“Even more concerning, the current Heavy Combination (HC) and Multi-Combination (MC) tests only require a candidate to reverse in a straight line.

“No corner reverse. No parallel park. Nothing that reflects the daily reality of driving heavy vehicles in yards, depots or on the road.”

John has labelled this approach as unsafe and irresponsible. “The public should not be the training ground for new MC licence holders. If a driver can’t back a truck around a corner or parallel park during a test, they shouldn’t be licensed to take heavy vehicles onto our roads.”

He spoke of two simple reforms that he believes could help fix the broken system.

“Queensland’s licensing has been watered down to the point of absurdity. Two small changes – staging HR to HC, and adding proper reversing tasks – would dramatically lift standards, protect road users, and restore respect to the industry,” John said.

Fix the licensing pathway

John would like to see drivers required to spend:

• 12 months on a car licence before progressing to Light Rigid (LR), Medium Rigid (MR), or Heavy Rigid (HR).
• 12 months on HR before being eligible for HC.
• 12 months on HC before being eligible for MC.

“This keeps the overall timeframe the same but ensures drivers build skills step by step instead of jumping directly from HR to MC,” he said.

“Doing 12 months on HC around town would have huge effects on new trailer drivers’ standards before they move to MC,” Skinner said.

Fix the test

John would like to see licence testing require reversing around a corner and require a parallel park. “If drivers can reverse safely in more than just a straight line, there’s a much stronger chance they can operate safely going forward,” he said.

Why it matters

“Heavy vehicle crashes are catastrophic, and licences must guarantee a minimum skill standard before drivers take the wheel,” John said.

“Truck driving is a skilled trade. Licensing should reflect that, not lower the bar.

“These reforms require no major cost or bureaucracy – just common sense.”