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Driving with up to 200 tonnes distributed on
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more than 20 axles is a specialised task which places very special demands on the driver, as Ivan Stjemqvist discovered...
In Australia it is seen as only natural that a driver entrusted with a B-double or roadtrain combination has more extensive training than that usually required for driving an artic. Drivers have to pass a specialised test before they can drive multi-combinations.
To apply for a multi-combination licence, a driver must have held an 'ordinary' truck driving licence for at least a year.There's then an additional medical examination and an extended rules-of-the-road test followed by a number of practical exercises. All the training is carried out at a certified driver training school and is usually completed by a group of three students over two days.
Training begins with three hours of theory relating to B-doubles and roadtrains, followed by a short test, which the students must pass to be able to continue to the practical part.This involves coupling and decoupling the B-trailer, and backing up 70m and into a 6x4m bay similar in size loan unloading ramp.The final part of the practical course comprises three to four hours of driving in traffic under varied conditions including motorways, highway and industrial areas.
Per Hansen, a driver-trainer from Volvo Tilicks Australia, who introduced us to the test for a multi-combination driver's licence, knows what he's talking about — for seven years he was a multi-combination driving instructor with Deca Training where, among others, he taught roadtrain students.
Full marks
The driving test lasts 45 minutes, and gaining full marks is no easy task. Hansen says:"In the seven years 1 taught, only three students managed to get the top grade of 100% — and interestingly enough, two were representatives of the so-called weaker sex."
There is nothing to prevent a woman from becoming a roadtrain driver, Hansen adds, but it is still unusual. On passing the test the trainee is issued with a certificate, and with that the driver's licence can be updated with the authorities.
When told of the European debate over longer, heavier vehicles Hansen expressed surprise that some truck drivers are against the idea of an additional driving test. He believes they should accept that the additional skills involved deserve a higher status, and that this will only be achieved through additional training leading to an extended driving test and certification. si