Driving Commercial Vehicles and the Licences Required in NZ
A driving career is all that some people want. But keep in mind that you can’t fulfill your dream without the right driving license and the right endorsement. Before you go and commit to getting a vehicle report and purchasing a vehicle let’s have a brief look at some of the careers involving driving and what kind of licenses and endorsements you may need to drive these around.
Firstly, let’s have a look at heavy vehicles. These include trucks, heavy forklifts or trailers. You will require a heavy vehicle driving license for these. The type of license will depend on type and the weight of the vehicle that you will be using in your career.
Take the example of New Zealand, for instance. In this country, there are four licenses for heavy vehicles. These classes range from 2-5, with a different class of license for medium rigid, medium combination, heavy rigid and heavy combination vehicles. To be able to drive these around, you will also need to get a learner’s license first and then a full license.
If you are interested in driving passenger vehicles such as shuttle, taxis or buses, you will need a different kind of license to drive these. You will need to prove to the authorities that you have the required skills to ensure passenger safety by including a current passenger endorsement on your driving license.
A different endorsement and additional qualifications are required for forklifts, trams, and traction engines. Loads beyond the legal permissible limit require you to fulfill further requirements.
Towing service and the use of vehicles such as tow trucks will require a current vehicle recovery endorsement. For this, you also need a full New Zealand license for the tow truck or vehicle that you will be using for your services. You should have held this license for at least two years and should pass the full car license or Class 1 driver license test. You will also need to pass an approved vehicle recovery endorsement course.
Transporting dangerous or hazardous goods will require a different kind of endorsement on your driver’s license. Dangerous goods include substances which are explosive, toxic, infectious, or flammable. A dangerous goods endorsement is required for transporting these substances that can prove to be dangerous for human life.
A career in driving is indeed great. However, make sure that you get the right kind of driving license required to drive around the type of vehicle needed in your career. To practice for a truck driving test, try online first.