Class 2 truck licence: How to go from zero to full in a week

As the economy continues to falter, a truck licence can open up a world of employment opportunities. For the Herald’s summer series, reporter George Block went from not even having a truck learner’s licence to a full Class 2 endorsement in just one week. He explains the process and what you need to know before getting behind the wheel.

We’re driving up the Southwestern, past Mt Roskill, when the van driver in front of our truck abandons his attempt to take an exit and swerves back onto the motorway without indicating - into our path.

It’s not an uncommon scene on Auckland’s motorways. The difference this time is instead of driving a nimble Herald pool car back from the Manukau District Court, I’m behind the wheel of a Fuso Hiab truck, weighing several tonnes and carrying concrete, timber and a small crane.

Compounding the stress is the fact I’m halfway through my practical assessment for a Class 2 full truck licence and an assessor is sitting in the cab evaluating my every move.

But the training from staff at PassRite Driving Academy in Onehunga kicked into gear.

Among the many points they hammered home during the fast-track Class 2 trucking course at PassRite were: ABC - always brake before clutch, so the heavy vehicle doesn’t race away when you disengage the transmission from the engine; look far down the road; and leave a far longer following distance than in a car - up to and beyond 8 seconds, due to the greater stopping distance.

So, as the van swerved into our path, the exhaust brakes on the little Japanese truck roared, and I had ample time to slow the vehicle without risk of losing control. I passed the Class 2 full licence practical assessment on the first go.

The Class 2 course I undertook was an intensive, fast-track programme allowing you to skip the six-month waiting period usually required between getting your learner truck licence and your full. Without the course, you’d need to have a mate or employer with a Class 2 truck willing to teach you (and to loan you the vehicle for the eventual test).

The truck PassRite uses for its Class 4 training is on the left, with the Fuso Hiab used for the Class 2 tests on the right. Class 2 trucks can have a Gross Laden Weight of up to 18,000kg and usually have two axles. Class 4 trucks usually have three or more axles and can weigh over 18,000kg. Class 5 trucks are combination vehicles (like truck and trailer units) with a Gross Combination Weight of more than 25,000kg. Photo / George Block

The majority of those on the Class 2 course, which costs about $1500, were being funded by their employers so they could safely and legally operate heavy trucks and machinery. Funding can also be provided for the course by the Ministry of Social Development on a case-by-case basis.

It involves two days of intensive theory covering everything from logbook requirements to how to safely load and operate a truck, plus practical sessions in a truck before the assessment.

A Class 2 licence allows you to drive a heavy vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Mass (GVM, including load) of between 6000kg and 18,000kg, or combination vehicle Gross Combination Mass (GCM) between 6000kg and 12,000kg.

This includes many of the small to medium two-axle delivery trucks you see around town, some tipper trucks, larger horse floats and motorhomes, and buses and coaches - though for a bus you’ll also need a passenger endorsement, requiring a background check.

It also opens the door to obtaining the higher licence classes, all the way up to Class 5, required for driving vehicles with a GCM north of 25,000kg, such as logging trucks and the truck and trailer units used by linehaul drivers travelling up and down the country.

Getting started

The first step on the Class 2 journey was getting the learner licence.

It’s similar to the car learner’s licence, though alongside the usual road code questions they sprinkle in a few specific to driving heavy vehicles with a focus on Class 2 trucks.

I used the free practice tests on drivingtests.co.nz which have all the current questions used by licensing agents and emulate the actual learner’s assessment where you’re given 35 random questions and are only allowed to get two wrong.

The truck questions require you to memorise maximum vehicle dimensions and loading requirements, alongside other heavy vehicle-specific questions.

For example, the combined rated strength of lashings placed over rigid loads secured against a headboard on heavy motor vehicles needs to be at least the weight of the load, but this rises to twice the weight of the load if there’s no headboard.

You’ll also need to memorise the maximum allowable dimensions of a heavy vehicle, plus details on weight limits for loading certificates.

In my experience, starting a Google document and copying and pasting all the questions and answers helps you memorise them, plus doing a few runs of the 55 heavy vehicle-specific questions alongside the practice tests.

I obtained the learner’s licence at a VTNZ on the first try despite getting the maximum allowable two questions wrong, including one asking how long a vehicle can produce smoke (it’s 5 seconds in an inspection and 10 seconds on the road).

To obtain the Class 2 learner’s licence, you also need to present a medical certificate from a GP or other registered health practitioner, unless you’ve presented one in the last five years.

First comes the theory...

The following week, temporary paper licence in hand, I turned up at PassRite’s Onehunga branch at 7.30am on a Monday for the Class 2 course with the aim of going from truck learner’s to full in a week.

I was eyeing the large trucks emblazoned with the company’s pink livery, eager to get into the cab and hear the rumble of a diesel engine and whoosh of the air brakes.

But it was straight into the classroom where trainer Glen Sawyers ran the group through the series of lessons and assessments required for the fast-track course.

They were not easy but Sawyers, an industry veteran who has driven everything from car transporters to stock trucks to linehaul, made the content engaging and memorable with practical examples.

The Fuso Hiab truck used in the Class 2 training and assessment, with concrete and timber expertly tied down.

Tests on how to properly fill out a trucker’s log book and manage work-time requirements followed the lessons - and I needed to be 100 per cent on the money to pass.

Logbooks, especially, needed to be filled out perfectly, with the exact times and locations of starting work, taking rest breaks, and knocking off, as well as the distance travelled.

That’s because they are used by police and the NZ Transport Agency to enforce the strict work-time requirements.

A single omission or error in a logbook earns a $150 infringement fee and 10 demerits, while employers can be fined up to $25,000 if logbooks aren’t up to scratch.

Having passed the first day, the next day was all about safely operating a truck and how to tie down a load, including where the load should be placed and how many straps are needed at a particular rating.

Also on the agenda was how to avoid brake fade and a runaway truck when travelling downhill, by selecting the appropriate gear.

The assessments are challenging, beyond that of getting a learner’s licence, and the first day’s final assessment with its requirements to perfectly fill out a week of logbooks based on a journey plan has a deserved reputation. But it is achievable if you do the reading and stay focused.

... then getting behind the wheel

With the paperwork in the rearview mirror, it was time to get into the cab.

PassRite managing director Iain King, who ran the practical training sessions, said most people who had experience driving manual cars took to driving a Class 2 manual truck pretty quickly.

Having driven manuals since getting my car licence, I certainly found that to be the case.

If students only have experience driving an automatic car, then PassRite often takes them out for a session in a manual car first, King said.

Modern Class 2 trucks with a manual transmission have the same basic operation as a manual car, and a synchro mesh means you don’t need to double de-clutch.

However, double clutching is still required on heavier trucks subject to higher licence classes, such as with the Roadranger gearboxes featuring 18 forward gears, four reverse gears and a more complex gearing layout.

PassRite Driving Academy, in Neilson St, Onehunga, also has manual cars, sometimes used to teach prospective truck drivers who only have experience with automatic transmissions. Photo / George Block

The key takeaways for me from the hours of practical sessions were the importance of constantly checking both the top and bottom mirrors on either side of the truck.

The fact it’s a longer vehicle means you have to travel further out into an intersection before turning, and keep watching the lower side mirrors to check the black wheels don’t hit the curb as it turns on its rear axis.

Other important points are to leave a long following distance because of the increased stopping distance with a heavy load, and to select a low gear before heading downhill so you don’t ride your brakes and risk them fading out, or need to change down on a long hill.

A good rule of thumb is to use the same gear going down a hill as you would going up, King said.

He reassured us that a couple of minor errors, such as a crunched gear change during the assessment, can be okay, and the assessor is really looking for how you recover from such an error and continue to drive smoothly and safely.

Crunch time

The Class 2 practical assessment kicked off with starting a logbook before showing the tester I could conduct a safety check on the truck.

That included checking the tie-downs had a sufficient weight rating for the load, checking the tyres were inflated and had enough grip, and lifting up the truck’s heavy cab, leaning it forward to have a look at the engine to ensure no leaks or damage.

Herald reporter George Block is looking the part, shortly after successfully completing his Class 2 truck licence practical assessment.

Then it was off on a 40-minute drive around Auckland including a spell on the motorway.

The assessor can only give directions and does not provide feedback so it was a bit nerve-wracking, but after returning to the depot and completing the logbook, I was thrilled to learn I had passed.

I immediately went back to VTNZ, paid the $40 to have the Class 2 endorsed on my licence and with that, was fully licensed to work as a truck driver in heavy vehicles up to 18,000kg.

Getting a job

It also was a significant boost to job prospects. While automation is a risk to trucking jobs in the future, there is dispute over the degree of the threat or how imminent it is.

At the time of writing, there were two job openings in Auckland for journalists and eight nationally. A Seek search for Class 2 truck drivers in Auckland yielded a cool 100 results, while there were 1150 jobs for truck drivers of all classes nationally.

The main issue for novice drivers is most companies are after someone with experience.

Billy Clemens, policy and advocacy lead for trucking industry advocacy body Transporting New Zealand, said the shortage of drivers is not as severe as it was in 2023.

After lobbying from Transporting NZ and the Bus and Coach Association, the Government temporarily opened up a residence pathway for migrant drivers.

That pathway for truck and bus drivers closed in April after the acute shortages were addressed, Clemens said.

“So we’re doing a lot better than about 12 to 18 months ago when things were getting pretty dire and you were actually getting businesses with trucks parked up,” he said.

But there are still many roles available, especially for skilled operators.

In a recent survey, Transporting NZ found 30 per cent of its member companies would hire an experienced heavy-vehicle driver with a Class 4 or 5 licence, “pretty much immediately,” Clemens said.

About 10 per cent of respondents said they would hire an experienced Class 2 driver tomorrow given the chance, he said.

Jayne Russell, Ministry of Social Development group general manager of client service delivery, said they funded people to obtain licences, including Class 2 and beyond, on a case-by-case basis.

“A vehicle license can significantly boost employability,” Russell said.

“When someone asks us for assistance, we’ll work with them to understand the barriers they might face, the kind of work which might be suitable for them, and the type of assistance they may be eligible for.

“We fund a wide variety of providers to deliver courses and help people get skills and qualifications. This can include training and licensing to drive trucks, forklifts, tractors, and other vehicles.”

Employers can also be eligible for additional support from the agency, such as “flexi-wage”, to fund driver licence training, Russell said.

PassRite covered the training costs of the author.