Published: July 23, 2026
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A rigid haul truck ticket is the nationally recognised competency certificate you need to operate a rigid haul truck on Australian mine sites and civil construction projects. The unit is RIIMPO338E - Conduct Rigid Haul Truck Operations, issued by a registered RTO as a statement of attainment. For off-road mine site operations you do not need a heavy vehicle driver licence - the RIIMPO338E ticket is the qualification that gets you on the machines. The course takes 1 to 2 days and costs from around $595.
For on-road work - such as operating tip trucks or tippers that travel on public roads - you also need an HR (Heavy Rigid) driver licence from VicRoads. The ticket and the licence are two separate things for two different types of operation.
A rigid haul truck is a fixed-chassis off-road dump truck built specifically for mining and heavy civil construction. Unlike road-registered tip trucks, rigid haul trucks are engineered for extreme environments - haul roads, open cut pits, quarry faces, and earthworks sites. They do not travel on public roads and do not require road registration.
Payloads range from around 40 tonnes for smaller quarry trucks up to over 400 tonnes for the ultra-class mining trucks used in the Pilbara and Bowen Basin. Common models on Australian sites include the Caterpillar 785, 789, and 793, and the Komatsu HD series. The RIIMPO338E ticket covers rigid haul truck operation across all these machines.
This is the question most people ask first - and the answer depends on where the truck is operating. Off-road mine site and civil construction haul trucks do not require a heavy vehicle driver licence. On-road trucks that travel on public roads do.
| Operation Type | What You Need | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Off-road rigid haul truck (mine site or civil) | RIIMPO338E ticket only | Not road-registered. Not subject to road licensing laws. Site qualification is sufficient. |
| On-road tip truck / tipper (public roads) | HR driver licence from VicRoads | Road-registered vehicle on public roads. Must comply with Australian heavy vehicle licensing laws. |
| Both on-road and off-road | RIIMPO338E ticket + HR licence | If you want to operate across both environments, you need both qualifications. |
| New site or new machine model | RIIMPO338E ticket + VOC | Most employers require a site-specific Verification of Competency even if you already hold the ticket. |
A VOC (Verification of Competency) is a site-specific practical assessment that confirms you can safely operate the exact model of rigid haul truck used on that particular site. Your RIIMPO338E ticket proves you are trained to operate rigid haul trucks in general. A VOC proves you can operate this truck, on this site, right now.
Most mining and civil employers require a VOC every time you move to a new site or a new machine model, regardless of your experience. A VOC is not a replacement for the RIIMPO338E ticket - it is an additional safety step on top of it. Some employers conduct VOCs in-house; others engage an RTO to do it.
Rigid haul truck work is concentrated in mining and large-scale civil construction. The RIIMPO338E ticket is your entry point to all of it. SEEK currently shows active haul truck operator listings across mining, resources, and civil sectors nationally.
The largest market. Pilbara iron ore operations, Goldfields gold mines, and Kalgoorlie copper. FIFO haul truck roles offering $54 to $63/hr are almost entirely WA-based.
Bowen Basin coal mines and Mackay-Moranbah corridor are major employers. Carmichael Mine and North Queensland gold operations also drive demand for haul truck operators.
Melbourne's outer growth corridors (Werribee, Melton, Craigieburn, Pakenham) use haul trucks on major civil earthworks. Fosterville Gold Mine near Bendigo employs haul truck operators on site.
Tennant Creek and McArthur River mine in the NT. Olympic Dam and Prominent Hill in SA. Steady FIFO demand for experienced operators with RIIMPO338E tickets.
A rigid haul truck operator moves bulk materials - ore, waste rock, overburden, coal, or earthworks spoil - around a mine or civil site. You are operating one of the largest and most expensive pieces of equipment on any site, often in tight proximity to excavators, dozers, and other heavy plant.
The role is repetitive by nature - load, haul, dump, return - but the conditions are demanding. You are working 12-hour shifts, often on rotating FIFO rosters in remote locations, managing fatigue, maintaining situational awareness around other plant, and keeping the truck operating to production targets throughout the shift.
Pay depends heavily on the sector and location. Civil construction haul truck work pays less than mining but is more accessible from metro areas and does not require FIFO. Mining haul truck work - especially FIFO in WA, QLD, and the NT - consistently pays the highest rates in the plant operator market.
| Source | Reported Figure | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SEEK job ads (haul truck, mining, July 2026) | $54 - $63/hr | Active FIFO mining listings; super paid on all hours; camp and meals included |
| Jooble (mining truck driver, Australia, June 2026) | ~$105,312/yr ($55.43/hr) | Average across 43 sampled mining truck driver salaries |
| SEEK (heavy rigid driver, June 2026) | $75,000 - $85,000/yr | General HR driver market; includes on-road tip truck and civil plant roles |
SEEK currently shows listings as high as $172,000 package including super and bonuses for experienced haul truck operators at owner-operated mine sites. These represent the top end of the market - FIFO rosters, established sites, and experienced operators with multiple tickets.
If you have your rigid haul truck ticket, these are the courses and licences that open up the next level of work:
Head of Sales & Business Development
Chris writes about trucking, logistics, and transport industry trends.
