Do you need a truck licence to drive a rigid haul truck?

No, not for off-road mine site and civil construction operations. A rigid haul truck ticket (RIIMPO338E) is the only qualification required to operate a rigid haul truck on a mine site or civil construction project. Large mining haul trucks are not road-registered and cannot legally travel on public roads. If you want to operate on-road dump trucks or tippers as well, you will also need an HR driver licence.

How long does it take to get a rigid haul truck ticket?

The RIIMPO338E course typically takes 1 to 2 days depending on the RTO and your prior experience. Experienced operators completing an RPL assessment may be able to achieve the ticket in a single day. Beginners with no prior haul truck experience should allow for 2 days of training and practical assessment.

How to get rigid haul truck ticket A Complete Guide for the Transport Industry

Published: July 23, 2026

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Section 1 - Intro and Snippet

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.

How to Get a Rigid Haul Truck Ticket in Australia

Get a White Card (CPCWHS1001) - required before you can set foot on any construction or mine site in Australia. Must be completed first.
Book your RIIMPO338E course through a registered RTO - either full face-to-face training (1-2 days for beginners) or an RPL assessment if you already have experience on haul trucks.
Complete pre-course theory - most RTOs require you to review pre-reading materials on haul truck pre-start checks, safety procedures, and load handling before the training day.
Complete the practical assessment - hands-on operation of a rigid haul truck under an assessor, covering pre-start checks, safe operation, loading, hauling, and dumping.
Receive your statement of attainment - your RIIMPO338E certificate, issued the same day by most RTOs.
Complete your site-specific VOC - before you operate on a new site or machine, most employers require a Verification of Competency (VOC) even if you already hold the ticket.

Section 2 - What Is a Rigid Haul Truck

What Is a Rigid Haul Truck?

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.

Rigid Haul Truck

Fixed chassis, off-road only. Does not require road registration. Used in open cut mining, quarrying, and large-scale civil earthworks. RIIMPO338E ticket required.

Articulated Haul Truck

Two-section chassis with a pivot joint. More manoeuvrable on rough or soft ground. Common in civil construction and smaller quarry operations. Separate ticket required.

On-Road Tip Truck / Tipper

Road-registered, travels on public roads. Requires an HR driver licence from VicRoads. Common in civil construction, landscaping, and bulk material delivery in metro areas.

Underground Haul Truck

Compact low-profile trucks for underground mining. Separate unit of competency from RIIMPO338E. Common in gold and copper underground operations.

Section 3 - Ticket vs Licence

Do You Need a Truck Licence or a Ticket?

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.

White Card First - Before Anything Else

You must hold a White Card (CPCWHS1001) before you can access any construction or mine site in Australia. No RTO can put you on a haul truck without it. Get your White Card sorted before you book your RIIMPO338E course.

Section 4 - VOC

What Is a VOC and Do You Need One?

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.

RIIMPO338E Ticket

Your nationally recognised competency certificate. Proves you have been trained and assessed to operate rigid haul trucks. Required once, valid indefinitely unless your skills become outdated.

VOC

Site-specific and machine-specific practical check. Required by most employers before you start on a new site or a different truck model. Conducted by the employer or an RTO on site.

Site Induction

Every new site requires a safety induction covering that site's specific hazards, rules, and emergency procedures. Separate from both the ticket and VOC. Usually half a day.

RPL Assessment

If you have existing haul truck experience, you may be able to obtain your RIIMPO338E ticket through RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) rather than full training. Faster and cheaper than the beginner course.

Section 5 - Costs

How Much Does a Rigid Haul Truck Ticket Cost?

RIIMPO
338E

$595 - $860

Full face-to-face course
1-2 days, beginner

RPL

$595 - $660

RPL assessment
experienced operators

White
Card

~$30 - $60

White Card (CPCWHS1001)
required before training

From $1,450

HR licence at TDT
for on-road tip trucks

RIIMPO338E course costs based on published pricing from National Courses ($599), Civil Trans Training ($595), and TSM Training Solutions ($660 RPL / $860 face-to-face). Costs vary by location, RTO, and whether onsite training is required. Many mining employers fund the RIIMPO338E ticket for new site recruits.

Many Employers Will Pay for Your Ticket

A significant number of civil construction and mining employers fund the RIIMPO338E ticket for recruits who meet their other requirements. If you are applying for a haul truck operator role and you do not yet have the ticket, ask the employer whether they will fund training before paying for it yourself.

Section 6 - Where the Work Is

Where Is the Rigid Haul Truck Work in Australia?

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.

Western Australia

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.

Queensland

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.

Victoria

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.

NT and SA

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.

Section 7 - Duties

What Does a Rigid Haul Truck Operator Do?

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.

Common Duties of a Rigid Haul Truck Operator

Completing daily pre-start inspection of the haul truck before each shift
Positioning the truck safely under the excavator or loader for loading
Hauling materials along designated haul roads to the dump point
Safely dumping loads at the crusher, waste dump, or stockpile
Maintaining safe following distances and speeds on haul roads
Communicating with the excavator operator and traffic controllers throughout the shift
Reporting defects, near misses, and incidents to the supervisor
Maintaining production records and completing shift paperwork

Section 8 - Pay

What Do Rigid Haul Truck Operators Earn?

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.

Civil construction
metro and regional sites

$75,000 - $90,000/yr

Mining - DIDO/FIFO QLD
Bowen Basin, Carmichael

~$54 - $56/hr

Mining - FIFO WA
Pilbara, Goldfields

$56 - $63/hr + super

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.

Section 9 - FAQ and Related

Frequently Asked Questions

A rigid haul truck ticket is the nationally recognised statement of attainment for RIIMPO338E - Conduct Rigid Haul Truck Operations. It is the required qualification to operate a rigid haul truck on Australian mine sites and civil construction projects. It is a plant operation competency certificate, not a driver licence.

A rigid haul truck ticket course costs from approximately $595 to $860 depending on the RTO, location, and whether you are doing full face-to-face training or an RPL assessment for experienced operators. RPL courses typically cost $595 to $660. Full beginner training courses run $595 to $860. Many employers fund the ticket for new site recruits.

No, not for off-road mine site and civil construction operations. The RIIMPO338E ticket is the only qualification required to operate a rigid haul truck on a mine or civil site. Large mining haul trucks are not road-registered. If you also want to operate on-road tip trucks or tippers on public roads, you will need an HR driver licence from VicRoads as well.

The RIIMPO338E course typically takes 1 to 2 days. Experienced operators completing an RPL assessment may achieve the ticket in a single day. Beginners with no prior haul truck experience should allow 2 days. Most RTOs issue the statement of attainment on the day of assessment.

A VOC (Verification of Competency) is a site-specific assessment confirming you can safely operate the exact model of rigid haul truck used on that site. Most mining and civil employers require a VOC every time you move to a new site or a new machine, even if you already hold your RIIMPO338E ticket. It is an additional site safety requirement, not a replacement for the ticket.

SEEK job ads for haul truck operators in mining currently advertise $54 to $63 per hour plus super on FIFO rosters. Jooble puts the average mining truck driver salary at around $105,000 per year. Civil construction haul truck operators typically earn $75,000 to $90,000. Top-end FIFO packages at established mine sites have been advertised at up to $172,000 including super and bonuses.

Keep Reading

If you have your rigid haul truck ticket, these are the courses and licences that open up the next level of work:

Chris Davis

Head of Sales & Business Development

Chris writes about trucking, logistics, and transport industry trends.

TDT training was excellent, I learned a lot about new skills and driving skills all thanks David Allan was an absolute legend and tought me every thing I needed to know about being a safe and responsible truck driver/opoprater TDT is the place to go for all your skill upgrades as they have so many courses to choose from.

Tom Smith

9 October 2026

David Allan is a fantastic instructor; I was nervous at first, but he put me completely at ease and was incredibly helpful in getting my license. Thanks for everything, David.

Baki Öztürk

8 October 2026

Scott was a great instructor, very informative and helpful.

Ben Kyval

6 October 2026

Had an absolutely amazing day with David. He took amazing care the whole way throughout the day. He made me feel at ease and explained everything with his calming and enjoyable personality. I learned so much from him. This is the man!! Time to hit the road.

Ben Gerrard

I had a great experience with David Allan and Vanessa. Vanessa handled the whole process from start to finish very smoothly and professionally, and she was always helpful and easy to communicate with. David was an excellent HR truck driving instructor. He was very supportive, patient and positive throughout the training. He explained everything clearly and made sure I felt confident behind the wheel. I highly recommend David and Vanessa to anyone looking for professional, supportive and friendly service. Thank you both for making the whole experience so smooth!

Yagnik Kalathiya

5 October 2026

Absolutely awesome service from start to finish! David Allan was an absolute legend of an instructor. I came in very nervous but by the end of the day, I was driving a truck no problem at all. From the tips and tricks that make driving a very large vehicle like you’re handling a car, to his overall personality. 10/10! Celine was also very good making the booking seamless and easy. Kudos to TDT and all staff. Thank you very much!

Michael Seno

recently completed my HR licence training with TDT Training and had a great experience from start to finish. A special mention to Ron, the instructor, who was extremely knowledgeable, patient and professional throughout the training. He explained everything clearly, took the time to answer questions and made sure I understood what I was doing before moving on. His experience and teaching style made the training much easier and more enjoyable. I feel much more confident in my driving skills and knowledge after completing the course. I would definitely recommend TDT Training to anyone looking to obtain their HR licence, and especially recommend Ron as an instructor. Thanks to Ron and the team at TDT Training for a great experience.

Racheal Koeleman

3 October 2026

Completed HR training and test with Ron H. During training Ron was clear and articulate with instruction, answered questions simply and provided specific feedback about performance. The training period provided me with lots of time behind the wheel, so I could complete the test with confidence. Admin team were also great with communication.

Brandon Isaac

2 October 2026

my trainer scott had me for my hc no synco license he made it so easy explained everything in good detail and helped me process and pass my license

mitchell steer

1 October 2026

Thank you so much TDT! I booked my HR truck license training with Vanessa from TDT and was assessed by David. Smooth bookings - No hassle at all. If you’re anything like me before a test (nervous) don’t be! David is a really knowledgeable trainer with years of experience under his belt. His instructions were very clear and his step-by-step guide will help you gain the knowledge and experience needed! Felt like working with a mate for a day! Do not miss this opportunity to up-skill with TDT. Get in touch with Vanessa, request for David. Happy days ;)

Ata F

29 September 2026