Heavy vehicle licence classes and conditions

Your Northern Territory (NT) heavy vehicle driver licence has information about you, which heavy vehicles you can drive, and the conditions you must follow while driving.

A heavy vehicle has a gross vehicle mass (GVM) or aggregate trailer mass (ATM) of more than 4.5 tonnes.

Licence classes

Below is a list of heavy vehicle driver licence classes - from lowest to highest.

If you have the higher licence class, you can drive any type of vehicle for a lower class. This does not include motorcycles.

For example, if you have a multi-combination (MC) licence, you can drive any type of vehicle except motorcycles.

If you have an LR licence, you can drive a vehicle that has a GVM of more than 4.5 tonnes and up to 8 tonnes.

Find out how to apply for an LR licence.

If you have an MR licence, you can drive a vehicle that has:

  • 2 axles
  • a GVM of more than 8 tonnes.

Find out how to apply for an MR licence.

If you have an HR licence, you can drive a vehicle that has:

  • 3 or more axles
  • a GVM of more than 8 tonnes.

Find out how to apply for an HR licence.

If you have an HC licence, you can drive a:

  • prime mover with a single semi-trailer that has:
    • a GVM of more than 9 tonnes
    • plus any unladen converter dolly
  • rigid motor vehicle that is towing a trailer, that has:
    • a GVM of more than 9 tonnes
    • plus any unladen converter dolly.

Find out how to apply for an HC licence.

If you have an MC licence, you can drive:

  • vehicles towing 2 or more trailers including B-doubles
  • triple road trains
  • quad road trains.

Find out how to apply for an MC licence.

Licence conditions

If you apply for an HR, HC or MC licence, you'll get a condition added to your licence.

Below are 3 common types of heavy vehicle transmissions and the conditions you'll get.

This depends on the transmission type of the vehicle you used in your assessment and the conditions of your previous heavy vehicle licence.

Heavy vehicles with an automatic transmission work in the same way as an automatic car. Gear changes happen automatically.

An HR, HC or MC licence with an XU condition means you can only drive a heavy vehicle fitted with an automatic transmission.

Similar to a manual gearbox found in a car, a heavy vehicle with a synchromesh transmission has:

  • synchro rings that match the road speed and
  • engine revs to make it easier to choose a higher or lower gear.

An HR, HC or MC licence with a B condition means you can only drive a heavy vehicle that is fitted with:

  • an automatic transmission or
  • a synchromesh transmission.

A non-synchromesh transmission is also called a constant mesh or crash box.

It requires a technique known as ‘double clutch’ to match the engine speed (RPM) to the road speed when changing to a higher or lower gear.

If you passed your assessment in a vehicle with a constant mesh transmission, you'll get a licence without a condition.

This means you can drive heavy vehicles with all transmission types.

Change or remove XU or B condition

If you have an HR, HC or MC licence, you can change or remove the transmission condition on your existing class. You must pass a competency test in a vehicle fitted with another transmission type.

If you have an HC or MC licence, you can have your XU or B condition changed or removed if you pass a class HR competency test in a heavy rigid vehicle.

Upgrade your HR or HC licence

When you upgrade your HR or HC licence, the transmission condition on your licence may change.

To find out what condition you'll have after you upgrade your licence, answer the questions below.



Give feedback about this page.

Share this page:

URL copied!