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Key takeaways
- Bring originals of every licence and ticket — expect them to be copied.
- Be ready to talk about a near-miss and what you changed afterwards.
- Know the operator's routes, customers and trailer types before you arrive.
- Expect a practical assessment such as a yard reverse or coupling check.
Do your homework
Spend ten minutes on the operator's website. Know what they haul, where they run and roughly how large the fleet is, then ask informed questions: is the work mostly linehaul or distribution, and what does a typical roster look like?
Common questions
- Walk me through your driving history
- Tell me about a near-miss and what you did differently afterwards
- What would you do if dispatch asked you to keep driving when you were out of hours?
- How would you restrain this load on a flat-top?
Answer accurately. Experienced transport managers can tell when a driver is overstating experience, and a licence check will confirm it anyway.
The practical assessment
Most operators run a yard test — a reverse into a dock, a coupling check and sometimes an on-road drive. Take your time, narrate what you are doing and use your mirrors. Safe and methodical beats fast.
Pay, rosters and the offer
It is reasonable to ask about rates, overtime, rosters, allowances and PPE. Ask which award or enterprise agreement applies, and how penalty rates and night loadings are handled. Get the offer in writing before you resign your current role.
The Fair Work Ombudsman publishes pay guides and award summaries for road transport and distribution work, which is a useful reference point when comparing offers.
Sources and review
Last reviewed by the Aussie Transport Jobs editorial team.