Short answer: a 14-pallet tautliner needs a Heavy Rigid (HR) licence. But that's only useful if you know what the rest of the fleet needs, so here's the whole picture.
The rule that matters is GVM — Gross Vehicle Mass, meaning the vehicle plus everything in it. Not the size of the body, not how many pallets it takes. A truck that looks enormous can still be legal on a car licence if its GVM is under the line, and that's exactly why our 4.5 tonne moving truck exists.
Car (C) licence
Your standard licence. It covers any vehicle up to 4.5 tonnes GVM, which is a lot more than most people assume — including a 20 cubic metre furniture truck.
That 4.5 tonne line is the reason the moving truck is the most-hired vehicle in our fleet. Someone moving house on a Saturday doesn't have an MR licence and isn't going to get one, so a truck built to sit just under the limit is the whole answer.
On a car licence you can hire:
- Every car and SUV — small car, sedan, SUV and people mover
- The 1 tonne tray ute
- Both cargo vans — the 1 tonne and the 2 tonne
- The 4.5 tonne moving truck at 20 m³
- The 4 pallet tautliner
- The 4.5 metre tray truck
That's eleven of our vehicle classes on the licence already in your wallet.
Medium Rigid (MR)
MR covers rigid vehicles over 4.5 tonnes GVM with two axles. It's the step most tradies and delivery drivers take first, and it opens up the middle of our fleet:
- The 5.5 m 8-pallet pantech (30 m³, tailgate lifter) and the 11 t 10-pallet pantech (40 m³)
- Tautliners from 6 through 12 pallets
- The 5.5 metre tray truck
If you're doing palletised freight for a living, MR is usually where the work is. Twelve pallets is close to the practical ceiling of a two-axle rigid, which is why the 12 pallet tautliner sits at the top of the MR range in our fleet.
Heavy Rigid (HR)
HR covers rigid vehicles over 4.5 tonnes GVM with three or more axles. In the Cartrex fleet, exactly one vehicle needs it: the 14 pallet tautliner, our largest truck, with curtain sides and a powered tailgate lifter.
If you hold HR you can also drive everything below it — MR and car-licence vehicles included.
The whole fleet, mapped
| Vehicle class | Licence needed | Day rate inc. GST |
|---|---|---|
| Small car — Suzuki Swift or similar | Car (C) | $45 |
| Sedan — Toyota Camry or similar | Car (C) | $70 |
| SUV — Toyota RAV4 or similar | Car (C) | $85 |
| 8 seater people mover | Car (C) | $160 |
| 12 seater commuter | Car (C) | $189 |
| 1 tonne tray ute | Car (C) | $70 |
| 1 tonne cargo van | Car (C) | $85 |
| 2 tonne cargo van | Car (C) | $100 |
| Moving truck 4.5 t (20 m³) | Car (C) | $130 |
| Tautliner 4 pallet | Car (C) | $169 |
| Tray truck 4.5 m | Car (C) | $150 |
| Moving truck 7 t / 8 pallet pantech (30 m³) | Medium Rigid | $250 |
| Tautliner 6 pallet | Medium Rigid | $199 |
| Tautliner 8 pallet | Medium Rigid | $249 |
| Tautliner 10 pallet (6.2 m) | Medium Rigid | $299 |
| Tautliner 12 pallet | Medium Rigid | $349 |
| Tray truck 5.5 m (8 pallet) | Medium Rigid | $200 |
| Tautliner 14 pallet w/ tailgate lifter | Heavy Rigid | $399 |
Three things people get wrong
1. Judging by size instead of GVM
Our 4.5 tonne truck looks like a proper removal truck because it is one — 20 cubic metres of body. People assume it needs a truck licence and book a van instead, then make three trips. It's a car licence. Check the GVM, not the silhouette.
2. Assuming a heavy licence covers everything
Licence classes cascade downward, not upward. HR covers MR and car vehicles. MR does not cover the 14 pallet tautliner. If you hold MR and the job needs fourteen pallets, the honest answer is either two runs in the 12 pallet or a driver who holds HR.
3. Forgetting the licence has to be current and held long enough
We need a full, current licence held for at least twelve months. A learner or probationary licence isn't enough, and neither is one that expired last month. Bring the physical card — every driver on the agreement needs to be present at pickup.
Still not sure?
Two options, both quicker than reading legislation. Use our Which Truck chooser — it asks what licence you hold and only shows you vehicles you can legally drive. Or ring 0402 157 360, tell us what's on your licence and what you're moving, and we'll tell you what to book.