DRTS Heavy-Vehicle Theory study plan
DRTS Heavy-Vehicle Theory · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Road rules and traffic law for heavy vehicles
Map every rule in Domain 1 into a personal one-page reference covering speed limits, following distances, sign and line meanings, and heavy-vehicle-specific restrictions.
State aloud, without notes, the licence-class, mass and route obligations that apply to the vehicle class you intend to drive.
Work through 40 scenario-style road-rule questions and log each error with the underlying rule it tested.
Explain the difference between a regulatory sign, a warning sign and a road marking using three real examples each from memory.
Your checkpoint
A one-page Domain 1 rule sheet plus a scored 40-question practice set with every wrong answer annotated by rule.
Road rules and traffic law for heavy vehicles & Heavy-vehicle braking systems and air brakes
Recite the full air-brake charging and release sequence from memory, naming each component in order.
Describe how a governor, compressor, reservoir, and safety valve interact, and what happens when pressure falls below the warning threshold.
Apply Domain 1 rules to 20 mixed braking-and-road-law scenarios, choosing the correct legal and physical response in each.
Identify five warning signs of brake fade or air loss and state the immediate action for each.
Your checkpoint
A hand-drawn air-brake system diagram with a written 150-word explanation of a low-pressure event and the correct driver response.
Heavy-vehicle braking systems and air brakes
Perform and document a pre-trip air-brake test sequence on a real or simulated vehicle, recording static leak-down and build-up times.
Compare the behaviour of service brakes, parking brakes, and emergency spring brakes, and state when each engages automatically.
Solve 15 numerical problems on stopping distance, reaction time, and brake adjustment limits.
List the out-of-service criteria for brakes and explain why each one matters.
Your checkpoint
A completed brake-inspection checklist with recorded pressure readings and a short written verdict on whether the vehicle passes.
Mass, dimension and load restraint limits & Vehicle dynamics, stability and load-induced handling effects
Calculate axle-group mass, gross mass, and payload limits for three worked example vehicles and check each against typical legal limits.
Explain how load placement changes centre of gravity, rollover threshold, and steering-axle grip, using at least two worked load-shift examples.
Demonstrate the correct application of at least three load-restraint methods and state the restraint force each must withstand.
Predict handling changes on a downgrade and in a crosswind for a high-centre-of-gravity load.
Your checkpoint
A load plan for one hypothetical vehicle showing mass distribution, restraint method per item, and a written handling-risk note.
Vehicle inspection, roadworthiness and defect reporting & Driver fatigue management and work/rest hours
Complete a full pre-trip inspection in a fixed order and record every defect found against its category.
State the legal and practical difference between a major and minor defect and the reporting chain for each.
Build a personal fatigue-management plan covering work and rest limits, and identify the signs that require stopping.
Analyse four fatigue scenarios and decide, for each, whether the driver may legally and safely continue.
Your checkpoint
A completed inspection form with at least five logged defects and a written fatigue plan with a decision rule for stopping.
Hazard perception and safe driving behaviour
Scan 30 hazard-perception scenarios and identify the primary hazard and correct response within a set time for each.
Name the three highest-risk hazards for heavy vehicles and explain the physics behind each.
Describe safe following distance, blind-spot management, and intersection strategy for a loaded heavy vehicle.
Write a short commentary-drive script for a five-minute urban route.
Your checkpoint
A hazard log of 30 scenarios with primary hazard, chosen response, and a pass/fail self-score at 80 percent accuracy.
Incident response, emergency procedures and chain of responsibility
Outline the correct sequence of actions after a collision, including scene safety, notification, and evidence preservation.
Explain chain-of-responsibility duties for each party in the supply chain and give a concrete breach example for each.
Describe emergency procedures for brake failure, tyre blowout, and load shift at highway speed.
Draft an incident report from a supplied scenario using only facts observed.
Your checkpoint
A one-page incident-response flowchart plus a chain-of-responsibility duty table with one breach example per party.
Road rules and traffic law for heavy vehicles & Vehicle inspection, roadworthiness and defect reporting & Mass, dimension and load restraint limits & Driver fatigue management and work/rest hours & Heavy-vehicle braking systems and air brakes & Vehicle dynamics, stability and load-induced handling effects & Hazard perception and safe driving behaviour & Incident response, emergency procedures and chain of responsibility
Complete two full-length timed mock exams and score at least 85 percent on each.
Review every missed question from both mocks and re-study the underlying rule until it can be explained aloud.
Re-test the weakest three domains with 20 questions each and confirm improvement over week 1 baselines.
Consolidate all weekly deliverables into one indexed revision pack for final review.
Your checkpoint
Two scored mock exams with error analysis and a final indexed revision pack covering all eight domains.
Milestones
Week 2: Explain the air-brake charging and release sequence from memory and score at least 75 percent on a 20-question mixed Domain 1 and 5 set.
Week 4: Produce a load plan with correct mass distribution and restraint choices, and score at least 80 percent on a 20-question Domain 3 and 6 set.
Week 6: Achieve at least 80 percent accuracy on the 30-scenario hazard log within the time limit.
Week 8: Score at least 85 percent on both full-length mock exams with every error annotated by domain and rule.