How to Get a Class 4 or Class 5 Driving Licence for Heavy Vehicles

If your job involves driving a lorry, a tipper or a prime mover, a car licence is not enough. A Class 4 licence in Singapore lets you drive heavy motor vehicles, and a Class 5 licence goes further to cover the largest vehicles on the road, including those towing trailers. Both are upgrades you take after you already hold a Class 3 licence, and both involve practical training on vehicles that behave very differently from a car.

This guide explains what each class covers, who can apply, the general upgrade steps and what to expect from the test. It is general information only. The Singapore Police Force’s Traffic Police sets licensing rules and they can change, so confirm current requirements on the Traffic Police section of the SPF website or with a driving centre before you register.

What Class 4 and Class 5 Actually Cover

Singapore’s driving licence classes are built in layers. Each higher class allows you to drive a bigger or more specialised vehicle.

• Class 3 and 3A cover cars and light goods vehicles (small vans and light lorries) within a set weight limit. Class 3A is the automatic-only version.
• Class 4 covers heavy motor vehicles above the Class 3 weight limit, such as larger lorries and heavy goods vehicles.
• Class 5 covers the heaviest category, including articulated vehicles and vehicles drawing trailers, such as prime movers.

The exact weight thresholds and vehicle definitions are set out by the Traffic Police. Before you sign up, check which class the vehicle you will actually drive at work requires. Your employer’s transport manager will usually know.

Licence class	Typical vehicles	Usual starting point
Class 3 / 3A	Cars, small vans, light goods vehicles	Basic and Final Theory Tests, then practical test
Class 4	Heavy lorries and heavy goods vehicles	Holding a Class 3 licence for the required period
Class 5	Prime movers, articulated vehicles, vehicles with trailers	Holding a lower qualifying class for the required period

Buses are a separate path. Driving a bus for passengers in Singapore needs both the right licence class and a Bus Driver’s Vocational Licence from LTA, which has its own training and medical requirements.

Who Can Apply for an Upgrade

Requirements are set by the Traffic Police, so treat this as a checklist of what to look up rather than a final answer.

• An existing licence. You must already hold a qualifying Singapore driving licence. For Class 4 this is a Class 3 licence (some routes may not accept Class 3A, so check if you passed on an automatic). For Class 5 you usually need a lower heavy vehicle class.
• Minimum holding period. There is a minimum period you must have held your current licence before you can upgrade. Check the current requirement on the SPF website.
• Age. There are minimum age requirements for heavy vehicle classes.
• Medical fitness. Heavy vehicle drivers may need a medical examination, and older drivers face additional medical checks to keep driving commercial vehicles. Your driving centre will tell you which forms apply.
• Driving record. Recent demerit points or a suspension can affect your eligibility.

Foreigners on work passes who want to drive heavy vehicles for an employer should also check MOM rules for their pass and the employer’s own requirements. If you hold a foreign heavy vehicle licence, conversion rules differ from car licence conversion, so ask the Traffic Police whether your licence can be converted at all.

The Upgrade Steps, From Registration to Licence

The general path for Class 4 and Class 5 looks like this. Details vary by driving centre.

1. Confirm the class you need. Check the vehicle’s unladen weight and configuration against the Traffic Police definitions.
2. Choose a driving centre. Heavy vehicle training is usually done through one of Singapore’s driving centres, which have the vehicles and circuits needed. Compare their course structure, schedules and fees directly, as these change.
3. Register and submit documents. Bring your NRIC or pass, your current driving licence and any medical forms requested.
4. Attend practical lessons. You will learn on the class of vehicle you are upgrading to, first on the circuit, then on public roads where required.
5. Book and take the practical test. The test is conducted by the Traffic Police at an approved test centre.
6. Collect your updated licence. Once you pass, the new class is added to your licence record. Check the SPF website for how the licence is issued today.

Unlike your first licence, you generally do not need to sit the Basic and Final Theory Tests again, since you already passed them for Class 3. Some centres include heavy vehicle theory as part of the course, which is worth taking seriously.

What the Heavy Vehicle Test Involves

A Class 4 or Class 5 practical test checks the same core skills as a car test, but the vehicle punishes small mistakes far more.

• Pre-drive checks. Expect to adjust mirrors and seat correctly and show awareness of the vehicle’s controls, air brakes and gauges where fitted.
• Circuit manoeuvres. These usually include tight turns, reversing into a bay and moving off on a slope. Long wheelbases and trailers make reversing the step most candidates fear.
• Road driving. You will need to show correct lane discipline, wide turning without cutting corners, safe following distances and good use of mirrors around cyclists and motorcyclists.
• Gear and brake control. Heavy vehicles may have manual gearboxes with many ratios. Smooth gear changes and early, progressive braking count.

Common reasons for failing include mounting kerbs on turns, rolling back on slopes, poor mirror checks before changing lanes and stopping too late. Ask your instructor which faults are treated as immediate fails.

Driving Heavy Vehicles Safely Once You Have Your Licence

Passing the test is the start, not the finish. Heavy vehicles in Singapore face lower speed limits than cars, specific lane and road restrictions, and rules on securing loads. Many companies also run their own safety induction.

Good habits to build early:

• Walk around the vehicle before every trip to check for people, tyre damage and unsecured loads.
• Allow far more stopping distance than you would in a car, especially in rain.
• Watch your blind spots, particularly on the left side at junctions where cyclists and pedestrians can disappear from view.
• Secure loads properly, and never overload beyond the vehicle’s limits.
• Take breaks on long shifts. Fatigue is a serious risk in heavy vehicle driving.

For a road user’s view of the same risks, see Staying Safe Around Heavy Vehicles. If you are moving up from a light van rather than a car, Driving a Van or Large Vehicle covers the basics of handling bigger vehicles.

Tips for Planning Your Upgrade

• Ask your employer first. Some companies sponsor heavy vehicle licences or have arrangements with driving centres.
• Check funding. Some driving courses linked to logistics jobs may be supported under training schemes. Check SkillsFuture or the Skills and Workforce Development Agency (SWDA) for anything currently available.
• Budget for retests. Heavy vehicle tests are demanding, and extra lessons are common.
• Keep your licence valid. Licence validity and renewal rules can differ for older drivers and commercial vehicle drivers. See Renewing Your Singapore Driving Licence for the basics.

If you are still at the start of the journey, read Getting a Driving Licence in Singapore first, since a Class 3 licence is the foundation for every heavy vehicle class.

Official sources: OneMotoring

Further reading: How to Apply for a Vehicle Parking Certificate (VPC) for a Goods Vehicle in Singapore