Truck Mounted Attenuator (TMA) Operators continue to be in high demand across WA. Starting a career in traffic management can be very rewarding, playing your part in helping build and maintain Australia’s essential road infrastructure network. Working as a Truck Mounted Attenuator Operator provides an opportunity to work outdoors, travel to various locations, work alongside and meet many new people and open doors to consider other roles within the civil construction industry.
What is a Truck Mounted Attenuator (TMA)?
A TMA is defined as a combination of Host Vehicle (Truck) and Impact Attenuator Unit, mounted on the Host Vehicle to protect road workers. The Impact Attenuator Unit, also known as a crash cushion or crash attenuator, is a device intended to reduce the damage done to structures, vehicles and motorists resulting from a motor vehicle collision. Impact Attenuator units are designed to absorb the vehicles’ kinetic energy and/or redirect the vehicles away from the hazard, and from roadwork machinery or workers.
TMAs are used for the protection of works on or adjacent to high-speed roads with high traffic volumes.
We have put together this quick 3-step guide for everything you need to know on how to become a qualified Truck Mounted Attenuator (TMA) Operator in WA and finding the right position in the traffic management industry for you.
Step 1 – Check you meet all pre-entry and Main Roads WA pre-requisite requirements
Becoming a qualified Truck Mounted Attenuator Operator in WA requires specific training and accreditations. In order to complete the training, you need to ensure you meet the pre-entry and pre-requisite requirements for the training course.
✔️ Hold a current and valid Heavy Rigid (HR) driver’s licence or higher, to operate the TMA;
✔️ You must have evidence of at least 80 hours experience in operating heavy vehicles within the last 6 months;
✔️ Hold a valid Work Safe WA Construction Safety Awareness Training Card (commonly referred to as White Card);
✔️ Hold a current Main Roads WA Basic Worksite Traffic Management Accreditation;
✔️ You must have evidence of at least 50 hours practical experience in traffic management within the last 6 months.
If you meet all the above criteria, skip to step 2. If not, consider what pre-entry or pre-requisite requirements you need to achieve your goal of becoming a qualified Truck Mounted Attenuator Operator.
To become a fully qualified Truck Mounted Attenuator Operator you will be required to undertake the Main Roads WA Operate Truck Mounted Attenuator (also known as OTMA) training course. AusQ Training delivers this course over 2 days and have a range of public course dates available in Perth and Bunbury. [Click here] for full TMA course overview.
Step 2 – Choose your preferred training provider and enrol
To gain your Truck Mounted Attenuator accreditation you will need to find an approved Main Roads WA training provider that delivers Truck Mounted Attenuator (TMA) Training in WA. At the time of writing this article, there are very few training providers in WA that can deliver Truck Mounted Attenuator (TMA) training . AusQ Training were the first approved RTO by Main Roads to commence delivering Truck Mounted Attenuator Training in WA since 2017. AusQ Training are approved to deliver all Main Roads WA levels of accreditation in WA. View the list of providers here.
Step 3 – Commence Your Job Search
To assist our students and followers, we have a dedicated (and free!) Job Board. Our Job Board is JUST for traffic management and road construction-related jobs across WA. Let us help you make the job search process easier. Our Job Board aim is to connect job seekers with employers. As a result, our Job Board will help you save time by providing one central location to find truck mounted attenuator and traffic management positions anywhere across WA. On average our Job Board has 30 – 40+ traffic management and construction related jobs listed at any one time.
Got Questions?
Do you have any other questions relating to Truck Mounted Attenuators (TMA), Truck Mounted Attenuator (TMA) training or any other questions let us help, please contact our team here.
Do you need training?
AusQ Training offer a range of courses to assist you in the traffic management or construction industry, in Perth, Bunbury and all over WA – to view our range of public training courses [click here] or view our calendar here.
Make a time to chat to one of our Customer Support Team members [here] to discuss your traffic management training needs.
