{# Shared SEO meta tags — include from every public-facing page's . Each caller should set FWPCOT3325, FWPCOT3326, FWPCOT3329 — Field Ops Australia, FWPCOT3325 — Operate Four Wheel Drive Vehicle on Unsealed Roads is the foundation unit of our three-unit 4WD bundle. You'll learn to use a four-wheel-drive safely and competently on the kind of …, and optionally (defaults to request.path). #}
Field Ops Australia
Field Ops Australia
RTO 45729 · Land-management training
← All upcoming courses
FOA-0002

FWPCOT3325, FWPCOT3326, FWPCOT3329

When
Sunday 21 June 2026
9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Where
FIeld Ops Training Ground - Steels Creek
52 Full and Plenty Track, Steels Creek
Open in maps →
Investment
$950
per participant GST-free (accredited VET)
0 of 8 seats booked
Book a seat →
Pay online · short LLN screen · turn up
FWPCOT3325

Operate four wheel drive vehicle on unsealed roads

FWPCOT3325 — Operate Four Wheel Drive Vehicle on Unsealed Roads is the foundation unit of our three-unit 4WD bundle. You'll learn to use a four-wheel-drive safely and competently on the kind of unsealed roads land-management workers, rangers and fire crews actually encounter — corrugations, ruts, gravel, loose surfaces, mild slopes. This is a practical, in-the-field day. You'll drive a real vehicle on real terrain under instruction, building the decision-making and vehicle-control skills that prevent the majority of single-vehicle rollovers and bog-downs in remote work environments.

Who it's for

  • Anyone driving a 4WD as part of work — rangers, fire crews,
  • land-management contractors, council and parks staff,
  • ecologists, surveyors, agricultural workers, traditional
  • owner ranger programs.

What you'll learn

  • Differences between 2WD and 4WD vehicle handling
  • Pre-trip inspection and trip planning
  • Engaging hubs, transfer case and differential locks
  • Tyre pressure selection for surface conditions
  • Reading the terrain — gravel, ruts, sand, mud
  • Driving ascents and descents under 15 degrees
  • Traction-aid and brake use on slopes
  • Convoy procedures and radio communication
  • Post-trip checks and reporting
  • PPE and load restraint for field operations

🎓 Outcomes

On successful completion you receive nationally recognised Statements of Attainment in all three units: · FWPCOT3325 — Operate four wheel drive vehicle on unsealed roads · FWPCOT3326 — Recover four wheel drive vehicle · FWPCOT3329 — Perform complex four wheel drive operations The SoAs are issued by Field Ops Australia (RTO 45729) and listed on your USI transcript. Industry typically refreshes 4WD competencies every 3 years.

📋 Assessment

Observation-based with video evidence captured on the day. The trainer tags performance criteria against your driving as you demonstrate them. Knowledge questions cover terrain reading, vehicle systems and convoy procedures. Decisions are Competent / Not Yet Competent per unit — if you don't yet meet competency on a specific element, the trainer tells you what to practice and offers a free re-assessment within 60 days.
FWPCOT3326

Recover four wheel drive vehicle

FWPCOT3326 — Recover Four Wheel Drive Vehicle covers the equipment, techniques and judgement to recover a stuck or stranded vehicle without putting yourself, your crew or your equipment at risk. This is the unit that earns its place every time a fire crew slides off a wet track or a ranger gets bogged in soft sand. We work through real recoveries on real vehicles — winch line layouts, snatch blocks for mechanical advantage, ground anchors, kinetic recovery — and the planning and risk-assessment that comes before any of those tools come out of the box.

Who it's for

  • Workers using 4WDs in remote or rugged conditions where
  • self-recovery (or buddy-recovery) is a real possibility.
  • Fire crews, rangers, biosecurity inspectors, contractors
  • running mobile operations off-grid.

What you'll learn

  • Selecting and inspecting recovery equipment
  • Winch operation — single line, double line, change-of-direction
  • Snatch block use for 2:1 mechanical advantage
  • Setting ground anchors on hard ground and soft sand
  • Kinetic recovery technique and risk management
  • Recovery damper / blanket use to manage stored energy
  • Assessing the casualty vehicle and terrain before acting
  • Initiating and terminating recoveries safely
  • Communications during a recovery
  • When NOT to attempt a recovery

🎓 Outcomes

On successful completion you receive nationally recognised Statements of Attainment in all three units: · FWPCOT3325 — Operate four wheel drive vehicle on unsealed roads · FWPCOT3326 — Recover four wheel drive vehicle · FWPCOT3329 — Perform complex four wheel drive operations The SoAs are issued by Field Ops Australia (RTO 45729) and listed on your USI transcript. Industry typically refreshes 4WD competencies every 3 years.

📋 Assessment

Observation-based, in-the-field. You'll perform real recoveries under instruction — winching, snatch blocks, anchors and kinetic options as the conditions allow. The trainer captures timestamped video evidence tagged against the unit's performance criteria. Knowledge questions cover line-strength ratings, anchor strategy, kinetic energy and recovery planning.
FWPCOT3329

Perform complex four wheel drive operations

FWPCOT3329 — Perform Complex Four Wheel Drive Operations is the advanced day of the bundle. It picks up where 3325 finishes — steep ascents and descents over 15 degrees, side slopes, sand driving, water crossings, rocks and ruts in difficult terrain. This unit is for operators who genuinely need it: people who go where the conditions are non-trivial. It's not a fast-track confidence builder — it's a serious day of decision-making practice in the kind of terrain that gets people hurt when they get it wrong.

Who it's for

  • Experienced 4WD operators whose work takes them into genuinely
  • difficult terrain — steep country, soft sand, water crossings,
  • rocky two-track. Fire crews on the steeps, rangers in remote
  • country, contractors working ridges and gullies. Strongly
  • recommended to complete FWPCOT3325 + 3326 first.

What you'll learn

  • Route assessment and planning through difficult terrain
  • Steep ascents and descents over 15 degrees
  • Side-slope traversal and rollover risk management
  • Negotiating ruts, rocks and slippery surfaces
  • Sand driving — tyre pressures, momentum, line choice
  • Water crossing assessment — depth, current, recovery options
  • Stopping and restarting on a steep incline
  • Failed-attempt recovery — backing down a slope safely
  • Passenger and vehicle safety throughout
  • Recognising when a route is beyond safe operation

🎓 Outcomes

On successful completion you receive nationally recognised Statements of Attainment in all three units: · FWPCOT3325 — Operate four wheel drive vehicle on unsealed roads · FWPCOT3326 — Recover four wheel drive vehicle · FWPCOT3329 — Perform complex four wheel drive operations The SoAs are issued by Field Ops Australia (RTO 45729) and listed on your USI transcript. Industry typically refreshes 4WD competencies every 3 years.

📋 Assessment

Observation-based on terrain that meets the unit's complexity requirements. The trainer captures timestamped video evidence tagged against the performance criteria as you negotiate ascents, descents, side slopes and any water or sand sections the venue allows. Knowledge questions cover terrain assessment, rollover risk, momentum management and decision points.

Ready to book?

First-in best-dressed once seats fill. $950 per participant (GST-free).

Book a seat →