Field Ops Australia
RTO 45729 · Land-management training
FOA-0013
4WD-CLUSTER — 4WD Field Operations Cluster
When
Saturday 22 August 2026 · 8:30 AM–4:00 PM
Sunday 23 August 2026 · 8:30 AM–4:00 PM
Where
FIeld Ops Training Ground - Steels Creek
52 Full and Plenty Track, Steels Creek
Investment
$949
per participant GST-free (accredited VET)
0 of 6 seats booked
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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 is 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 will 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 is 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 will 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 is 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 will 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.
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