Backhoe Training Course
RIIMPO319E - Conduct backhoe/loader operations
Available Backhoe Training Dates
Course schedule: Backhoe training runs most weeks of the year, with theory starting Monday mornings and practical sessions across the week. Online theory is available if you cannot get in on a Monday. Because your prior experience changes how long you need in the machine, the exact dates and pricing sit against each course below, so you can book online against the one that suits. Contact us to arrange a group booking or a date not listed here.
Backhoe Course Overview
A backhoe ticket is what gets you paid to run one. It is the nationally recognised qualification, RIIMPO319E, that civil, construction and plumbing crews look for before they hand you the keys. A backhoe is not high risk work, so you finish with a statement of attainment: your proof to an employer that you can run the machine safely.
The backhoe loader is two machines in one. A loader bucket on the front for loading trucks, backfilling, carting and cleaning up a site, and an excavating arm on the back for digging trenches, footings and service runs. It is one of the most useful machines on a small-to-medium site, which is why the ticket opens doors across civil works, drainage, plumbing, landscaping and general construction.
The course covers backhoe loader operations end to end, split into theory and seat time. Theory covers the parts of the job that cause damage when people guess: reading the site, locating underground services before you dig, ground and stability assessment, and the load and lift limits of the machine. Then you are in the backhoe under supervision, and you are assessed on both a written component and a practical demonstration before you leave. You will be taught by trainers who have run this gear for a living, so the time goes on the situations that actually go wrong, not just the answers on a test.
What You’ll Learn:
- Pre-start inspections and safety checks, and knowing when a machine stays parked
- Planning the task, assessing the ground, and locating underground services before you dig
- Operating the front loader: loading, carrying, backfilling, stockpiling and cleaning up
- Operating the rear backhoe: digging trenches and footings to line, level and depth
- Setting up on the stabilisers and working safely on uneven or sloping ground
- Placing spoil, working to grade, and keeping a tidy, safe work area
- Working around other plant, traffic and people on an active site
- Shutting down, securing and reporting faults, plus the logbook and paperwork side
Who Can Enrol:
You need to be at least 16 years old. No experience is needed and no other ticket is required first, so the course suits people who have never touched a backhoe. It also suits operators who have run one on the job for years and now need the ticket to prove it, or who want a verification of competency rather than the full course.
Most people booking in are getting into civil construction, drainage or plumbing, or already work in the trade and know the ticket is what gets them on the bigger jobs.
Your Qualification:
On successful completion you receive a nationally recognised statement of attainment for RIIMPO319E, Conduct backhoe/loader operations, issued by us as a registered training organisation. This is the ticket employers ask to see. Unlike a forklift or EWP licence, there is no separate application to a state regulator afterwards, the statement of attainment is the qualification.
Important Note:
Licensing and certification requirements may vary by state and territory. We ensure all relevant regulatory information is covered during enrolment to meet local industry standards.
Backhoe Course Pricing
Current pricing sits on the course dates above, so you can see exactly what you will pay on the date you pick rather than ringing around for a number.
We review your previous experience to confirm the duration and pricing for your course. If you have operated a backhoe for years and only need your competence confirmed, a verification of competency may suit you better than the full course. Ask us before you book and we will tell you which one you need.
If you are getting started in civil construction, plenty of people pair the backhoe ticket with another machine or two and knock them over in the same visit. Our machinery bundles are worth a look if you are chasing more than one ticket, because lining courses up back to back saves you a second trip.
Why Train with Diggerman Training
Our trainers have 20+ years on the tools. They have run backhoes and other plant on real civil sites, in real conditions, so the training sticks. You get told why the rule exists and what happens the day someone ignores it, not just what the answer is on the test.
The machines are real and they are maintained, supplied through Diggerman Earthmoving, and small class sizes mean you get proper seat time under supervision instead of queueing behind a dozen other people. On a ticket that is assessed on what you can actually do, that time in the machine is the whole point. Nobody leaves here with a ticket until they are genuinely competent in the machine.
We have been a training provider since 2003, and machine tickets are the courses we run most often. The backhoe sits alongside the excavator, skid steer and bobcat and front end loader tickets most of our students come back for.
> “Great if you have prior experience in a machine and need a ticket as they can get confirmation of that and get your ticket quicker. I didn’t have any experience on a grader however and they were more than happy to take the extra time needed to give someone basic training and steer them in the right direction. I found the training to be very similar scenarios to what you would come across on a civil site but without the pressure of a civil site. They don’t just give out tickets left right and centre, they ensure you know what you’re doing before letting you go. Exactly what this industry needs more of.”
> – Liam
> “The trainers didn’t just pass me, it took months of learning and training on the machines. They didn’t just say I paid so I passed. Because they took their time and taught me all about the civil construction industry, now I have the best job ever and I owe it all to Diggerman and their trainers.”
> – Ashley
Getting Started Is Simple
Step 1: Choose Your Course
Take the backhoe ticket on its own, or bundle it with another machine if you are building up your tickets.
Step 2: Book Your Dates
Book against the course schedule above. Theory starts Monday mornings, with practical across the week.
Step 3: Get Qualified
Pass the assessment and collect your nationally recognised statement of attainment for RIIMPO319E.
On-Site Backhoe Training for Businesses
If you have staff to get ticketed, talk to us about running it as a group. We train businesses and individuals across Brisbane and regional Queensland, either at our training centre or at your workplace where you have a suitable backhoe and the space to operate it. Training is tailored to how your crew actually works. Minimum numbers apply.
For most businesses it comes down to keeping the crew working. Getting a few operators ticketed in one intake beats sending them out one at a time across months, and training on your own machine in your own yard means they finish already familiar with the gear they will use. If you are based in Brisbane, our on-site training in Brisbane page has the detail, or see the full range of courses we run if the crew needs more than one ticket.
Frequently Asked Questions
Only if you will be working on construction sites. The White Card, Prepare to work safely in the construction industry, is a separate ticket, and plenty of people getting into civil work do their white card and their backhoe ticket in the same visit. If you are heading onto a site, ask us to line them up together when you book.
That is who the course is built for. No experience is needed and nobody is expected to walk in knowing how to dig a trench to grade. The training takes you from the ground up, first the theory, then time in the machine under supervision until you are assessed as competent.
It depends on your experience, so we confirm the duration when you book rather than quoting a one-size number. A complete beginner needs more seat time than someone who has run a backhoe on the job for years and only needs their competence confirmed. Tell us your situation and we will map it out before you pay.
Maybe not. If you are experienced and just need the ticket, recognition of prior learning through a verification of competency is usually the quicker path. It is a shorter assessment rather than a full course. Ring us with your situation and we will tell you which one applies before you book the wrong thing.
It qualifies you to operate a backhoe loader, the machine with a loader bucket on the front and an excavating arm on the back. It is common right across civil works, drainage, plumbing, landscaping and general construction, which is part of why it is such a useful ticket to hold.
A nationally recognised statement of attainment for RIIMPO319E, Conduct backhoe/loader operations, issued by us as a registered training organisation. That is the document you show an employer. There is no separate regulator application afterwards.
Yes. We run backhoe training for employer groups, at our training centre or at your workplace where the machine and the space allow it, across Brisbane and regional Queensland. Minimum numbers apply. Call us with how many you have and what tickets they need.
Small numbers, deliberately. One person operates the machine at a time, so a big class just means everyone stands around watching. You are here for seat time, not for a seat in a room.
Ready to Get Your Backhoe Ticket?
A backhoe ticket is one of the more versatile machine tickets you can hold, because the machine turns its hand to loading, digging and backfilling on almost any civil or construction site. Get assessed by trainers who have actually done the work, on real machines, and walk away with the ticket employers ask to see.
If you need other machine tickets on top of it, we can line the courses up back to back so you are only away from work once.
P.S. Chasing more than one machine ticket? Ask about our machinery bundles when you book, because getting a few done in the same visit saves you time and money.
Interested in this course?
