I’m in the middle of a 5 week tour in Romania, we loaded in the UK with a UK registered 18 tonner, I haven’t driven one for years. The turning circle is like an oil tanker, it’s bloody horrendous! I freely admit it took a few miles to get the sense of where I needed to be to get round corners and roundabouts, not to mention event sites where it can be chaos and have people, vehicles and kit everywhere. So, I’m doffing my cap to everyone who drives these day in day out! Give me an artic any day 
On the odd occasion when I drive a rigid, I always turn the steering wheel the wrong way when I’m reversing. 
They are horrendous at a T Junction [emoji14]
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It wasn’t a lwb 18t MAN was it, the turning circle of those are worse than any.
I reckon that I’d be bloody incompetent in a rigid now, I’m totally brainwashed into driving artics. 
I’ll say one thing for the guys on the bigger rigids, generally speaking they don’t cut in on you when overtaking as much as those ■■■■ s amongst us who can’t drive artics . 
The local Co-Op guys scare me, a 6 wheel rigid with 26’ box and about 10 drops, but that means collections so you are unloading the lot at most drops to get the empty cages and returns on as well as taking it in the shops, they may as well put it on the shelf and do a turn behind the till too, they don’t seem to get any help.
Rear steer is what’s needed. We’ve got a scania rigid 26t which is horrendous going round corners whereas my rear steer MAN 26t (without the drag) is brilliant, nearly as good as an artic.
Imagine the fun I had when I first got it after 22 years on artics though [emoji23] reverse like an artic when in drag form but a rigid without! I was all over the place [emoji23]Got the hang of it now.
BTW, I do multi drop building sites which makes it even more ‘fun’.
Crikey, think yourself lucky you didn’t have my Sed Ak 400 eightlegger! For turning left at some junctions you had to touch the right hand kerb with the offside wheels, I wrote a car off once when she crept up inside me ;“Why were you on the wrong side of the road but indicating left?” she asked but it was deemed to be her fault as I was indicating. 
I’ve never driven an artic though, apart from caravans and trailers.
Pete.
Ultimately a rigid will always outperform an artic on turning circle because you can’t shunt an artic trailer back an forwards changing the locks from one side to the other between each shunt.
Not sure why this old chestnut comes round and round. It definitely is not harder to drive a rigid.
Isn’t it just like telling ginger kids some women like men with red hair to make them feel better.
Did 10 years on max length rigids, there’s places I use to go an artic would never have got in, also it’s easier to find a parking space,and go thro 7.5t areas, and then there’s also the added advantage of it being rwd,
Harry Monk:
On the odd occasion when I drive a rigid, I always turn the steering wheel the wrong way when I’m reversing.
Same…
I’ve also on occasion buggered up reversing just the solo unit when reverse parking it into a ■■■■■■■■■■■■. 
robroy:
I reckon that I’d be bloody incompetent in a rigid now, I’m totally brainwashed into driving artics.I’ll say one thing for the guys on the bigger rigids, generally speaking they don’t cut in on you when overtaking as much as those [zb] s amongst us who can’t drive artics .
I drive a 12 metre, 10 tonner. On roundabouts she’s more of a ■■■■■ than I am, just one of the reasons I’ll always give a bendy truck plenty of room to manoeuvre.
I remember once taking an 18 tonner out to do a delivery. The entrance gate was on the right and when I went to turn in, I completely missed it and ended up slewed across the road facing the fence on the left of the gate.
Carryfast:
Ultimately a rigid will always outperform an artic on turning circle because you can’t shunt an artic trailer back an forwards changing the locks from one side to the other between each shunt.
Kinda don’t agree, you can pass the entrance/junction with the unit then screw the unit tight back under the trailer to give you a better swing and at the same time you are keeping the trailer further forward. but be very aware of where the front and back of the trailer are going.
windrush:
Crikey, think yourself lucky you didn’t have my Sed Ak 400 eightlegger! For turning left at some junctions you had to touch the right hand kerb with the offside wheels, I wrote a car off once when she crept up inside me ;“Why were you on the wrong side of the road but indicating left?” she asked but it was deemed to be her fault as I was indicating.Pete.
Takes me back to the Foden eight leggers in the 60’s. Like I’ve said before, you didn’t steer 'em round corners, you aimed at them and everyone got out of yer way. Christ I was strong in those days. We used to load concrete pavers and pipe segments for Bingley from a mob at Feltham. Had a mans steering and a clutch you had to stand on.
dave docwra:
Carryfast:
Ultimately a rigid will always outperform an artic on turning circle because you can’t shunt an artic trailer back an forwards changing the locks from one side to the other between each shunt.Kinda don’t agree, you can pass the entrance/junction with the unit then screw the unit tight back under the trailer to give you a better swing and at the same time you are keeping the trailer further forward. but be very aware of where the front and back of the trailer are going.
It’s the front of the trailer that’s the problem.So you’ve run out of room and the front of the trailer is going too tight against the entrance post/wall with the unit and drive axle/s ( which are steering the trailer ) at around 90 degrees to the trailer if not more.Then what ?.
Whereas with a rigid you do exactly the same thing you go past the entrance then turn in.But unlike the artic you can then shunt it back on the opposite lock.Usually that one shunt being enough if you’ve timed the turn in point right.
you think a rigid’s bad, try one with 10ft rear overhang and 13ft on the back…lovely bit of tailswing
Midnight Rambler:
It wasn’t a lwb 18t MAN was it, the turning circle of those are worse than any.
How did you know■■?