Hello
Just was wondering what is generally considered harder to driver class 1 or class 2 ?
I have heard drivers say artics are harder to drive and yet I have heard other drivers say the same about rigids.
Yet some have said they are both as challenging to drive in there own right for there own reasons.
I admit class 1 trucks are much bigger, but only in length not width (I am not counting height here as it seems to vary).
Any opinions appreciated
regards
Due to length, distance between steering and drive axles and also quite often over-swing (everything of the body after the drive axle) rigids (Class C) can be very difficult in situations like turning into or out of tight roads especially in built up areas with lots of parked cars, Artics can sometimes be a little easier in those situation due to them having a pivoting point, not to mention rigids tend to do more inner city, multi drop and handball type deliveries.
Artics are obviously much harder to reverse but like anything that’s something you overcome with practice, knowledge and experience.
Other than that there’s not really much difference, mostly it’s down to horses for courses tbh.
Reef:
Artics are obviously much harder to reverse but like anything that’s something you overcome with practice, knowledge and experience.
And then still balls it up! [emoji3]
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I’ve only driven one class 2, for a week, in order to be able to get my class 1. I hated it… so I’d say class 2 is harder, because you’ve got to hate it as well as drive it and be jealous of class 1 all at the same time! 
Now .heres a question!..my last job in the uk was on a class2 6wheeler with a big overhang and we spent our time on town ,village u…c roads ,single track in the countryside. before that artic on main drag/motorway and a drawbar outfit. Now for a while when I was there (21 yrs)before I got completely PD off at the world 
I used to take drivers out to see what they were like on the single tracks and in close work in towns and I found class 2 drivers (that had no experience on the narrow roads) adapted better than a class1 driver (that had never drove a class2) ,nb …I was near scared to death many times by “experienced” class1 drivers who would be offended at being baby sitted . In short its horses for courses ,anyone can point a semi truck down a motorway but lets say it needs a different skill to do multidrop in a long wheelbase rigid. my opinion only.
Thanks for the replies everyone.
I am thinking of doing a class1 driving course soon, but was led to believe driving artics is much harder, but from what I am reading here not so.
What worries me about a full size class 1 is the length of it.
For example If you need to go around a tight bend, what happens if you get it wrong trying to get the truck round, two things could go wrong 1 you overshoot it and get stuck ( I would presume here you would need to very carefully and slowly shunt backwards a bit to get positioning right, am I right ?)
2 you don’t go as far forward as you need two and, end up wacking the end of your trailer into street furniture etc.
Has anyone ever done either of these ?
For example If you need to go around a tight bend, what happens if you get it wrong trying to get the truck round, two things could go wrong 1 you overshoot it and get stuck ( I would presume here you would need to very carefully and slowly shunt backwards a bit to get positioning right, am I right ?)
2 you don’t go as far forward as you need two and, end up wacking the end of your trailer into street furniture etc.
Correct training will avoid all this. It’s not a “given” that stuff will go wrong. Experience is a huge benefit but cannot be taught. It’s important to understand that it’s not a crime not to attempt a turn. If it doesn’t look sensible, it probably isn’t. This is why we spend time taking candidates round turns that are on the limit. That way the candidate knows what “on the limit” looks like and hopefully wont attempt anything beyond that.
Pete 
+1 MR Smythe and don’t forget “the last driver got in no problem” pressure put on new drivers.
When I last had the classic “we’ve had bigger down here driver” I’ll park up and walk to access the situation and if I’m still not happy then it’s not happening it’s my licence while I’m driving the truck it goes where I want it to not where someone who’s prob never say in a artic thinks it can go. Don’t be a push over if they want what you are delivering they will compromise you don’t want to be calling the gaffer to say you have ripped a farm gate off and damaged the truck lol
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I can’t comment on class 1 but as someone said earlier in class 2 you get a lot of multidrop in tight streets. Some I can’t believe I manoeuvred through without [zb] something.
Class 1 does look tricky for reversing and I have nightmares from reversing caravans years ago. I guess class 1 is mostly motorways and industrial estates? Only an issue of you don’t hook up correctly.
Though some supermarkets use artic, don’t envy them getting into some shops!
spacemanZ10:
I guess class 1 is mostly motorways and industrial estates?Though some supermarkets use artic, don’t envy them getting into some shops!
Plus all the building sites, farms in the middle of nowhere, and some of the same small streets if doing shops.
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From my experience:
Class 1 can be much harder occasionally
Class 2 can be challenging most of the time
What I mean by this is mostly related to the work they are used for. Class 1 can definitely be tricky in some circumstances and with a greater potential for things to go wrong. BUT they spend 90+% of the time on a motorway or sat on a bay/being tipped/loaded. Class 2, especially with a long wheel base and overhang tend to be used in tight situations more often but equally have less to go wrong.
Personally having now been driving class 1 for a little while but still having a lot to learn I’d say this is harder (for now). I suspect with more experience my view will change.
That said I was driving class 2 with a 30+ft flatbed and a HUGE overhang before this and spent half my time offroading on building sites, so that certainly had its challenges.
Every truck and every job will have its own pros and cons so you may as well ask “how long is a piece of string?”
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