BabyOku:
Hello all,I am new to this forum and in learning to become a LGV driver (Cat C licence).
I have got quite a bit of information from reading this forum and decided to document my experiences from the Doctors report to … the end.
So I’ll be adding information of my experience from time to time, and I hope it will help any one starting out and looking for information or noted experience of someone that is going through the process. I included some dates to demonstrate how long each process took, but not in all occasions though.
The first piece of information:
I applied for my provisional licence in the first week in July. It took seven days to get to me. I filled out the Doctor’s report form and eventually went to get the report filled in at my surgery. I was told it cost £20, which I was shocked about because I was informed on documentation from DVLA that it cost about £100, forums I visited also mentioned similar figures. The receptionist confirmed the cost and I duly paid, filling out the form and ticking the £20 tick box. I was informed that I would be called in about a week for an appointment booking, that was a waste of 7 days if someone asked me.I visited a friend who is an Uber driver who confirmed my suspicions of the price. It happened to him at the same surgery and he was slapped with an extra £70 on his visit (appointment with the doctor). I braced myself for the extra cost. He also did say that he got his own appointment on the day.
Anyway, I was eventually called and the appointment date set for 24th July 2017, which I attended. At the reception desk, I was slapped with an extra £90 totalling £110. This I queried the extra charge and was informed that the cost was £110 not the £20 I was told and paid for. Anyway, I attended my appointment, when it was over the doctor said that I should pay the balance before getting my report, obviously he didn’t know that I couldn’t even walk past the reception desk without being hounded for the “balance” I was not afore warned about. Anyway, I informed him I had paid and showed him my receipt, and also complained. His reply was not encouraging, but anyway I had paid and was off with my report, after he had photocopied it.
During the appointment, I volunteered information that wasn’t in my Health file, the Doctor noted it but requested I took a blood test for verification that all was fine. However, this had no bearing on the outcome of the report as my organ tested had nothing to do with my driving ability and the required safety involved. My test was on the 25th July 2017.I don’t know how this works, but I hope I’ll be able to update this New topic of mine, possibly by reply or commenting.
I sent off my driver’s licence with the Doctors report and the Provisional license request form on the 24th of July. In the meantime, I have finished reading the ‘The Official DSA Guide to Driving Goods Vehicles’ book and the ‘The Official Highway Code’ book, and now going through the questions and answers in the ‘The Official DVSA Theory Test for Drivers of Large Vehicles’ book. I have also downloaded the ‘Know your Traffic Signs Official Edition’ e-book, though not gone through it yet, I think I should have done that before starting the Theory Test for Drivers of Large Vehicles book. All signs are in the Highway Code anyways.
My driver’s license was delivered (received) on the 10th August 2017, 17 days after I sent it in, just under the three-week mark advised by DVLA. When I checked it, there was no markings indicating my provisional status for the C, C1, D, D1 and BE vehicle codes, so I called DVLA and was informed that the information is only on their database, which she went on to check and confirm. Click on this link to view yours: gov.uk/view-driving-licence or type it into your browser (be aware that you will need to log in with your Driving License number, NI number and post code. My intention now is to book my theory and Driver’s CPC test about 7 days from now, 18th August 2017.