17.5 and 7.5 tonnes?

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

Can any one help?
What is the difference in driving a 17.5 tonne lorry and a 7.5 tonne lorry?
I am not sure.
i have only shunted 17.5 tonne lorries around the yard and done my training in a 17.5 tonne lorry.
thanks

2

mutha-trucker:
Can any one help?
What is the difference in driving a 17.5 tonne lorry and a 7.5 tonne lorry?
I am not sure.
i have only shunted 17.5 tonne lorries around the yard and done my training in a 17.5 tonne lorry.
thanks

18 tonner is 2.5 metres wide and 7.5 tonner is 2.3 metres wide
18 has bigger wheels (usually 10 wheel nuts) than 7.5 (usually 6 wheel nuts)
Pricipals of driving both are the same.

3

thanks ROG
At least i will hopefully get some experience before i can save up enough money for the 17.5 tonne test

4

mutha-trucker:
thanks ROG
At least i will hopefully get some experience before i can save up enough money for the 17.5 tonne test

Bit odd to have a 17.5 - you sure it is not either a 17 or 18 tonner

Experience - do you mean in a 7.5 as you passed your car test before 97 ?

I’ll answer myself as I found this…

mutha-trucker:

dieseldave:

mutha-trucker:
the only problem is i was funded before but i now have no funding left so i am gonna have to wait maybe a couple of months till i save up again.
i am definately gonna get back in the saddle.
gonna try for 7.5 tonners to get experience

I’m sorry to hear of your bad news, it seems like that lane change did for you on the last test as you said :cry:

As for driving the 7.5s at work, that depends on when you passed your car test, unless you’ve done a Cat C1 test along the way :wink:

i passed my test in 1995 so i have 7.5 tonne on my car licence. i made sure i had before i applied to TNT and other places

5

A realistic size 18 tonner (2 axle - 4 wheeler) is just like a 7.5t but you need slightly more space for manouevering.

26t (3 axles - 6 wheeler) Slightly more space than comparable 18t but not too bad.

32t (4 axles - 8 wheeler) Lot’s more space needed, the twin steer arrangement gives much less steering lock. If you end up in a full length(ie not a tipper) you’ll likely be doing a fair bit of shunting back and forth to get in places.

All can be driven on Cat C.

6

8wheels:
32t (4 axles - 8 wheeler) Lot’s more space needed, the twin steer arrangement gives much less steering lock. If you end up in a full length(ie not a tipper) you’ll likely be doing a fair bit of shunting back and forth to get in places.

I know all about that today spent what seemed like an eternity trying to get my volvo into a gate way at an wierd angle in a narrow lane to back down alongside the railway to drop some sleepers only to find out there was enough room to get turned round :blush: