I doubt many will disagree with me on this, I learnt to drive hgv in the army, RCT 1979. We were trained in navigation actually reading a map, driving in all terain with combat driving and across fields etc, trained to maintain the lorry and drive in convoys. In comparison with todays modern 5 day wonders who have cpc courses and using sat navigation or get lost at every junction, is there any wonder that Ex army drivers are actually better equiped to do the job. What’s the general opinion on this, could you disagree?
AndrewG was in the army…and he was pretty good
How many could complete self recovery or use a turfer winch. I passed my cl3 and got grandfather rights, I didn’t pass my cl1 till civvi street but I remembered what I was taught in the Army.
Not much call for some of what I was taught or the terrain I drove across today. I don’t think reversing flat out and performing anti ambush drills to secure a ■■■■■■■■■■■■ would go down to well in an artic. 
Always get the impression they’re waved through the test I’ve never found them to be worth taking on over anyone else. I’d say drivers who’ve come up through vans/7.5 tonners are much better.
Too many variables to make any reliable conclusion.My dad was a REME driver/mechanic,with 4 years behind him,working in an armaments factory as an engineer from leaving school,before he was called up.Having,of course,like you,first gone through his basic training on the basis that all army ‘trades’ come secondary to being a Soldier first and foremost.Ironically,unlike his Father and myself,he didn’t want to be a driver and never regarded himself as a driver by trade and went back to engineering when he was demobbed.
On that note I got out of the engineering trade that he wanted for me within less than two years after leaving school knowing that I wanted to be a driver before I’d left school.Then more by luck than judgement I was transferred to the factory transport department driving vans,a 7.5 tonner and then the large trucks that we made there.Then stayed a driver for the rest of my working life having never used a sat nav and wouldn’t even know how to if I had one.Make of all that what you will.
Grumpy Dad:
How many could complete self recovery or use a turfer winch. I passed my cl3 and got grandfather rights, I didn’t pass my cl1 till civvi street but I remembered what I was taught in the Army.
Not much call for some of what I was taught or the terrain I drove across today. I don’t think reversing flat out and performing anti ambush drills to secure a ■■■■■■■■■■■■ would go down to well in an artic.
I think there’s a difference between army ‘class 3 licence holders’ because they need to drive a Bedford v a proper REME/RCT Class 1 ‘driver’.
Or the situation in which someone who actually joins up to be a driver finds themselves caught in the over subscribed nature of that job and ends up in the normal ranks and at best driving a Bedford to dump their mates out in some cold wet deserted part of Wales or Salisbury plain for yet another ‘training’ excercise.While next time it will be someone else driving the Bedford. ( Which is why many of the naive mugs who I left school with ‘bought themselves out’ of the army for exactly that reason ) IE joined up for a trade especially driving and found out that they are soldiers first.Unlike me obviously not having Fathers with the experience to warn them about the reality of joining up for the trades sections.In that you do what you’re ordered to do and it’s just as likely that someone who joins up to be a driver will end up in the infantry and/or as a cook as someone who wants to be an engineer will end up driving a ( proper ) truck most of the time. 
So there we have it.My dad,who never wanted to be a driver by trade,was driving stuff in the army like Diamond T tank transporters through the mountains of Austria/Italy and what became Yugoslavia.That myself and his Dad,who really did regard ourselves as ‘drivers’ by trade,could have only dreamed of.
Having said that I do know that having to clear knocked out tanks of the remains of their unfortunate crews,either before or after taking the mess back to a field workshop,or seeing a mate blown up by an anti tank mine ironically planted by Yugoslav partisans in the fight for Istria after WW2 had ended,might just also have affected my Father’s view of the job.Just as it probably would have done mine.Possibly to the point of feeling physically sick at the sight of a tank transporter after all that at least,for all I know. 
I’d have to disagree on this after working alongside a few ex servicemen one who was a liability in the extreme causing thousands of pounds worth of damage in his 6 month bin tour! Iv found them to be lacking in road craft & technical ability too.
Having said that I’m sure there are some proper drivers in amongst them!
I’m ex-Army, REME. Did same driver training as RCT. All I can say is that I’m glad a mate of mine had his own wagon and showed me the ropes before I started driving as a civvy because what they taught you in the army leaves you woefully unprepared.
The only thing of any worth out of it was off road and adverse weather driving I did. Even load restraining was of no use in civvy street.
As for maps, I’ll take Satnav every time. Far better coverage and in the case of things like Google and Waze etc infinitely more up to date than anything in print. Whilst the A1M was being built around Catterick Google showed the new route as soon as it opened complete with the new junctions and routes into Catterick whereas everything still being sold in print showed the old A1 including two junctions that were now completely closed.
Driving a Helibedford round a field doesn’t make anyone a better lorry driver.
I’ve met some seriously good professional soldiers who I wouldn’t let drive a wheelbarrow never mind an artic, being ex anything doesn’t make you better than any other person coming to driving from a previous trade.
Why’s it always the cold war worriers and REMFs who shout loudest about being ex green?
Only took him six hours to get a catch
Jimmy McNulty:
Only took him six hours to get a catch
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
+1
fishings not so easy when you have a tiny hook. 
They have nice shiney boots
the ones i’ve had the misfortune to drive with CANT DRIVE end of !!!
about 20yrs ago was once getting my car fixed at a garage out in the sticks locally and this squaddie was in there too
he was kicking up a stink because a car with irish plates was on the ramp getting fixed and his car wasnt getting fixed ahead of it -he assumed it was a bad guy up to no good and tried to get the cars owners name /address [to take things further] but nobody would ,
iv always remembered that he didnt like not getting his way
I’ve worked with many ex military drivers over the years, the majority have been no better or worse than any “civvy” driver I’ve known. However, the originator of this post reminds me of one in particular. He was also very fond of blowing his own trumpet, his favourite quote was " I was trained to kill" . We reckoned he was a cook in the ACC. Andy Capps Commandos. regards Kev.
Wasn’t Trucker Jay in the Army before menacing the roads in a daf cf… say more more. 
It’s like anything else. Good and bad on both sides. It’s all about wanting to learn (correctly) which has a lot to do with who you are taught by and also having a good attitude.
jakethesnake:
It’s like anything else. Good and bad on both sides. It’s all about wanting to learn (correctly) which has a lot to do with who you are taught by and also having a good attitude.
Sort of what I was driving at, mainly the attitude of the driver which you can generally rely on as not being a whinging little whimp like most attitudes found on here. Most wouldn’t get through a day let alone bloat about how they seem to know rubbish army drivers. We have Connor stating he had the same training in the REME that the RCT had. Bit like a cook saying he had the same training as a para. Amusing replies but nothing stands out as sensible except for this one and why i bothered actually answering.
Carryfast:
Grumpy Dad:
How many could complete self recovery or use a turfer winch. I passed my cl3 and got grandfather rights, I didn’t pass my cl1 till civvi street but I remembered what I was taught in the Army.
Not much call for some of what I was taught or the terrain I drove across today. I don’t think reversing flat out and performing anti ambush drills to secure a ■■■■■■■■■■■■ would go down to well in an artic.I think there’s a difference between army ‘class 3 licence holders’ because they need to drive a Bedford
Or the situation in which someone who actually joins up to be a driver finds themselves caught in the over subscribed nature of that job and ends up in the normal ranks and at best driving a Bedford to dump their mates out in some cold wet deserted part of Wales or Salisbury plain for yet another ‘training’ excercise.While next time it will be someone else driving the Bedford.
So there we have it.My dad,who never wanted to be a driver by trade,was driving stuff in the army like Diamond T tank transporters through the mountains of Austria/Italy and what became Yugoslavia.That myself and his Dad,who really did regard ourselves as ‘drivers’ by trade,could have only dreamed of.
Having said that I do know that having to clear knocked out tanks of the remains of their unfortunate crews,either before or after taking the mess back to a field workshop,or seeing a mate blown up by an anti tank mine ironically planted by Yugoslav partisans in the fight for Istria after WW2 had ended,might just also have affected my Father’s view of the job.Just as it probably would have done mine.Possibly to the point of feeling physically sick at the sight of a tank transporter after all that at least,for all I know.
Carryfast do you have a list of posters you find the need to reply to, mainly with negative condescending comments along with your sanctimonious self righteousness.
My comment merely stated the license I took while was in the Army and the step up to class 1 which I did as a civvi, not the circumstances behind why I chose to take it, taking cl3 was the quickest option to get my car license, among other courses I took was my bike test something I’ve not even used apart form bezzing down the runway at Kuwait airport,
Quick question, how the ■■■■ do you suppose kit and equipment get from point A to point B in the theatre? We step out the back of a chinook and it’s all laid out for us? Every Regt and Corps has gear that needs moving on wheels, or have you got the idea we phone a man with a van and all the logistical arrangements are done. It’s not just for troop carrying.
As for calling people willing to sign up whether it’s 3 years or 22 naive is bang out of order from someone who didn’t have the balls to sign up in the first place.
Perhaps you’d like to state how naive troops are regarding their employment status in places like Royal Wooton Bassett, Mill Hill, Port Stanley, Bazra or on your next feel obliged to attend Memorial Day.
As an ex military tank transporter driver I’d love to be able to say that the military turns out the best drivers, but I can’t. Like society as a whole there’s both good and bad drivers, wearing a flowery uniform doesn’t turn one into a driving God. IMO good drivers start way before they can actually drive by having a passion for driving and paying keen attention to what the driver of the vehicle they are being carried in does.
I was obsessed with watching closely everything my Father did as he drove and he’d often question me as to why he’d done certain things whilst driving, which gave me a theoretical understanding of the process. When he finally let me off the leash in a field at about 10 years of age I knew exactly how to make the car move. Obviously I was rubbish but over the years my passion has seen me become slight less rubbish!