Hi all, does anyone know of anybody in the Eastern or South East area, by that lets say, London, Essex, Kent, Cambridge, Hertfordshire etc, who instructs people on “automatic” HGV / LGV`s?
Any info would be much appreciated, you can PM with details if preferred.
Thanks in advance,
Bullitt.
PS…have posted this in the Newbie forum aswell.
bullitt:
Hi all, does anyone know of anybody in the Eastern or South East area, by that lets say, London, Essex, Kent, Cambridge, Hertfordshire etc, who instructs people on “automatic” HGV / LGV`s?Any info would be much appreciated, you can PM with details if preferred.
Thanks in advance,
Bullitt.
PS…have posted this in the Newbie forum aswell.
sure ROG will be along soon but i thought by LAW all test have to be carried out CLASS 2 using a truck that has a 8/8 splitter gear box - so i would imagine automatic’s would not be allowed■■? unless its under certain circumstances■■?
If you’re going to the trouble of taking a test on an ‘automatic’ why not do a test on a ‘manual’ ? I’ve never understood why people waste money taking a test on an automatic car 
just my opinion of course which is’nt worth much 
Tiger.
From the thread of a similar name in the Newbies forum…
ROG:
You can legally take LGV auto but it would mean the training school hiring an auto to do it with - very expensive
bullitt:
Cheers Rog, any names of companies that you may know of who carry out this type of training?Thanks, Bullitt.
ROG:
All of them - if you are wiling to pay through the nose for it
Is there much point?
As a “professional” driver managing the gears correctly is an important port of the job and learning in an automatic will take a lot of that skill away, even when driving an auto you have to be aware of what the box is up to. But if you’ve never had that experience it could put you at a severe disadvantage.
I know some people who have an Auto car license for medical reasons, but if you can’t drive a manual LGV for medical reasons then is opening a barn door, operating a tail-lift or coupling up going to be a problem too?
Scarab:
Is there much point?As a “professional” driver managing the gears correctly is an important port of the job and learning in an automatic will take a lot of that skill away, even when driving an auto you have to be aware of what the box is up to. But if you’ve never had that experience it could put you at a severe disadvantage.
I know some people who have an Auto car license for medical reasons, but if you can’t drive a manual LGV for medical reasons then is opening a barn door, operating a tail-lift or coupling up going to be a problem too?
i think this topic touched on this subject of sorts.
James
Cheers for the replies chaps…maybe I should explain a bit more.
The course and test is for a chap I know who needs to drive as part of his new job. So far he has failed his class 2/3 test three times primarily because of changing gears!!!
Since his job involves him driving ONLY autobox vehicles his employer has agreed,as a last chance, to put him through an “automatic” test!!! 
…(if such a test for HGV`s exists)… …I know its weird, but it would seem its his only chance to keep his job!
So if anyone knows of any training schools who have an Auto-box HGV for training use maybe you could let me know.
Cheers all,
Bullitt.
bullitt:
So if anyone knows of any training schools who have an Auto-box HGV for training use maybe you could let me know.
As I put in the other thread - I know of none in the UK but they will hire one for the trainee at one heck of a cost to the trainee 
ROG:
bullitt:
So if anyone knows of any training schools who have an Auto-box HGV for training use maybe you could let me know.As I put in the other thread - I know of none in the UK but they will hire one for the trainee at one heck of a cost to the trainee
Hi rog
I saw this
There are two types of test vehicle in the C + E category.
A drawbar outfit made from a combination of a category C vehicle and trailer with a MAM of 20 tonnes and a length of at least 7.5 metres from coupling eye to extreme rear and a combined length of at least 14 metres with a trailer at least 2.4 metres in width. The vehicle combination should be capable of 80 km/h (50 mph), with at least 8 forward ratios and a closed box cargo compartment at least as wide and as high as the cab. Tachograph, ABS, seatbelts and examiner mirrors.
An articulated lorry with a MAM of at least 20 tonnes, with a minimum length of 14 metres and and minimum width of at least 2.4 metres. The vehicle should be capable of 80 km/h (50 mph) and have with at least 8 forward ratios and a closed box cargo compartment at least as wide and as high as the cab. Tachograph, ABS, seatbelts and examiner mirrors
would this mean that you must use a manual to take the test
del
delboytwo:
ROG:
bullitt:
So if anyone knows of any training schools who have an Auto-box HGV for training use maybe you could let me know.As I put in the other thread - I know of none in the UK but they will hire one for the trainee at one heck of a cost to the trainee
Hi rog
I saw this
There are two types of test vehicle in the C + E category.
A drawbar outfit made from a combination of a category C vehicle and trailer with a MAM of 20 tonnes and a length of at least 7.5 metres from coupling eye to extreme rear and a combined length of at least 14 metres with a trailer at least 2.4 metres in width. The vehicle combination should be capable of 80 km/h (50 mph), with at least 8 forward ratios and a closed box cargo compartment at least as wide and as high as the cab. Tachograph, ABS, seatbelts and examiner mirrors.
An articulated lorry with a MAM of at least 20 tonnes, with a minimum length of 14 metres and and minimum width of at least 2.4 metres. The vehicle should be capable of 80 km/h (50 mph) and have with at least 8 forward ratios and a closed box cargo compartment at least as wide and as high as the cab. Tachograph, ABS, seatbelts and examiner mirrors
would this mean that you must use a manual to take the test
del
You can take an auto test for any licence catagory but you only get the auto entitlement for that class.
minimum length of 14 metres and and minimum width of at least 2.4 metres. The vehicle should be capable of 80 km/h (50 mph) and have with at least 8 forward ratios and a closed box cargo compartment at least as wide and as high as the cab. Tachograph, ABS, seatbelts and examiner mirrors
an auto box has the same number of gears as a manual, or at least the ones I drive have.
I
bullitt:
Cheers for the replies chaps…maybe I should explain a bit more.The course and test is for a chap I know who needs to drive as part of his new job. So far he has failed his class 2/3 test three times primarily because of changing gears!!!
Since his job involves him driving ONLY autobox vehicles his employer has agreed,as a last chance, to put him through an “automatic” test!!!
So if anyone knows of any training schools who have an Auto-box HGV for training use maybe you could let me know.
Cheers all,
Bullitt.
If the employer is going to put him up for the test do they not have a vehicle that could be used and maybe hire in a trainer alone?
Couldn’t another suitably qualified driver take/■■■■■■ him to the test centre with said vehicle?
Apart from L plates are there any DSA requirements for the vehicle above and beyond a standard road vehicle eg dual controls? (This is a serious question as I simply do not know. The trailer for our in house training/assessment is road ready apart from a different paint job, no fridge and no tail lift)
del949:
minimum length of 14 metres and and minimum width of at least 2.4 metres. The vehicle should be capable of 80 km/h (50 mph) and have with at least 8 forward ratios and a closed box cargo compartment at least as wide and as high as the cab. Tachograph, ABS, seatbelts and examiner mirrors
an auto box has the same number of gears as a manual, or at least the ones I drive have.
I
Auto artic units usually have 12 gears.
yep, realised that after I has posted, but was just making the point that they have the required 8 forward
del949:
yep, realised that after I has posted, but was just making the point that they have the required 8 forward
Agreed
yeah our autos and semi autos have 12 gears. Maybe a semi-auto is a solution, use the manual function for the gear changing? After all no clutch control is needed just keep pushing the stick forwards or backwards.
AFAIK no special adjustments are required to a vehicle, just L plates and a supervising person who’s had their license long enough; not sure of the tacho requirements tho if its a works wagon on training duties rather than a dedicated driving school wagon.
Auto vehicle available from employer presumably?
How much an hour is he willing to pay for an instructor?
Cheers all for taking the time to reply…I recieved a PM from one TN memeber with a suggestion, cheers Robin A, but it looks like the company will be hiring in an instructor and using one of their own vehicles…at some considerable expence I should imagine!! 
Interesting point about it requiring at least 8 forward gears!!
Thanks lads (and Rog 
) once again.
Will let you know what happens…not alot probably!!
CBR_SI:
not sure of the tacho requirements tho if its a works wagon on training duties rather than a dedicated driving school wagon.
It doesn’t change. The only difference would be if they then decided to utilise the vehicle assigned to training to move a ‘commercial’ load during the period of when the trainee was driving.
A bit like, “Whilst you are out, can you just drop this off at…”