I’ve got to admit it but I’m completely embarrassed , went for a trial drive in a class 1 and I totally bottled it , couldn’t even take it out on the street . When I booked it I said I wanted to do it in an auto but they said it wouldn’t be available for a couple of weeks so I said I’d do it in a manual , big mistake on my part , passed my cat c in one but wasn’t happy . Got myself sat in the thing and I knew there was no way I was taking it out , the instructor was pretty annoyed and I don’t blame him , thinking now I’m just gonna leave it and just stick with the 2 Just don’t think I’ve got the confidence to drive an artic
It is pretty daunting, I was in exactly the same boat as you 3 weeks ago.
I went in for my class 1 because my dad had a job lined up for me where he works. The week after passing, I had to sit an ADR course, the week after, I started on training with tanks. The assessor, who is an extremely nice bloke and really patient told me, that if I’d been there under my own initiative, they’d have told me to come back when I’ve got more experience, but because my dad pulled strings, they took me on and just gave me more training (mainly on reverse) 3 weeks later, I can drive it with no problems, and I get reversing in every chance I get, met the assessor again today, and he’s happy with my progress.
I guess my point is, don’t give up, approach some haulage companies and offer to do some shunting free of charge, build up your confidence. I drive a brand new Renault truck, and they’re massive, when something non hazardous comes up, I can drive it unsupervised, 3 weeks ago I was constantly doubting myself.
You can do this!
You must be getting angry with your self hun.
You could get posts saying try again but that’s going to cost you money.
You are the best person to know your limitations and perhaps you are right.
I personally think that driving a class 2 is difficult so you are doing something that I can’t do.
Don’t give up too soon mate, although I’ve not passed either yet… (not had my first lesson yet) I was a bit nervous about the C Class wagon but had an assessment with Elmet Training in sherburn and he put me at ease
After reading your post again, I realised you meant class 1 training, I thought you meant you’d gone for a class 1 job assessment.
If you’ve never driven a class 1, then you’re obviously going to be nervous. The training school should be able to iron out the creases. By the end of my training, I was happily confident driving that wag+drag around north wales!
I felt the same when I took my class 2 training as the biggest vehicle I had driven previous to that was a 3 door fiesta 
But I passed my class 2 then did my class 1 2 years later,I’ve always seen a class 2 licence as only half way there to being a HGV driver (sorry if that offends anyone but it’s my opinion),so I always intended to do my class 1 and within an hour of driving I felt comfortable out on the road in one.
Take a few weeks break,get your head straight and get back out there fella…you may regret it if you need to find work in the future and there is no rigid work about.
Don’t give up fella we are all capable of it and with a good trainer you’ll be fine.
jeffeddie:
I’, thinking now I’m just gonna leave it and just stick with the 2 Just don’t think I’ve got the confidence to drive an artic
Let’s not have that negative talk on here. My advice find yourself another training provider and have another assessment.
Don’t be a defeatist,
Paul
Just read your post to the other half and her reaction was well done you for admitting it .
I’ve just booked my c+e for the beginning of February and luckily it’s in an auto which is the same as the rigid I passed my class c in last week and both are MAN so controls should be the same . On my second morning I chatted with the lad on the artic and he reckoned it was easier to drive than the rigid so I will just have to wait and see but it is daunting .
the instructor was pretty annoyed
Simple - find another one then!
Yes, the first hour in an artic can be intimidating but a skilled instructor should be able to put you at ease. IME folks look and feel very comfortable within the first hour.
It needn’t cost you more to have assessments; phone round, many are free.
Pete 
After ive passed my class 2 went for assesment driver in wag+drag and i felt very condfident afterwards not so much different driving forwards it realy raised my confidence about class 1. But that was wag+drag artics is different story.
oaziux:
But that was wag+drag artics is different story.
Really?
Paul
Thanks for all the positive input everyone , but being honest I should not have agreed to the manual , the minute I sat in it I knew I wasn’t gonna take it out . The instructor didn’t help much though saying that I might have to drive one if I passed anyway , to which I replied , I’ll worry about that then not on the test . There was no way we were gonna Get on . Just gonna take some time and see what I want to do next ,might try somewhere else just not sure it’ll be any different
jeffeddie:
Thanks for all the positive input everyone , but being honest I should not have agreed to the manual , the minute I sat in it I knew I wasn’t gonna take it out . The instructor didn’t help much though saying that I might have to drive one if I passed anyway , to which I replied , I’ll worry about that then not on the test . There was no way we were gonna Get on . Just gonna take some time and see what I want to do next ,might try somewhere else just not sure it’ll be any different
To be honest, you shouldn’t have instructors making you feel like that. It’s in the instructors best interest to be positive and proactive, because that is how they make their living - teaching people how do drive a certain class of vehicle.
You really, REALLY should look towards a different instructor/training school. Instructors, regardless of the pupils abilities (or lack of) should be patient and helpful.
Out of curiosity, who are you currently training with?
Just to add, a manual isn’t that difficult, once you’ve been out on the road in it for half an hour, you’ll get used to it.
I’d rather not say who I was with , I don’t think it’s fair because it’s only my opinion and as regards a manual I had a job getting used to it in 5 days so I really don’t fancy it again . Maybe I will look elsewhere or just stick with the class 2 I’m not sure at the moment . The nerves just got the better of me and I don’t know if it would be any different no matter where I went . Doing my licences is only a back up for me really , I’m not under any pressure to find a lorry job at the moment so ill have to give it some serious thought about whether to go on with it
elmet training:
oaziux:
But that was wag+drag artics is different story.Really?
Paul
Really
so what happens when you get into a cat C with a gear stick 
Peter Smythe:
Simple - find another one then!
No truer word spoken. I would recommend calling a few trainers and having a chat. Don’t limit yourself to your town or even your county. You will know talking to them who you feel comfortable with.
Personally after reading your story a couple of times it is so clear you need to consider a drawbar option as they are not really any different to driving a rigid, perhaps ever so slightly.
A skilled trainer would have recognised your concerns and perhaps demonstrated the basic points to you. You clearly have the skill as you have already passed the hard bit, the Cat C. Your fears are within your mind and that is the area any trainer worth his salt works with. You are not alone in this.
Please PM either myself or any trainer on the board for a friendly no sales pitch chat (I know I speak on their behalf). You will be amazed how just that little action will make you feel so much better.
Good luck
Sometimes the kindness shown on here takes me by surprise…I have been on a lot of interactive web sites for various reasons and some people are just down right nasty .
EVERYONE on here is willing to help…It puts a smile on my face when I read threads like this …
If its on your bucket list to drive a bendy then dont give up on your dream…
Take some time to consider what you really want to do, I don’t know why anyone would criticise the trainer for telling you that you may have to drive a manual when you get a driving job because he was right.
Driving artics isn’t for everyone, if you’re not sure if it’s for you then perhaps you should get some experience on cat C vehicles before throwing more money at it, honestly what’s the point of spending good money on training to drive cat C+E if you’re going to walk away from any job that involves using a manual gearbox, I don’t mean any disrespect but if you wouldn’t go on the road in a manual cat C+E vehicle during an assessment how do you know you will if you get a job driving one.
My advise would have to be to take some time out and not rush into spending more money on something that may not be the right job for you, if you really want to do it then go for it but don’t be talked into more expensive training by people who have a vested interest in promoting training until you’re sure it’s what you want to do and can do.
I know some people will say this as a negative post, but bear in mind that I have no vested interest in talking people into or out of training, it’s just my unbiased and honest opinion.
Whatever you decide to do I wish you the very best of luck 
Thank you tachograph and everyone else for there supportive words, I wasn’t having a go at the trainer he was right , if I had to drive one for a job I probably could I just don’t need the stress in a learning situation .you may very well b right it might not be for me , got to do the last bit of my cpc anyway and I’ll give a lot more thought about my next move