Roughly, how long did it take you to become as at ease driving a wagon as you are driving a car (if ever)? Strange question I know and different for everyone I imagine. I’m definetley not there yet!
More at home in truck, spent much more time driving it than car.
Can’t remember when the at ease felling came about but it did and it do in time.
BillyMac:
Roughly, how long did it take you to become as at ease driving a wagon as you are driving a car (if ever)? Strange question I know and different for everyone I imagine. I’m definetley not there yet!
How long you been doing it?
Feels like I’m getting there going forwards; not that I don’t have to think, but I don’t panic every roundabout now! Reversing - still working on that!
I haven’t logged too many hours yet so i don’t expect to be comfortable for a while…stops us being complacent I suppose. But I can’t wait for the feeling of just jumping in a truck without thinking about it, the way I drive a car/ride a bike.
Passed my first driving test in a 7.5 and did not drive a car until 3 years after that - cycled to work/drove 7.5s - so the car felt like a dinky toy
When I first drove heavies I found the worst thing was worrying that I had forgotten to do something. It takes a while to get into a routine but I worked out a system, wrote it down and stuck to it. Once everything was checked that needed to be I could then relax and concentrate on driving. Take your time and the confidence in your ability will come. Just dont get complacent either.
I’m way more comfortable driving a truck, but then Ive been at it a while now. Not a huge fan of driving cars, but I do love driving my old VW Campervan, although while being comfortable its not that comfortable and I’m listening to every sound wondering when the next breakdown is due!
Although it no doubt varies from person to person I would say to be ‘comfortable’ from new anywhere between a week to a month.
You will get used to the width before the length (thats what she said) and using your nearside mirror a lot will help you get a feel for how you are positioned on the road.
There are so many others variables though, road conditions, type and weight of load, type of truck, brake condition and performance that even for an old hand it could take a few hours / day t get used to a new truck.
But are we really ever comfortable or just complacent and familiar enough not to make a lash up of things.
Every days a learning day but after a while you will find everything just flows you will get into a zone where even the weirdest looking roundabout becomes second nature to traverse easily, the actions of others don’t surprise you any more and expecting them to behave in a certain way allows one to perform at a higher stanard (dare I say a professional driver level). An improved ability to forward plan helps a lot and this gets better in time.
Stay calm, forward plan, drive smoothly to road conditions, don’t let other buggers wind you up and everything else falls in to place.
way more comfortable in truck m8 rolling house cant beat it 
Always felt quite at home with any of the many lorries good and bad that I drove for 40+yrs have been retired nearly 10yrs and instead of enjoying driving and touring around in the car I find I get very stressed and have got to the stage I hardly use it. Strange as I used to think I would be driving until I poped the clogs!!!. Eddie.
Quite soon, I’m a much better truck driver, than I am a car driver… If only I could learn to reverse one!!!
Couple of years.
I much prefer the drive the truck instead of the car,you can see a lot further forward at the road in front in a truck ,and its automatic ,my car isnt,i dont think its driving forward thats the problem when you first start driving ,its in busy places and reversing what gets you nervous ,everybody gets the sweaty palms first off ,just relax and take it steady easy 
Don’t do much class 1 at the mo just a wee go now and then , but feels great when I do ,moving into Truck driving soon though looking forward to doing it full time ,here’s a couple of pictures, not great quality pictures their fofo’s of foto’s thoroughly enjoy it when I do
switchlogic:
I’m way more comfortable driving a truck, but then Ive been at it a while now. Not a huge fan of driving cars, but I do love driving my old VW Campervan, although while being comfortable its not that comfortable and I’m listening to every sound wondering when the next breakdown is due!
I know that one, Luke.LOLOL. Keep an ear out for the twitter as the cylinder bolts pull out of the old aluminium engine block…!
Didn’t take me too long but I got into driving HGVS at an early age. More than a week off of work and it takes about 30 minutes to get back into it again.
It’s second nature, so much so that quite often I go to use the exhaust brake in my car without realising.
m1cks:
Didn’t take me too long but I got into driving HGVS at an early age. More than a week off of work and it takes about 30 minutes to get back into it again.
It’s second nature, so much so that quite often I go to use the exhaust brake in my car without realising.
+1 often go to click the exhaust brake on in the car much to the wifes amusement. As its radio mute button in the car
I feel more comfortable driving a lorry than a car. I drive a car like a lorry anyway, as some of my passengers have noticed! Robert 
robert1952:
I feel more comfortable driving a lorry than a car. I drive a car like a lorry anyway, as some of my passengers have noticed! Robert
Noticed a few Cat c - sized Fiestas around the place recently. They seem to need to dive out to the white line just before a left turn into a junction. Either he’s thinking “Lorries do it so it must be good technique”, or he’s a trucker in auto-pilot…
robert1952:
I feel more comfortable driving a lorry than a car. I drive a car like a lorry anyway, as some of my passengers have noticed! Robert
LOL often get this off the girlfriend leave to much room from the vehicle in front or take it easy between traffic lights soon get the “you’re not driving your lorry now and just us get home”