As many of you know I passed my CE test on Tuesday in a Wag + Drag. The training was fantastic.
However in the real world I need to be able to cope with driving artics too.
So I have booked 4 hours tomorrow on a refresher course with a local company… VMS in Bristol.
Hoping I can get some useful experience from it and kerb my anxiety of being able to get into an artic and drive / manoeuvre / couple it.
I have passed their unit before parked up in Avonmouth and as far as I remember it is a Daf with a Tri-Axle trailer. Nothing like being thrown in at the deep end.
Will post a short diary of my achievements including pictures.
Well the afternoon has gone a lot better than expected.
It turned out to be a twin axle trailer with a Daf. Lovely to drive although the clutch bite was extremely high.
Mark took me out around some busy parts of Bristol with challenging turns to see how I dealt with it. Just had to remember to drive forwards more before taking the turn so the trailer didn’t catch anything on the way round. After 20 minutes or so I was in a comfort zone and it was hard to get me out of it. Really enjoyed it.
Then we pulled into a waste bit of ground which had been marked up with the yellow lines.
Pulled into the middle and got to uncouple and recouple. Same principles ie. BLANK Just had the one go at it but was happy with that. Then on to the reverse.
Took 3 attempts at it. 1st one with guidance and took a shunt. Second one on my own with Mark watching and I made a balls up of it. Went back to the start and took one shunt into the garage. 3rd one was a lot better. I put all I had learned into practise and got it in the box in one. Woo Hoo. So chuffed with myself as I really thought I’d struggle.
All in all a great afternoon. And he has offered to give me a written reference and pass my details on to a few of his contacts.
Good luck to all that are taking tests in the coming weeks.
Hi Dean. Glad you found it relatively straight forward. Perhaps more folk may consider taking the easier route of W&D, passing the test and THEN doing a short artic familiarisation session. It’s clearly worked for you - spread the good word!!
… and you know nothing would please me more. But it’s a business - not a charity!! Even when I offered FREE training on the artic with a fully loaded trailer, people couldn’t be bothered to come. I had more broken appointments than a few but most never even bothered booking.
I suppose people may have thought there was a catch - - folk who have dealt with me should know better!
But be assured that, if ever the rules are changed to make W+D non-acceptable for test, there will be a line of shiny new artics on the yard! But don’t hold your breath!!! The hard facts are that most people want to spend as little as possible to be as sure as possible of passing the test. I believe we offer the solution to that need and the statistics prove that as a fact. And, of course, the pro-artic camp always choose to forget that there are many different vehicles requiring a CE licence that the new driver would be stumped with in any case. The job relies on post-test training and the sooner the industry get their head around that, the happier I will be and the safer the roads will be.
Don’t know why I started ranting! Sorry, but you know how passionate I am about this job. Pete
… and you know nothing would please me more. But it’s a business - not a charity!! Even when I offered FREE training on the artic with a fully loaded trailer, people couldn’t be bothered to come. I had more broken appointments than a few but most never even bothered booking.
I suppose people may have thought there was a catch - - folk who have dealt with me should know better!
But be assured that, if ever the rules are changed to make W+D non-acceptable for test, there will be a line of shiny new artics on the yard! But don’t hold your breath!!! The hard facts are that most people want to spend as little as possible to be as sure as possible of passing the test. I believe we offer the solution to that need and the statistics prove that as a fact. And, of course, the pro-artic camp always choose to forget that there are many different vehicles requiring a CE licence that the new driver would be stumped with in any case. The job relies on post-test training and the sooner the industry get their head around that, the happier I will be and the safer the roads will be.
Don’t know why I started ranting! Sorry, but you know how passionate I am about this job. Pete
I would not expect you to give the skill transfer away. Charge for it. I know I would have appreciated the skill transfer from your school keeping it all in house. I know I am talking to a brick wall cos as you say it’s a business and the figures have to add up. Just airing my thoughts
I would not expect you to give the skill transfer away. Charge for it. I know I would have appreciated the skill transfer from your school keeping it all in house. I know I am talking to a brick wall cos as you say it’s a business and the figures have to add up. Just airing my thoughts
But I’ve tried it. Tried charging. Tried charging half price. Tried GIVING IT AWAY FOR FREE!! Very few takers. If someone can tell me what I’m doing wrong, there’s plenty of space for a shiny new artic on the yard. Will order it Monday morning - no problem. But would like to know it’s going to do something rather than sit and collect cobwebs!!
Any serious suggestions most welcome. Frustrated Pete
Peter just to confirm that you can drive a W&D after passing C+E in artic?
i thought it may have been a separate test. Although training would be needed.
Ive been thinkin about workin on the car transporters, the ones that looks like artic (small unit, big trailer) but classed as W&D coz it uses that type of attachment, once ive done C+E next year.
Ive been thinkin about workin on the car transporters, the ones that looks like artic (small unit, big trailer) but classed as W&D coz it uses that type of attachment, once ive done C+E next year.
Yes, as Dean has confirmed, the CE licence covers both artic and w+d with the exception of grandfather rights CE which don’t cover artic. (Applies only to Class 3 and Class 2 drivers who passed their test before 1st Jan, 1997)
It’s interesting that a number of queries are coming up on the forum about driving w+d. Also the increasing numbers of w+d on the road. I’m the first to concede that there are still many more artics in the UK than w+d.
It’s reasonable to expect that a couple of hours training would be plenty to convert from artic to w+d with extra training for the car transportation equipment.
Peter Smythe:
… the CE licence covers both artic and w+d with the exception of grandfather rights CE which don’t cover artic. (Applies only to Class 3 and Class 2 drivers who passed their test before 1st Jan, 1997)
Was it 1997? - I thought W&D grandfather rights were stopped earlier than that …
I did my test in a W&D and the conversion to artic was easy really, probably easier than the other way round. Reversing it though was a different kettle of fish especially into a bay . First time I was out with a bulk loader had to reverse up to a tipping point with a grill and an auger, to get there it was a 90o reverse between metal tubed guiders, well after 4 goes I got the trailer straight and then ran the unit up the tubes eventually got it back then it was a case of, ’ am I far enough back, get out and check, bit more, phew’. Luckily no-one was watching my awful attempt at reversing.
As for the tipping bit, I wasn’t really far enough back, there was a raised concrete bit that you tipped into and I was worried that when I tipped it might knacker the mudguards, it would have been fine. Started tipping through the little door bit by bit, don’t want to overload the auger, how long do I give it before I open back door? too much left in and door will swing out and take head off if anywhere near it. When I did let it all go about a ton and a half missed the auger cos I was too far forward Before I’d finished tipping a guy came round and asked if I’d finished cos there was a bloody great queue now and he’ll shovel the rest in Every day is a school day
. First time I was out with a bulk loader had to reverse up to a tipping point with a grill and an auger, to get there it was a 90o reverse between metal tubed guiders, well after 4 goes I got the trailer straight and then ran the unit up the tubes 
Before I’d finished tipping a guy came round and asked if I’d finished cos there was a bloody great queue now and he’ll shovel the rest in