I have an Eddie Stobart assessment and interview next week. I only passed my class 1 test a week ago but my problem is I did my class 1 lessons and test in like a rigid lorry with a drawbar trailer. And now my first ever time in a tractor unit will be a ■■■■ assessment. Can anyone give me some insight of what differences i should be aware of.
Have things changed there ? I seem to remember that if you took your class one in a wagon and drag you were not licenced to drive a regular artic ?
Anyway there is not much difference apart from the point of bending is nearer the front, just be careful and stay calm. Remember that in your truck and drawbar trailer the trailer followed in almost the same tracks, the artic trailer needs a wider turning curve.
pware96:
I have an Eddie Stobart assessment and interview next week. I only passed my class 1 test a week ago but my problem is I did my class 1 lessons and test in like a rigid lorry with a drawbar trailer. And now my first ever time in a tractor unit will be a ■■■■ assessment. Can anyone give me some insight of what differences i should be aware of.
If you get money that go to some driving school and ask him one day training in arctic truck.
Pat Hasler:
Have things changed there ? I seem to remember that if you took your class one in a wagon and drag you were not licenced to drive a regular artic ?
Anyway there is not much difference apart from the point of bending is nearer the front, just be careful and stay calm. Remember that in your truck and drawbar trailer the trailer followed in almost the same tracks, the artic trailer needs a wider turning curve.
I thought this too. Wasnt there a time where (subject to the gvw of the prime mover) ie three axle 24tonnes the highest cat licence you could obtain was a class 2 if trained/ tested with a W&D?
Maybe UK licencing has changed …
You can still drive an articulated if you passed on a wagon and drag. To be honest I have driven both and there isn’t that much difference between the two. The difference is obviously in the coupling, you don’t actually couple up a trailer on the assessment for Stobart, its already coupled up for you. The assessment drive is aprox 1 hr and is conducted by one of their assessors. The assessor will go through the controls in the cab with you to familiarise you with the truck then you need to do a vehicle check yourself. The drive consists of traffic lights, roundabouts, junctions etc, you then do a reverse onto a bay and a reverse onto a parking area. No blind sided reverses or anything to catch you out. Your problem will be when it comes to getting the job as you will have to ask how to couple and uncouple a trailer. I would suggest you tell the assessor as he will probably go through it with you even though it is not a requirement on the assessment drive. Good luck.
Pat Hasler:
Have things changed there ? I seem to remember that if you took your class one in a wagon and drag you were not licenced to drive a regular artic ?
Anyway there is not much difference apart from the point of bending is nearer the front, just be careful and stay calm. Remember that in your truck and drawbar trailer the trailer followed in almost the same tracks, the artic trailer needs a wider turning curve.
No, if you had a Class 2/3 HGV licence when the categories changed to LGV, then you would be granted an LGV C+E licence but this was restricted to wagon and drag combinations. If you pass your test in a wagon and drag nowadays, then that is a Class C vehicle towing a Class E vehicle and that is no different to an articulated lorry.
Well i definately got my c+e licence anyway. This was what i was driving.
If the attachment pic works.
And also i wont have time to do any training in an artic before hand.
Why would a training school give you Class1 training on a drag motor, unless you (or the co that sent you for it) specified so ffs 
The majority of Class 1 work is on artics unless I’m mistaken so why train a lad on a different vehicle type to what he is most likely to go on to in his job…beggars belief.
Just a thought mate, but maybe the asessor will take you out in one of their W&Ds if you explain to him, who knows?
Good luck with it all anyway bud. 
Even one lesson in an artic might give you a boost. I passed in W+D then had a single artic lesson before driving them for real. I failed my assessment on reversing, but they were happy enough with me going forward that they gave me a chance. If you ring round you might find someone that can slot you in before next week.
Thanks for replys, i will ring round see if anyone can fit me in to drive an artic. Not too sure they will tho since its thursday now and assessments 8am on tuesday and theres a foot of snow around here.
To be honest i think all these tests are stupid. Ive passed my class 1 and never driven an artic. And passed my cpc and feel i have very little knowledge on what on earth to do in terms of safe loading. In my lessons i learnt what i needed to know, that was it. Anything that doesnt get tested i dont learn. Ive never even reversed a trailer straight backwards into a space because that wasnt needed for test. Tho i recon i could do that.
robroy:
Why would a training school give you Class1 training on a drag motor, unless you (or the co that sent you for it) specified so ffs
The majority of Class 1 work is on artics unless I’m mistaken so why train a lad on a different vehicle type to what he is most likely to go on to in his job…beggars belief.
At a guess I imagine that it’s because a driving school can give Class 2 and Class 1 tuition with only one vehicle.
You might be lucky and be one of those people who can reverse an artic into a bay from the off. For me, I’ve been doing it a year and am still ugly at it. Speaking for myself, the biggest shock of driving an artic in the real world was reversing, I was almost traumatised by how difficult I found it. But some just seem to get it straight away.
To be honest I think part of the assessment is just to see how they get on with you as a person, to check you don’t do anything mad that somehow didn’t come out during your test, and that you are able to communicate and follow instructions. Speaking for myself, safe loading has never been an issue for me with an artic as it’s all done by FLT drivers whether it’s on a bay or in the yard - in those situations I’ve only had to think about whether to put straps on the back row as I’ve always had reinforced curtains. The times I’ve loaded myself it’s been cages on wheels and so long as you put a bar across every half a dozen rows and two at the back, you should be fine.
I agree you’ll be fortunate if you do get a lesson before your assessment, but it might be worth a shot. The big differences I found with an artic were the size, and what the pivot point being further forward meant for cornering and reversing.
Be friendly with the assessor, be honest about what you have and haven’t done, and above all take it slow, and if in doubt when going backwards, get out and look (GOAL). And don’t be afraid to take a shunt or two when you’ve got a kink to get rid of during a reverse. They will be assessing your mindset and sense of caution as much as anything else.
Have managed to get a 4 hour refresher session booked in for monday in an artic. Cheers for all replys guys.
robroy:
Why would a training school give you Class1 training on a drag motor, unless you (or the co that sent you for it) specified so ffs
The majority of Class 1 work is on artics unless I’m mistaken so why train a lad on a different vehicle type to what he is most likely to go on to in his job…beggars belief.Just a thought mate, but maybe the asessor will take you out in one of their W&Ds if you explain to him, who knows?
Good luck with it all anyway bud.
It is so that the training companies don’t have to have two types of vehicle, I would not consider doing a class 1 licence on a wagon and drag unless it was specifically for a guaranteed W&D job. I would choose another training company over this one!!!
robroy:
Why would a training school give you Class1 training on a drag motor, unless you (or the co that sent you for it) specified so ffs
The majority of Class 1 work is on artics unless I’m mistaken so why train a lad on a different vehicle type to what he is most likely to go on to in his job…beggars belief.Just a thought mate, but maybe the asessor will take you out in one of their W&Ds if you explain to him, who knows?
Good luck with it all anyway bud.
My theory is so the training school can use 1 vehicle to do both types of test. [emoji362]
A loophole in the regs if you like.
If I remember you don’t have to uncouple a drawbar trailer on test. We never had to uncouple an artic in class 1, we did have to light the boiler and get steam up though [emoji23]
They must know your circumstances or they wouldn’t have given you the assessment, but make sure you tell the assessor guy you’ve never driven an artic. He might cut you some slack.
pware96:
Have managed to get a 4 hour refresher session booked in for monday in an artic.Now time to ask a really stupid question that someone who has passed the tests should know. Do pallets need securing in a curtainside trailer with ratchet straps or do they just sit there.
Now you’re asking a question which has a million answers 
In short it depends on the load and type of trailer.
In general if I’ve got any pallets over 400kg I ratchet strap them anyway. One of our guys got done for £100 by DVSA so my firm have a hard on about it atm but I’m getting paid for it so…
Don’t forget to criss cross internals on the last pallets to stop and rear movement… created by the g force of the acceleration of a lorry
Wheel Nut:
If I remember you don’t have to uncouple a drawbar trailer on test. We never had to uncouple an artic in class 1, we did have to light the boiler and get steam up though [emoji23]
You certainly do have to do the coupling/uncoupling exercise on test on a drawbar trailer (although modern boilers and smokeless fuels have made building up steam a simple procedure )