Hi. Small introduction about myself. So I’m originally from Latvia, but living and working in Northern Ireland for around 9 years. My training for HGV Class 2 starts in start of December, but my driving school provides every sunday (before and after test) reversing practise for 4 hours free of charge (didn’t find any other doing that). First time in a track and… was better than I think it will be. Didn’t drive over someone 
. Truck felt huge and with a lot of blind spots, but I hope I will be more confident next time. But they have only automatic and, if I wanted, they can provide some track for some try-out later in training process. Trainer told me, that if I have manual B, after passing C with auto- I will get full C anyway. Is that right, here in Northern Ireland? And how it’s going to be in job then after? Do I have to worry about not driving in manual?
And after, when I get licence and CPC, I wanted to get some agency driving work in weekends, just to get experience and some money for HGV Class1. But I work 40 h/week. Not driving- just factory work. My working time is 16.00-24.00 Mon-Fri. By law I could drive just 1 w/end every second week, right. But if I drove every w/end, how they can know I’m working somewere else? I read the post about driving just weekends for experience, but didn’t get it fully.
Thanks, for reading and any help wold be much appreciated.
ricelis:
And after, when I get licence and CPC, I wanted to get some agency driving work in weekends, just to get experience and some money for HGV Class1. But I work 40 h/week. Not driving- just factory work. My working time is 16.00-24.00 Mon-Fri. By law I could drive just 1 w/end every second week, right.
Yes.
But if I drove every w/end, how they can know I’m working somewere else?
Relatively simple. You get stopped by VOSA. If you’re driving under EU drivers’ hours rules at any point during a week (Monday-Sunday), you’re legally required to carry records for all the hours you’ve worked that week. So, you should be carrying either analogue charts or digital tacho paper roll that has been filled out with the hours you’ve worked, or to have entered that information onto your card at the start of the shift.
Should you choose to “forget” to do this, how would they know? Well, you’re legally required to carry 28 days’ worth of tacho records (assuming you’re driving a truck with a digital tacho, this’ll be recorded on your card anyway). The officer will look and see that you’re only working one day a week. He/she will think “hmm, can this person really earn enough to support themselves on one day a week?”, and if they’re feeling industrious, they’ll get hold of your National Insurance number and ask the Inland Revenue for your tax records. At which point, they’ll discover you’re also working at the factory, and you’ll get charged with driving with insufficient rest and (much worse) falsifying records.
They might not bother to do this with a regular, random stop, but I’m sure that if you’re involved in a serious collision (particularly if someone is killed), they’ll investigate all avenues, and once your disregard for the drivers’ hours regs are uncovered, you’ll get at least part of the blame for that collision, irrespective of whether it was actually your fault. You’d be lucky to avoid prison.
Good point, I think the driver who killed (theguardian.com/world/2014/s … y-cyclists) in Cornwall had been working two jobs and was totally exhausted.
Thanks for replays. Yes, that’s a really serious point- I didn’t think of that that way. I just double check in my situation I could even drive every Saturday at any given time from 9.00-19.00 and I still have 45h left till Mon 16.00. And anybody have shore answer about that automatic gearbox staff in NI?
ricelis:
Thanks for replays. Yes, that’s a really serious point- I didn’t think of that that way. I just double check in my situation I could even drive every Saturday at any given time from 9.00-19.00 and I still have 45h left till Mon 16.00. And anybody have shore answer about that automatic gearbox staff in NI?
The gearbox certainly in mainland UK not sure if same applies to NI or not there used to be a few people form over there on here but not seen for a while But it is possible that the same rule applies
If it was me I would try another provider or when pass find someone who has manual that you can have some practice of
Thanks for your replys folks. Thats my plan now to pass on automatic and then get some lessons in manual. After couple of days in training reversing I feel good with it. Just hope real city driving will be as good. Can’t wait to start on 5.Dec.