Truckulent:
I think the whole testing system is easier. My step son has just passed his car test.
And…
Wait for it …
He’s NEVER done an emergency stop. Instructor hasn’t taught it him, he wasnt asked to do one on test. He only had to do one manoeuvre on his test - a really simple park.
The practical side he did last week was easier than the test I took in 1990…
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I believe taking a test in HGV, emergency stop is not part of the test.
I can understand that.
But if they aren’t doing them in cars now, we are going to end up with HGV drivers that have never done an emergency stop - ever.
Not sure how that’s a step forward …
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Looking on the internet looks like a driving test which requires the examiner to be in the vehicle, you do not do an emergency stop in your test. But any vehicle which an examiner is not in to conduct the test for example tractor motorbike tank or road roller you will be required to do an emergency stop. Must be H&S.
Hilarious.
"You’re not considered competent enough to carry out an emergency stop with an examiner I side the vehicle. But we are quite prepared to let you loose on the road on your own - without seeing any evidence you even know how to stop the vehicle quickly in an emergency " Proof if any were needed that H&S is the biggest load of utter ■■■■■■■■ on the planet. After this government, obviously.
So does this mean that anyone with a class 2 will still have to do the C+E course and test or will it be a little added extra that will be required??
I don’t understand how letting anyone go from a car/van to a artic makes sense let alone how insurance companies will allow it, but it kinds makes a little more sense for class 2 drivers to be given the entitlement or have to do a little extra training to get them. As at least they have some experience driving a hgv.
Crawleytrucker:
So does this mean that anyone with a class 2 will still have to do the C+E course and test or will it be a little added extra that will be required??
I don’t understand how letting anyone go from a car/van to a artic makes sense let alone how insurance companies will allow it, but it kinds makes a little more sense for class 2 drivers to be given the entitlement or have to do a little extra training to get them. As at least they have some experience driving a hgv.
It wasnt a problem years ago, so why would it be a problem now ? . . .
apart from the driving schools making less money that is
This will come in really handy when the government make up some crap visa for immigrants to come.
They will only need one test and hey away they go.
No hanging about make it simple for them.
Suedehead:
It wasnt a problem years ago, so why would it be a problem now ? . . .
apart from the driving schools making less money that is
There have been a couple of comments saying the training would probably need to be almost as lengthy to prepare for a straight to C+E test. The C test days themselves over the last few years seem wasteful if they weren’t actually strictly speaking necessary, but that only reduces the training by one day.
I can actually see it being a bit of a headache for the driving schools because Joe Bloggs will turn up spend his couple of grand (or more) for the training and possibly won’t be a realistic prospect for C+E. It might then be a case of trying to talk him down to consider just sitting C.
Yorkshire Tramper:
I wonder with the driver shortage if things will revert to the standards of the 70s. The actual test was only 25 mins, very few manoeuvres demonstrated. Unlimited minor faults allowed. In fact unless you killed anyone or mounted the kerb on cornering you pretty much was garanteed to pass. But thngs are much more stringent now with the increase of traffic on the roads along with more powerful cars being driven. So are we going to see the test standards relaxed in order to satisfy the driver shortage?
Looks like it is already happening. The government statistics show tests conducted 2007-08 Male and female pass rate was 46.3% compared with the latest 2020-21 which is 58%. gov.uk/government/statistic … est-centre
It has always amazed me passing a bus (D) driving test do not enable you to go straight to class 1 (C+E) test. I imagine today’s bus test with all H&S would not be any easier to pass.
I passed my bus test (D) in the early 2000’s, I’m was amazed to find that passing that with the ability to carry nearly 80 members of public, on a vehicle as long as Class 2, didnt give me any rights to automatically convert the licence over.
There is a petition at them moment from bus drivers wanting automatic rights for C licence. But they choose to take their bus licence as did those who took their C and C+E. So what’s the options?
Do a test for a truck or give them free reign to go out in a rigid automatically. Is that then fair on truck drivers who have paid for truck licences yet can’t drive a bus if they so wished too?
Swings and roundabouts really.
People have a choice of free will, do a bus licence or a truck licence or both.
According to the various bumph surrounding all the proposals being considered the bus driving test is deemed to be harder than the lorry test. From memory of the test and from driving I would tend to agree, coping with a six foot overhang at the front and greater length is certainly more difficult than the average four wheeler. That and the nature of the cargo probably supports their argument. Against is the PSV tilt test. Full time instructors will be the most qualified to comment.
I can’t see the government allowing this to happen though, the thought of thousands of bus drivers packing it in and the travelling public’s reaction to ‘no bus’ will surely defeat it.
Scrap the CPC
Build some big secure 24 / 7 reasonable priced truck stops
allow £100 per hour charge for demurrage at both ends
and I am sure there are a few more things that would improve
our industry
Crawleytrucker:
So does this mean that anyone with a class 2 will still have to do the C+E course and test or will it be a little added extra that will be required??
I don’t understand how letting anyone go from a car/van to a artic makes sense let alone how insurance companies will allow it, but it kinds makes a little more sense for class 2 drivers to be given the entitlement or have to do a little extra training to get them. As at least they have some experience driving a hgv.
It wasnt a problem years ago, so why would it be a problem now ? . . .
apart from the driving schools making less money that is
cav551:
the thought of thousands of bus drivers packing it in and the travelling public’s reaction to ‘no bus’ will surely defeat it.
It wouldn’t surprise me if some ‘logistics expert’ suggested using lorries as buses/coaches when running empty.
Next job on the microlise:"pick up Doris from [postcode] and drop her off at Lidl on your way through – DRIVER INSTRUCTIONS: 1) ensure chilled setting only DO NOT SELECT FROZEN 2) ensure compliance as per DVSA load restraint policy AT ALL TIMES 3) Report damages, spillages, ruinations, or shot-loads IMMEDIATELY"
I don’t agree with jumping straight to class one, going from an 18/26t rigid with a few years experience is totally different from going straight from car to artic.
And people who say rigid isn’t proper lorry driving can get in the sea, I drove rigids for fifteen years then artics for four years and I’ve now gone back to rigids.
Driving an artic up and down the motorway and round industrial estates is a piece of pi55 compared to finding farms in a rigid which I actually enjoy more.
Gavv8:
I don’t agree with jumping straight to class one, going from an 18/26t rigid with a few years experience is totally different from going straight from car to artic.
I’m awaiting my provisional, but what I think will likely happen is that the length of training offered will be roughly the same. Rather than 4 or 5 day courses for class 2 and class 1, it will probably be 8- 10 day courses. That being said, if someone can pass the test within a week so be it. Rules change sometimes, and if instructors and examiners are mostly happy with it, it will likely go ahead. After all, they’re the people best placed to give an opinion on it.
Did HGV accidents drastically drop after the rules changed in 1993?
Gavv8:
I don’t agree with jumping straight to class one, going from an 18/26t rigid with a few years experience is totally different from going straight from car to artic.
That’s what we all did up until 1993.
I am sure you could go straight to class 1 without having to pass a car test. Although you had to be 21 or over.
Gavv8:
I don’t agree with jumping straight to class one, going from an 18/26t rigid with a few years experience is totally different from going straight from car to artic.
That’s what we all did up until 1993.
I am sure you could go straight to class 1 without having to pass a car test. Although you had to be 21 or over.
Yes, you could. In 1979 there was a driving examiners strike and after it finished there was a bigger backlog for car tests than HGV tests so some provisional licence holders went straight for the HGV test although I believe most failed.
Gavv8:
I don’t agree with jumping straight to class one, going from an 18/26t rigid with a few years experience is totally different from going straight from car to artic.
That’s what we all did up until 1993.
Yes I know you could/did but I don’t agree with it today, the roads are a very different place to 20/30/40 years ago.
Gavv8:
Yes I know you could/did but I don’t agree with it today, the roads are a very different place to 20/30/40 years ago.
I agree…
The roads are very different but so is the equipment. Gone are the ‘proper’ gearboxes that involved driver input, ropes and sheets, chains and dogs that meant you knew every inch of your load. Gone are the drum brakes that you used sparingly. No such thing as ABS, if you messed up, you messed up sideways. We did have wind up windows though as opposed to this awful air conditioning thing. Some lorries had wipers that scraped all the muck upwards, oil fillers that were under the drivers seat, no night heaters, headlights that didn’t illuminate much more than a few yards and push button radios, fixed seats and no power steering. None of that cruise control pansy boy stuff, many drivers had a wooden stick to hold the loud pedal down.