just a quick question to you all.
if you have had your LGV class 2 licence since before 1996.(i think that year is right anyway) you automatically get grandfather rights for wag and drag but you cant drive artics…your entitlement is C+E with catagory restriction to drawbars.
if a new driver takes his/her test in a wagon and drag they get full C+E entitlement which obviousley means they can jump straight into an artic (which they probably haven`t ever done before) and hit the road.
now i`m not belittleing new drivers but what do you think of the licencing law as regards this issue?
I dont agree that it is the correct way to go, because of the different handling characteristics. I think it is my age but when I took my tests, it was class 3 for a 4 wheeler and I pulled a drawbar after about a year although I was legal to do so straightaway.
Class 3 - 4 wheel Rigid
Class 2 - Multi Axle Rigid
Class 1 - Articulated Vehicle
The difficulty isnt driving along a motorway ,or dual carriageway. It is when you get into a busy built up area and not sure how the truck handles differently
it was the same when i took my test malc…i just dont understand the reasoning that an experienced HGV driver is limited to drag`s and a new driver passes test in a drag and is licenced for artics!!
(as i said before,no offence to new drivers it just seems a daft rule)
There is no reason why an experienced wagon n drag driver should not in my humble opinion be able to jump into an artic. After all those of us who have been driving drags for a number of years will have been on turntables, which are harder to handle.
I understand some may get peed at this. But if you can drive a drag well then you will have no problem driving an artic, and vice versa. My general opinion is they are actually harder to handle in tight situations. Blind reversing 90 degrees is harder, the turning circle is diabolical compared to an artic.
I personally had the grand father issued license. With the move to Ireland I had to exchange my license and like it or not because of the way their laws like the rest of Europe operate because I am legally entitled to drive a lorry and trailer (44t) I am legally allowed to drive artics for a living now.
I suppose they had to draw the line somewhere in the sand with the new licenses. It is a shame however that they did not recognise the skill of the drag driver and include them in this category. but then again on the flip side. I have a colleague at work who has the old class 2 license and is entitled to drive drags but will not drive the works one. He says he has never driven with a trailer and doesnt feel confident to do so, fair play to him for holding his hand up. So with that in mind I would imagine by a blanket issuing of old class 2s to class 1s would/could open up to some really serious incidents for those with no experience.
drawbardaz:
just a quick question to you all.
if you have had your LGV class 2 licence since before 1996.(i think that year is right anyway) you automatically get grandfather rights for wag and drag but you cant drive artics…your entitlement is C+E with catagory restriction to drawbars.
if a new driver takes his/her test in a wagon and drag they get full C+E entitlement which obviousley means they can jump straight into an artic (which they probably haven`t ever done before) and hit the road.
now i`m not belittleing new drivers but what do you think of the licencing law as regards this issue?
Ive got the same on my licence C+E restriction 102 (passed my class 2 in 89)
and Ive never dragged a trailer and personaly i think its frightening that i can jump in and drive something so big (imagine the destruction i could cause )
On thinking about it…what they could do is say all those with old class 2 with the restricted C+E, pay a nominal fee and take an assesment. Not a test as this would be a blinking insult LOL, but an assesment to show you can handle an articulated vehicle.
On thinking about it…what they could do is say all those with old class 2 with the restricted C+E, pay a nominal fee and take an assesment. Not a test as this would be a blinking insult LOL, but an assesment to show you can handle an articulated vehicle.
What’s more ridiculous is that an 18 year old that’s just passed a car test can jump into a 36ft long motorhome and drive it all round europe, not only that he can stick a 20ft long racing car trailer on the back of it!!! And no speed limiter or tacho…
Maybe I’m just getting all bitter and twisted about the rich kid next door
Martin:
What’s more ridiculous is that an 18 year old that’s just passed a car test can jump into a 36ft long motorhome and drive it all round europe, not only that he can stick a 20ft long racing car trailer on the back of it!!! And no speed limiter or tacho…
Maybe I’m just getting all bitter and twisted about the rich kid next door
I should go round and see him, to see if he needs a special friend, get his autograph now before he gets too famous, and suggest he needs a driver for the race transporter
Martin:
What’s more ridiculous is that an 18 year old that’s just passed a car test can jump into a 36ft long motorhome and drive it all round europe, not only that he can stick a 20ft long racing car trailer on the back of it!!! And no speed limiter or tacho…
No he can’t - when you pass your car test these days you only get “B”, you don’t get “B+E” or “C1” like you used to, so you can’t tow trailers over 750Kg or drive anything over 3500Kg MAM without doing another test.
Poses a question really as to why driving schools teach in a wagon and drag? Not being funny but I’ve always wanted to drive artics and a wagon and drag kinda defeats the object. I consider an artic to be just that, a long vehicle! Not a rigid with a trailer.
Was chatting to a geezer in our place the other night, first night on the job and he passed in a wagon and drag. The guy was asking me as many questions as possible, i tried to answer as many as i could but as i haven’t driven a wagon and drag i couldn’t really give a honest and reliable answer as to how different they are.
I know getting the license is hard and perhaps wagon and drag is seen as an easier way to get your class 1(don’t slate me for that comment either!), but i really do think that something should be done. Perhaps having it stated on your license as to what class of vehicle you passed in, rather than just stating you are entitled to drive blah blah blah.
drawbardaz:
if a new driver takes his/her test in a wagon and drag they get full C+E entitlement which obviousley means they can jump straight into an artic (which they probably haven`t ever done before) and hit the road.
now i`m not belittleing new drivers but what do you think of the licencing law as regards this issue?
I’m no expert, but I would hazard a guess that there’s a pretty significant difference between a 200hp 4x2 tractor pulling an empty 20ft skelly trailer and a 580bhp 6x4 pulling a fully loaded 44ton 40ft trailer too though, so even if you restricted artics to people who did their test in artics then you’re not really preparing people all that well for the real world.
Paul
(who is doing his C+E in a wag+drag on Friday)
I drove drawbars continuously for the last 4 years of my driving career until I gave up driving full time in July 2001, I had done the odd bit of drawbar work before then. My licence was the old Class 3 licence back from 1981 and I moved up through the changes when the class 2 was abolished.
Last Sept I decided to fulfill my wishes and sat my C+E but had to use a drawbar as the training school did’nt have artics, I passed first time with 3 minors, not bad in my opinion, but since passing I’ve been out in an artic about 7 or 8 times helping out, my opinion is that an artic is easier to handle than a drawbar, so I dont think at the end of the day it makes any difference as to the type of vehicle, the length is still there and the skills are just as demanding to keep it under control.
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