Harry Monk:
I remember, back in the 1980’s, reading in a trucking magazine about a girl in her 20’s, who was seriously ill and wheelchair bound, with no connection whatsoever to the transport industry but whose dream had always been to pass the Class 1 
test.
She had to be physically manhandled into the truck, which had been heavily modified, by three strong men.
The photograph accompanying the article showed her sat in her wheelchair after the test, next to the truck, beaming from ear to ear and proudly holding her pass certificate.
That inspires me.
I’ve not sure that I’ve let on just how disabled I am. I have a rare neuromuscular condition which significantly affects me, but fortunately I still have the muscle power and co-ordination to drive in complete safety. Though I’m a wheelchair user, my arms and legs work well enough when I’m not load-bearing to allow me to drive unmodified manual vehicles. DVLA extensively investigated my fitness to drive last year and I retained an unrestricted 10 year car licence with all the categories relating to a pre-1997 car test. I do not need specialist controls nor am I restricted to automatic transmission - the only restriction code on my licence is 01 (eyesight correction required). Like many, I need glasses to meet the eyesight standards.
I saw my neurologist in the week and mentioned my dream since childhood has been to pass my CE test. After due consideration and us reviewing the information in DVLA’s “At A Glance”, he said that he would be happy to write a letter to DVLA confirming that, in his opinion, my condition does not prevent me from meeting the Category 2 (vocational) medical standards as it does not impair my co-ordination or muscle power so far as driving goes, also my condition is currently stable.
As soon as I get the chance to follow this up with his secretary, and I get the letter (which will take a while), I intend to ask my GP to fill in a D4 and I’ll apply for provisional C and D entitlement. I know that the regular advice is to use one of the cheap services for a D4 medical, but, in my case, doing so would create lasting doubt that I am giving my GP an opportunity to comment on my fitness to meet the vocational standards with the benefit of sight of all the correspondence from my specialists.
If DVLA will grant me provisional C entitlement and I can scrape the money together, I see no reason why I couldn’t learn in an ordinary lorry. I can clamber up into the driving seat of a Transit van, so it shouldn’t be too much harder to get into the cab of a typical training company’s category C vehicle. Power steering is now ubiquitous (and it it breaks, it would be a defect) and heavy cable clutches are also consigned to history (presumably clutches on modern manual LGVs are either air or hydraulically actuated).
Whether I’ll ever work again is a very debatable point, though I’m doing my best to get back into the workplace.
Whether I’d ever earn money from a vocational driving licence is certainly doubtful, though, as my neurologist said, usually when a patient asks for confirmation they can reach Group 2 medical standards, it’s because they want to get a National Private Pilot’s Licence (which is based on Group 2 medical standards rather than the higher aeromedical standards applying to higher pilots’ licences) rather than wanting to drive a lorry or bus. He observed that it should be much cheaper to learn to drive a lorry than learning to fly a light aircraft.
I may be more likely to find a use for PCV entitlement, though Peter Smythe has commented that drivers with category CE tend to quick and therefore relatively cheap to train for the category D test. The bus company in town is always advertising for drivers (including part-time casuals) and, probably more important, the local community minibus is desperately short of drivers. I realise that my D1 (not for hire and reward) is sufficient for the community minibus as they have a section 19 permit, but a D licence would help persuade them that I’m medically suitable to be driving for them.
Am I completely bonkers? I believe there are trainers out there who could make my dream come true if DVLA will give me a provisional licence.
Peter Smythe - I would certainly be contacting you to see if you would train me personally if I had the provisional and the money at the moment. Your attitude and patient sharing of your experience on this forum impresses me greatly. It reflects how I try to live my life - I try to give to others in every way that I can.
J Coates is a respected LGV training school, so at least you won’t be spending silly money on brokers mark-ups on stuff that you can get from J Coates as a standard part of their service.
secondly have you got a bike, if so what sort ? 
