So I’m 100% happy where I am driving my 26T rigid but I feel the time has come to get that extra ticket and go get my C+E category, I have no plans to use this for a while but would like to go ahead and get it whilst funds are available (took a massive good will gift to get Mrs W on side!) I’m getting mixed opinions from the countless amount of guys I know that are C+E drivers and thought I’d ask you useful bunch for your opinions seeing as you are all usually so helpful! 
I’m more nervous for this then I was for any of the rest of it and have so far passed everything including ADR first time just hoping I can continue the trend. Looking at course dates around mid Jan to early Feb. Many thanks, Ryan
There isn’t a straightforward answer to your question. Some folks take to CE very quickly whilst others take a little longer to get comfortable. But it certainly isn’t rocket science provided it’s taught properly.
Without a doubt it’s a bit easier on drawbar. But you will be better prepared for the real world if you train on artic. This is why we offer both and it’s your choice.
Make sure you find a driving school with it’s own properly marked reversing area. This is, IME, the biggest single cause of problems. I frequently have to retrain folks who have been elsewhere and suffered on car parks and airfields that, in some cases, are not the correct size let alone correctly marked.
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Good luck with it, Pete 
As someone who has recently passed the C+E license I would say it’s not massively difficult. For some reason or another a lot of people get hung up on the reversing. I found the reversing to be very simple, mainly as I drive with a trailer pretty much all the time so I found it quite logical. The rest of it is just like the c test except you have a trailer following you and you need to give extra space when turning and pay a bit more attention to it. Saying that I found driving the 26t scania a right pain in the arse compared to a artic, it is one long truck! I would say just get it done, it’s there just chilling on your license until you need it, I also felt a bit like I had unfinished business until I got it done. Good luck
CE is for big boys who wear big boy pants.
And don’t ■■■■■ out and drive a 12 ton auto van with a trailer. Get in a manual artic and do the job properly, is my advice.
I would definetly agree with training in a artic as opposed to w+d, I did mine in a artic and was fine, it was auto and I don’t regret that decision I have driven many 4 over 4 etc boxes and didn’t feel the need to ask for a Manual. Your choice that though.
Thanks guys! more then agree that artic is the way to go as when I pass I’ll be doing DD trunk runs for our firm so the wagon + drag route isn’t much cop for me. I’ve been back in contact with my chosen training school this evening and just waiting for a reply with dates hoping Jan is a go’er as the December courses they offered aren’t really practical. They use an ex stobbie Volvo FH with Ishift and tri axle box trailer as their training vehicle so although it isn’t manual I have had plenty of experience on 4 over 4 boxes and feel more then comfortable with manuals. Doesn’t appear to be any or many training companies using manual artics around here now. Many thanks
If truck driving is your career, then I’d suggest you get C+E on your licence, even if you don’t use it for a while. I say this as when you do come to use it, it will have been on there probably long enough to keep some firms insurance companies happy with their 2 years experience requirement. They don’t need to know whether you’ve used it or not, just that you’ve had it that long! 
I have very recently passed my C + E and only a month before that I passed my C. From my experience in training for these tests there is not a great deal of difference. Reversing a trailer is a new skill and watching the swing of trailer is new too, everything else is the same. I know that I wanted to drive class 1 so thats what I went for. If driving big bendy rigs is what you want to do, then go for it mate.
I passed in a W+D and I drive artics, no difference between aside from the couple and recouple.
Easy ,go wagon and drag ,I passed first attempt .
This really has been done to death - and the general consensus seems to be that there’s no right or wrong. Arguments for using w+d for training are strong. And the same goes for artic. It’s up to the candidate to use whatever they think is best for them. I would add that I believe it’s a good idea for w+d passes to have a little while on artic before attempting pre employment assessment. Having said that, some manage with no help at all.
I have no axe to grind as we have both w+d and artics.
Pete
Thanks for all the constructive replies guys. That’s it booked for the week of 3rd of Jan 2017 and very much looking forward to it. I’ve gone down the artic route for training as I see no reason for me to use w+d. Once again thanks
All the very best with it, Pete
I’ve been doing artic work for the past six months after passing in may before that I drove a rigid for 9 years… the biggest thing I find a pain in the ■■■ is the constant trailer swaps and the damage and defects they come with because nobody cares about trailers… other than that once you crack the reversing and how they move in general driving it’s pretty straight forward
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Peter Smythe:
All the very best with it, Pete
Thank you Pete, would of loved to have come up and taken advantage of your great training facilities but travelling to train just isn’t an option atm. Ryan
Thank you Pete, would of loved to have come up and taken advantage of your great training facilities but travelling to train just isn’t an option atm. Ryan
I still wish you all the best with it!!
Cant win em all haha.
Pete
Had a blast last night. I’m so used to reversing wag and drag that I could do it blind but I’ve not had to reverse the artic in weeks and low and behold at Palletforce last night I struggled like hell to reverse it in the easiest of spots for some reason it all went over my head and I had blonde hair growing.
As stated it’s worth getting and having on your licence. It completes the set as well.
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JaxDemon:
Had a blast last night. I’m so used to reversing wag and drag that I could do it blind but I’ve not had to reverse the artic in weeks and low and behold at Palletforce last night I struggled like hell to reverse it in the easiest of spots for some reason it all went over my head and I had blonde hair growing.As stated it’s worth getting and having on your licence. It completes the set as well.
I’m blonde and now offended! 
That’s it, you and me out in the yard for a limping race!
Someone times your brain just goes when reversing, and I’ve been there more than once… 
I think that constant practice is needed to keep your skills up, as my reverse is now going backwards (so to speak) as I hardly any do any in my new gig compared to my old one.
Ryan,
As for your choice of whether W+D or Artic, I think it’s best to go with what your head tells you, and not be swayed by others.
But if I was to sway you (which it too late) I’d say Artic as that’s where most of the work is…
Best of luck!
I got my class 2 and carried on for class 1 immediately using a w+g. Passed OK at 11 am and when I told my agency, they offered a night run that very evening from Essex to Brum.
To cut a long story short, I drove a manual scania with double deck trailer there and back without ever having even sat in an artic, let alone driven one!
It certainly had its moments, especially trying to find the upper range in a 16 speed box, traveling at 14 miles an hour on the A12 during rush hour on a Friday.
So, definitely get yer class 1, but, if with a w+g, get an artic awareness day sorted.
To answer the question is C+E difficult i’d say No.
Jumping from a car to cat C training is a bigger eye opener than going from C to C+E so in that respect you’ve already done the hard bit. If your already a fairly competent cat C driver it shouldn’t be a problem.