Hi
My husband wants to become an emergency care assistant (or possibly a paramedic eventually) and whilst the ambumance service sometimes offer training on the job he will have a much greater chance of getting an interview if he upgrades his licence to a C1. He has got his provisional and had his medical and he is studying at home for this thoery and hazard tests but he hasn’t booked them yet.
At the moment we are trying to work out the best way of doing the practical side of the training. Does anybody have any advice or tips specifically aimed at ambulance driving? All the courses seem to be for driving lorries - does anyone know of a training provider that allows you to train in ambulance sized vehicles or would it not really make much difference what he trains in as long as gets the right licence at the end? We live in Derby but he would consider travelling further afield to the right training provider.
We were hoping for financial reasons to spread the practical lessons over the course of a couple of months but most companies seem to offer courses of a week. What sort of course fee would people say is ridiculously overpriced and what would be considered a good deal? How many hours training would be considered too few to give a decent amount of experience?
We have looked at some of the firms listed on the recommended list on this fourm and we thought we might e-mail some of them to get some prices.
Any advice gratefully received. Feeling very confused at the moment.
Hazel17:
does anyone know of a training provider that allows you to train in ambulance sized vehicles or would it not really make much difference what he trains in as long as gets the right licence at the end?
There are two possible approaches.
One is to gain C1 entitlement for the minimum possible outlay. The test can be taken in a heavy van with a car like gearbox.
The other approach is to say that it isn’t that much extra outlay in time and money to gain C entitlement, which allows driving C1 vehicles. This test has to be taken in a lorry with an 8 speed (or more) gearbox. This gives you a much more flexible licence, as you can driving goods vehicles of any size with no trailer (or a trailer of up to 750kg).
Seeing as you’re in Derby, it is probably well worth contacting Peter Smythe Transport Training in Mansfield - quite a few forum members speak very highly of them and Peter is a forum member. PSTT offer C1 training on a van or C training on a lorry.
The forum recommended list of trainers should give you some other leads. Any worthwhile training provider should be happy to discuss your husband’s options and set out the alternatives.
It is well worth your husband going on some assessment drives with training providers. This would allow him to try the vehicle and see if he is happy with the trainer, whilst it allows the trainer to assess his training requirements.
I did my class 1 at tockwith training, however they were training up NHS ambulance drivers for the area whilst i was their, a bit of a distance from you though. tockwithtraining.co.uk/ambulance.html
Having worked for North East Ambulance service driving there vehicles for a week they are mainly sprinters with a box body on the back so can be driven a a car licence as no difference to most sprinter vehicles tbh although they are supposed to be upgrading the ambulance to 7.5t but when sorry dont know ( did do a dairy on this but was a couple years back now ) some are auto some are still manual
A lot of the services do give training so it wont matter if you go through you self or if they do it for you as they may well have to put you through the "blue light training "
It may be just as cheap to do a full cat C licence then if they do upgrade them you will still have a licence for it but can also drive upto 26t
Most driving course for this type are a week long but it may be best to go for an assessment to find out more visit you local training provider to see what they have to say speak to them in person ask the questions before paying
animal:
It may be just as cheap to do a full cat C licence then if they do upgrade them you will still have a licence for it but can also drive upto 26t
Are you sure about the 26t limit? I have heard this before and had a google but could never see anything confirming it.
animal:
It may be just as cheap to do a full cat C licence then if they do upgrade them you will still have a licence for it but can also drive upto 26t
Are you sure about the 26t limit? I have heard this before and had a google but could never see anything confirming it.
As a cat C is upto 26t yep I am sure as have driven 1 at that weight limit
Maybe just a cheap to do the cat C as do the C1 ( 7.5t )
Cat C is limited by vehicle structure not weight. 8 wheelers for instance are 32t. Some of the big cranes are even heavier and still can be legally driven on a Category C license.
Cat C just means that it is a rigid vehicle above the 3.5t limit of a car licence and inclusive of a 7.5t C1 licence.
LGV Maximum Weights
2 axle rigid = 18 000 kg
3 axle artic./ rigid = 26 000 kg
4 axle rigid = 32 000 kg
4 axle rigid & trailer = 36 000 kg
4 axle artic. = 38 000 kg
5 axle artic. / rigid & trailer = 40 000 kg
6 axle artic. / rigid & trailer = 44 000 kg
STGO:
Cat.1, up to 50 tonnes (11.5 tonnes/axle)
Cat.2, up to 80 tonnes (12.5 tonnes/axle)
Cat.3, up to 150 tonnes (16.5tonnes/axle)
And yes I agree with the others. If you take a C test it will allow for more flexibility of your employability.
And Peter Smythe has a fantastic driving school in Mansfield with a Sprinter van for 7.5t licence and a lorry not much bigger to do your C licence.
animal:
It may be just as cheap to do a full cat C licence then if they do upgrade them you will still have a licence for it but can also drive upto 26t
Are you sure about the 26t limit? I have heard this before and had a google but could never see anything confirming it.
As a cat C is upto 26t yep I am sure as have driven 1 at that weight limit
Animal, try as I might I can’t find any reference to an upper weight limit for cat C on any website, be it on the DVLA, Wikipedia or any other. Do you have a source of info other than being sure cos you have driven one? (I’m a newbie to cat C myself so I want to have the answer and not look daft in front of colleagues etc)
dar1976:
Cat C is limited by vehicle structure not weight. 8 wheelers for instance are 32t. Some of the big cranes are even heavier and still can be legally driven on a Category C license.
Cat C just means that it is a rigid vehicle above the 3.5t limit of a car licence and inclusive of a 7.5t C1 licence.
LGV Maximum Weights
2 axle rigid = 18 000 kg
3 axle artic./ rigid = 26 000 kg
4 axle rigid = 32 000 kg
4 axle rigid & trailer = 36 000 kg
4 axle artic. = 38 000 kg
5 axle artic. / rigid & trailer = 40 000 kg
6 axle artic. / rigid & trailer = 44 000 kg
STGO:
Cat.1, up to 50 tonnes (11.5 tonnes/axle)
Cat.2, up to 80 tonnes (12.5 tonnes/axle)
Cat.3, up to 150 tonnes (16.5tonnes/axle)
And yes I agree with the others. If you take a C test it will allow for more flexibility of your employability.
And Peter Smythe has a fantastic driving school in Mansfield with a Sprinter van for 7.5t licence and a lorry not much bigger to do your C licence.
Nothing, I just couldn’t find any source online which gave a definitive answer, so that was a bit of a concern. The list which dar1976 posted is very handy to have- is it available online somewhere to save in my bookmarks?
East Midlands service requires a C1 licence and expects candidates to get this themselves. We train potential ambulance drivers regularly; 2 day course. No driver cpc required. But, of course, the theory tests still have to be in place.
whats involved on the ambulance course , are you taught to drive as the police are when learning to handle a veh at speed or is it more to do with passenger comforts ie bearing in mind you most likely have seriously ill people on board ■■
whats involved on the ambulance course , are you taught to drive as the police are when learning to handle a veh at speed or is it more to do with passenger comforts ie bearing in mind you most likely have seriously ill people on board ■■
jen x
Hi Jen. We train to drive the vehicle as a goods vehicle - cos that’s what it is. The ambulance services all have training centres that will take the basic skills and add blue light training. Passenger comfort is a biggy on Cat D1 and D naturally.
But I know that their training does take into account the handling and carriage of poorly people.
harry: whilst the ambumance service sometimes offer training on the job
Steer clear of that one if I were you.
Sorry why would you steer clear?
Ambulance Service in London require C1 due to the vehicle some you can drive on a B if it is only 4 wheels, if it is a double wheel axle then you do require the C1, personally I would go for the Cat C no point in getting a C1 when you can have a better graded licence a bit of agency on days off when no overtime etc …
Advanced driver training will be over 3 weeks LAS normally do some training over North Weald air field not sure on other services, all in all a great career choice he can get in
So what if you have to sign a contract saying you will have to pay back X amount if you leave in X amount of time a Paramedic course is 3 years unless you go via Uni Greenwich or A N Other, even then you will get placement within the servie to do on field training … look on the sites below they will give you a great understandin gof what is required
