does a learner driver have to go on a course to get his C+E or can he sit in with a qualified driver for a few weeks then take the test?
Which seat is he in?
Peter Smythe always says there’s no legal requirement for a trainer. So that would suggest your mate/grandson could drive so long as he has provisional license, theory passes, insurance, L plates and is supervised.
Or are you suggesting he goes for a test without turning a wheel himself?
Is there a lorry available with insurance to take the test?
3 years licence required to supervise a provisional license holder
gov.uk/become-an-lgv-driving-instructor
I don’t think you are allowed to drive on L plates as part of a ‘‘commercial journey’’ so he wouldn’t be able to drive back empty for example because this would be the return part of the journey after you have delivered, this used to be the case anyway.
A lad in our village, daddy owned a haulage co, was driving trucks as soon as he could reach the pedals. On 21st birthday, took class 2 in the morning and class 1 in the afternoon, passed both. Got back to the yard and daddy threw the keys at him and told him Off you go Germany. 
shullbit:
I don’t think you are allowed to drive on L plates as part of a ‘‘commercial journey’’
I never knew that ^^^ if that’s true it’s a ridiculous law as potentially the first time you would be driving freighted would probably be your first time on the road unsupervised.
the maoster:
shullbit:
I don’t think you are allowed to drive on L plates as part of a ‘‘commercial journey’’I never knew that ^^^ if that’s true it’s a ridiculous law as potentially the first time you would be driving freighted would probably be your first time on the road unsupervised.
I think nearly everyone that has a HGV licence first time driving freighted was their first time on the road unsupervised. The wagons used for training do actually have a load on them, but its not commercial.
It may actually be allowed if the learner has a drivers CPC card though.
Ah, DCPC, that never even occurred to me. Cheers.
Optimum:
does a learner driver have to go on a course to get his C+E or can he sit in with a qualified driver for a few weeks then take the test?
This would probably be false economy.
Just because someone is a qualified driver doesn’t mean that they are able to supervise a learner effectively or show them the specific “driving style” to get someone through their test, or even to communicate effectively the knowledge they may have.
Plus, booking the test is no easy task in itself, they’re in short supply and a proper training provider will have a team of people poised to snap the tests up when they become available, which is only one day per week at a specific time.
Pay for a course with a driver training school. Both the learner and the experienced driver will have got into bad habits that need to be identified and trained out. Depending on how experienced the supervising driver is the driving test may have changed a fair bit since they did theirs. Certainly when it comes to car tests there’s a lot of dads teaching their kids who never had to do things like identify where you top up oil, water and screenwash as part of the driving test.
Thanks for all your comments and suggestions. I got my C+E in 1976 with a £200 5 day course at Gatewen in Wrexham, never having touched any HGV prior to that, The senior trainer was a lean old soldier refered to as The Screaming Skull. On my first day the rear wheels of my trailer ran over the bonnet of a car. No injuries, How we laughed.
the maoster:
shullbit:
I don’t think you are allowed to drive on L plates as part of a ‘‘commercial journey’’I never knew that ^^^ if that’s true it’s a ridiculous law as potentially the first time you would be driving freighted would probably be your first time on the road unsupervised.
It’s not a law as long as the driver has their CPC. But it might fall foul of insurance.
stu675:
the maoster:
shullbit:
I don’t think you are allowed to drive on L plates as part of a ‘‘commercial journey’’I never knew that ^^^ if that’s true it’s a ridiculous law as potentially the first time you would be driving freighted would probably be your first time on the road unsupervised.
It’s not a law as long as the driver has their CPC. But it might fall foul of insurance.
I’ve seen a Waitrose artic with L plates, delivering to a Waitrose store, driven by a learner with a trainer in the passenger seat.
Yeah I reckon that the big blue chips who self insure would have no problems whatsoever with it.
the maoster:
Yeah I reckon that the big blue chips who self insure would have no problems whatsoever with it.
Insurance it what it often comes down to. Our lot paid for my class 2, a couple of months leading up to it I drove on L plates with other drivers. We were allowed to drive when empty but insurers wouldn’t cover loaded lorries with learners for some reason.
Hours in the seat definitely helped though…
I flew through the training and test with ease after 3 days whilst another pupil who’d never driven a lorry before training started was clearly at a disadvantage. He didn’t get through the test on his attempt.
When I recently booked my class 1 myself, similar situation. An old guy in his 50s was doing the car to class 1 jump. I flew through it again in 3 days (although having never driven an artic I had a few years experience of a long rigid) whilst he didn’t pass.
Point being it didn’t mean I was any better than any other trainee, just that I had had many miles and hours under my belt when I went for both class 2 and 1. Whilst a fellow colleague can’t really teach you all the ins an outs to get you though test, they can teach you a lot when it comes to the basics such as getting used to the size of the vehicle and lines to take on roundabouts etc.
Conor:
Pay for a course with a driver training school. Both the learner and the experienced driver will have got into bad habits that need to be identified and trained out. Depending on how experienced the supervising driver is the driving test may have changed a fair bit since they did theirs. Certainly when it comes to car tests there’s a lot of dads teaching their kids who never had to do things like identify where you top up oil, water and screenwash as part of the driving test.
What Conor said. Driving instructors are specifically trained to “teach to the test”; it’s a well known maxim in this industry that you don’t start learning to drive until you’ve actually passed.
In an ideal world, you would go out with that experienced driver a few times under supervision before being set loose on your own, but that’s very much an employer’s choice.
wide-load85:
. An old guy in his 50s was doing the car to class 1 jump.
I don’t understand!
He was either an old guy, or he was in his 50s? You can’t be both?
[emoji1787]
stu675:
wide-load85:
. An old guy in his 50s was doing the car to class 1 jump.I don’t understand!
He was either an old guy, or he was in his 50s? You can’t be both?
[emoji1787]
Quite right. 50s isn’t old 
Just for the record, I’m over 60 and I’m not old yet [emoji1787] [emoji1787]
Simon:
stu675:
wide-load85:
. An old guy in his 50s was doing the car to class 1 jump.I don’t understand!
He was either an old guy, or he was in his 50s? You can’t be both?
[emoji1787]Quite right. 50s isn’t old [emoji38] [emoji38]
Just for the record, I’m over 60 and I’m not old yet [emoji1787] [emoji1787]
The bloody youth of today! [emoji23]