HI .what do you find the easier to drive a rigid or an artic,the amount of drivers that say the artic ,if so why is this out of curosity. im not in a position to judge yet
smiggy123:
HI .what do you find the easier to drive a rigid or an artic,the amount of drivers that say the artic ,if so why is this out of curosity. im not in a position to judge yet
I have no preference for either - each has it’s own up side & down side.
I enjoy instructing in the artic as I “usually” have experienced lorry drivers doing it - I say usually because occasionally I get a very recent C pass client and they are still in the very early stages of learning what the numpties can do to them and when you put a 16.5 metre artic in their hands it can get a little on the dangerous side.
I find an artic easier to drive,probably because I’ve been driving one longer than a rigid.In fact I feel more at home driving an artic than driving my car.
No preferance really I tend to swap about from artic to drag to rigid. Think from a work perspective I prefer the rigid, but driving perspective artic. Quite fancy a change and try tippers though they look a piece of ■■■■ to play with. Little or no rear overhang, load drops in and slides out! (Usually)
Since passing my test I’ve mostly driven artics, so the few time I’ve drven rigids I’ve made a real hash of it in the first few miles until I get used to the different turning circles. 
Or backing onto loading bays and turning the wheel the wrong way until I realise the trailer isn’t coming round as expected. 
Quite fancy a change and try tippers though they look a piece of ■■■■ to play with. Little or no rear overhang
Not done tippers but I’ve driven some 15 tonners with no rear overhang, in my eyes they are harder to reverse than one with a large rear overhang. I’d sooner shunt my 6 wheeler in with the tag lifted and 14’ overhang than one of them.
im not all that experienced, but i prefer artics to rigids, and i cant honestly explain why?
At the moment i’m driving bin wagons in very narrow back streets with about a 4ft overhang when your turning not much fun i can tell you especially when your doing student land and they leave there cars parked in silly places. I start driving my 1st artics for a different place wk after next and i’m really looking forward to it 
Artics are good for tight corners 'cos they bend in the middle. However, rigids tend to be a very easy & relaxed drive. Very easy to reverse… just the same as a car or van.
When turning sharply & concerned about tail swing… you can always see where it is with a rigid.
Artics are good for tight corners 'cos they bend in the middle. However, rigids tend to be a very easy & relaxed drive. Very easy to reverse… just the same as a car or van.
When turning sharply & concerned about tail swing… you can always see where it is with a rigid.
I like Wagon and Drag, then Artic, then Rigid.
Artics asre nice for corners but W&D follow you more faithfully (They call em Dog and Pup in Holland) rigids are fine for not too much distance behid but I hate the overswing and however many years I have been doing it I have to think twice about reversing rigids. As soon as I get in a truck i think ‘Artic’ and when I am trying to reverse the rigids I usually turn the wheel the wrong way to start with.
Too many years on bendy’s methinks
Mothertrucker:
Too many years on bendy’s methinks
So, to sum up… would it be fair to say that you like “bendy ones” Mothertrucker 
