Hi
I thought I read somewhere recently that you can now do your C (rigid) test in an automatic and it counts the same as doing it in a manual - I cannot currently find the info again.
Friends son has been told this but is it an “urban myth”.
Pete
It’s not a myth it’s true, you can now do the HGV test in an automatic and you will be able to drive manual vehicles.
I don’t agree with it myself, but I suppose if you’re paying a lot of money for training you might as well make it as easy as possible.
I was under the impression it changed December last year.
I don’t think it is smart though passing on an auto as you will look pretty specialist if you first job involves a splitter box and you don’t know what to do. Also you would be limiting who you can train with as plenty of driving schools use older lorry’s with manual boxes.
But the stipulation is that you must have passed your car test in a manual, otherwise the whole pass in an auto and able to drive a manual truck is a non-starter.
Yeah, it is true it came in around April this year. Also vehicles must be semi-laden for driving tests now. I think it’s around 5 tonne inside rigid cat. C and around 8 tonne inside artic trailer for C+E test. Details of automatic vehicles for test are here (sorry it’s a bit old):
commercialmotor.com/latest-n … tic-trucks
Its not an urban myth,like most on here I dont agree with it either.A commercial gear box is a very different beast from a car box.
alamcculloch:
Its not an urban myth,like most on here I dont agree with it either.A commercial gear box is a very different beast from a car box.
Dont try and say you disagree on the newbie section[thats seems to be free advertisment for 3 driving schools]you will shot down in flames by the 3 blokes who run driving shools who allways post on there, ,i was 
I had fun of watching some try to drive a manual coach 
the guy passed in the auto and was given stick one
he could not work it out
having passed my test in a manual i got a manual any way
but if you have got out of your ford focus you would not know what a splitter box is now would you
There will be no more TEFLON drivers soon.