Reef:
You wanna try reversing a Rigid after being on the bendy’s for a while, then you look like a right noob
He he and me hardly go out in a rigid lately but when I do and try and reverse it look a right nana funny tho keeps the shop staff amused specially if they are used to me taking a trailer in 
Top tips for reversing Artics (& rigids) keep mirrors clean, radio off, both windows down & slowly slowly catchy Monkey.
Go for it Radar, I was lucky when I started on Artics, my brother in law took me out on Sundays for a couple of months, letting me drive & trained me up in a 16 speed crash box Iveco, didn’t earn any dosh but the experience was invaluable.
Passed my class 1 first attempt then started earning.
It’s handy to have class 2 under your belt, at least
your used to playing with big vehicles.
Top tip is PLAN. Think about where you are going, not where you are. When you make a turn, think about how you will get through it. When you have to reverse, try to get in the best place to start from, even if it means going past and turning round. Never be too shy to stop, get out and have a look.
Big Roy:
It might sound strange but they are easier to drive than rigids and lot more comfortable, I hate driving rigids and doing a U turn in them after being used to an artic is a nightmare
defo!
go straight over at a island feels like lock to lock to lock in a rigid compared to an artic.
generally you have a lot more gears in an artic, which once you’ve got your head around makes life so much easier, no more revving the ■■■■■■■■ in one gear, shift up an struggle to pull the next one.
when pulling out of angled T junctions, you can usually get the cab square to the road you’re joining for better visibility.
I did a rigid run recently and took 2 shunts to get on a bay. What a fail
Find artics much easier to drive, you can keep your rigid ta very much.
never had a problem with getitng scared when i 1st started driving a car,
but saying that i could drive a 70 ton tank legally on the road before i could drive a car 
Radar19:
sayersy:
I find them about as scary as Bambi, but I’ve been driving them for 25 years. On the other hand, I was petrified when I first climbed into one (straight to class one in those days). It’s simply a matter of familiarity, and the only way you’ll overcome your trepidation is to bite the bullet and get on with it. Perhaps your first foray should be night trunks, lots of straight lines, very little manoeuvring and less traffic. Most will be autos, so no need to worry about 16 speed boxes or twin splitters. You work for an agency, so ask them for that work…because come the new year, you may need to be more flexible. Carpe diem, young Radar!The money mafia on here will probably hurl all sorts of abuse at me for saying this…but why not see if you can get an unpaid ride in the passenger seat somewhere? See how the vehicle behaves, how the trailer tracks and how the driver deals with things. If your lucky, it’ll be raining and you’ll feel it twitch on roundabouts!
I did wonder if someone would take me out in one but with all this “not insured for passengers” nonsense, not many will come forward
Sometimes that isn’t true, it’s just something put forward to discourage drivers from giving lifts. Either way, ALL companies will have insurance for AUTHORISED passengers, of which you would be one.
Reef:
ROG:
Were you scared when you started car driving lessons?Did anyone else get the “leg shake” when your foot depressed the clutch? I had it for a couple of car lessons and for the first part of my first C lesson, wasn’t an issue rather more an annoyance
Ehhh, no because i’m not a ■■■■…
Seriously though I still get it now and I don’t even have a clutch… 
Radar19:
Heres the skinny. Right now I drive rigids but I want to move up to artics but I’m kinda scared about driving them. My only experience ever driving one was round an airfield but that really didn’t do it for me. Are they really that big and scary to drive?
Youl be fine everything new at first is a bit scary…
Bendy’s can be easier to drive than rigids at times, just a little longer thats all.
To have a bit of fear and respect for the motor is good as complacency can be the biggest enemy.
After a while you will adapt your driving style to the trailer and do whats best for it to maintain momentum and stability.
Edit: The last phrase makes me look like I know what I’m doing, as every days a learning days and I drop my fair share of bollox i’m far from it.
The-Snowman:
Not scary at all mate. In my opinion they are actually a bit easier to drive than rigids. Class 1 is the one I wanted so I couldn’t wait to get started. After the first couple of turns etc you will be fine behind the wheel. I still remember the first corner I turned,looked in the mirror and the shock feeling of seeing it filled with trailer,the other half full of trailer headboard. Fun times! After a few minutes you will be fine. The rigids will have given you the spacial awareness for size etc. You’ll be fine
Agreed.
I drive a close coupled w&d and know after all these years that experience is key.
Like most things, when you’ve done it a few times the familiarity helps. Spacial awareness is key - take your time and don’t be afraid to take an extra shunt to get you out of trouble.
The length of the wagon has never really bothered me, it’s the width of the thing that used to bother me but seeing as you drive a rigid already, you’ll be fine.
NewLad:
The length has never really bothered me, it’s the width of the thing that used to bother me…
That’s what she said.
Dipper_Dave:
Radar19:
Heres the skinny. Right now I drive rigids but I want to move up to artics but I’m kinda scared about driving them. My only experience ever driving one was round an airfield but that really didn’t do it for me. Are they really that big and scary to drive?Edit: The last phrase makes me look like I know what I’m doing, as every days a learning days and I drop my fair share of bollox i’m far from it.
Haha
Don’t we all drop the odd bollock?
I’m a confident driver and I don’t give a monkeys if I have to correct myself while manouvering - be it tight or easy.
The key is to not give a monkeys chuff what other drivers think about what you are doing.
After all, straight in or 10 shunts - it’s totally and utterly nowt to get worked up about!
Contraflow:
NewLad:
The length has never really bothered me, it’s the width of the thing that used to bother me…That’s what she said.
I thought that as I typed it lol
hiabman:
Dipper_Dave:
Radar19:
Heres the skinny. Right now I drive rigids but I want to move up to artics but I’m kinda scared about driving them. My only experience ever driving one was round an airfield but that really didn’t do it for me. Are they really that big and scary to drive?Edit: The last phrase makes me look like I know what I’m doing, as every days a learning days and I drop my fair share of bollox i’m far from it.
Haha
Don’t we all drop the odd bollock?
I’m a confident driver and I don’t give a monkeys if I have to correct myself while manouvering - be it tight or easy.
The key is to not give a monkeys chuff what other drivers think about what you are doing.
After all, straight in or 10 shunts - it’s totally and utterly nowt to get worked up about!
As long as nothing gets damaged and nobody is hurt what does it matter how many shunts it takes? I usually make a balls up of the ones where you can go on any bay in 10 and miss them all lol
An easy reverse is usually sorted before you even start going backwards
Plan - as you approach start looking and planning your reverse
Position - put it in the best position possible
Preparation - mentally prepare and also physically prepare mirrors, windows, radio etc
See easy innit
Bungle666:
Radar19:
Heres the skinny. Right now I drive rigids but I want to move up to artics but I’m kinda scared about driving them. My only experience ever driving one was round an airfield but that really didn’t do it for me. Are they really that big and scary to drive?im in a similar situation! I’ve driven bendys going forwards, but reversing them fills me with the sort of fear that keeps people up at night!
B…
I got no problems reversing artics ,I just don’t like hitting things when reversing[not for a long time now though thank god]
Radar19:
Heres the skinny. Right now I drive rigids but I want to move up to artics but I’m kinda scared about driving them. My only experience ever driving one was round an airfield but that really didn’t do it for me. Are they really that big and scary to drive?
bollox,check out this blokes posts 
Reef:
You wanna try reversing a Rigid after being on the bendy’s for a while, then you look like a right noob
Yet when your in your car you reverse normally8-)
Whirlwind:
Reef:
You wanna try reversing a Rigid after being on the bendy’s for a while, then you look like a right noobYet when your in your car you reverse normally8-)
Nope I get that wrong sometimes too I won’t mention reaching my hand to the dashboard to apply the handbrake sometimes
The bigger and longer the trailer the easier they are to reverse IMHO, I rarely had a problem backing up a full length tri-axle, the short 2 axle tipper trailer I drive now is a nightmare I have a number of years under my belt on this one and I still regularly overcook it! I cannot find that sweet spot (not helped by quarry clay pit work as most of my reversing is done uneven ground)
The worst trailer I ever had was a woolworths very short single axle tail lift, blo*dy impossible one twitch of the steering wheel and it was gone!
