Coupling/uncoupling wasn’t part of the test I took. I did do that reverse around the cones, but my instructor told me exactly how to do it. It bore little resemblance to reversing a fridge blindside onto a bay between two other trucks.
m.a.n rules:
Dimlaith:
They missed one point
Give DVLA a big kick up the rear and get the license in the post ASAP.NO, the biggest one they missed was the dcpc, as a committed disbeliver in this crap is the reason i retired early at 55, now with the rates that are being offered i would do a couple of shifts a week,and i have 38 yrs experience man and boy…
Exactly the same for me.My last shift was the day before the DCPC kicked in.
DCPCFML:
Government:
"First, car drivers will no longer need to take another test to tow a trailer or caravan, allowing roughly 30,000 more HGV driving tests to be conducted every year.Second, tests will also be made shorter by removing the ‘reversing exercise’ element – and for vehicles with trailers, the ‘uncoupling and recoupling’ exercise"
LOL ! What could possibly go wrong?
Government:
“These changes will not change the standard of driving required to drive an HGV, with road safety continuing to be of paramount importance.”
LOL !
Since the average age of a truck driver is in his/her mid 50s and they where able to go from a provisional car licence straight getting a class 1 licence has no bearing on any bodies bearing on anybody’s driving abilities, so pulling the government for changing the rules back to nearly how it was 25 years ago.
1997 was probably the start of when the real shortage of class 1 drivers started.
There are drivers on the road today with a hgv licence that have not
done the coupling or uncoupling exercise on there test. 100 % genuine
license meet one up and down like a yoyo didn’t have a clue how to couple
up never done it before.
He passed in the army and if the vehicle is coupled up you never uncouple it.
weeto:
Since the average age of a truck driver is in his/her mid 50s and they where able to go from a provisional car licence straight getting a class 1 licence has no bearing on any bodies bearing on anybody’s driving abilities, so pulling the government for changing the rules back to nearly how it was 25 years ago.
1997 was probably the start of when the real shortage of class 1 drivers started.
25 years ago people were capable of thinking for themselves and figuring stuff out, using their brain etc. Today’s lot? Well good luck.
Nerdytrucker:
This is mental. Good luck everyone on the road. Stay safe cos its going to get a lot worse now.
Failing to see the problem. It is going back to what you used to be able to do before 1997. My wife passed her car test before 1997, manages to tow a 26ft 1.5 tonne caravan just fine and can reverse it better than many artic drivers I see. Also before 1997 you could go straight from car to artic licence and nobody was complaining.
If this all turns out ok and they get the rest of the cards ie MPQC for quarry work and the rest for tankers ect then I think it should stay that way and stop this relentless money making from people like FORS…a truck is not space ship, yes a bit of training but I think it is over the top…experience ,experience,experience 
If this all turns out ok and they get the rest of the cards ie MPQC for quarry work and the rest for tankers ect then I think it should stay that way and stop this relentless money making from Driver CPC, FORS…a truck is not space ship, yes a bit of training but I think it is over the top…experience ,experience,experience
Might be able to charge 200 quid for another two components of the test! Hand the contract to some pals of a tory and hey presto! Another money spinner!
Dimlaith:
They missed one point
Give DVLA a big kick up the rear and get the license in the post ASAP.
I would agree with you, they certainly need something doing.
m.a.n rules:
NO, the biggest one they missed was the dcpc, as a committed disbeliver in this crap is the reason i retired early at 55, now with the rates that are being offered i would do a couple of shifts a week,and i have 38 yrs experience man and boy…
Translated as, “you know all there is to know”. Potentially the most dangerous kind of driver on the road. If I’ve learned one thing over nearly 40 years in transport it’s that every day is a school day, you learn something new and every driver should have that attitude.
Before going back to driving, I was a TM and then a recruitment consultant…yeah, bring on the hate! The agency I worked for was a reputable one (JT Recruit in Derby, still very much in business) and we tested every candidate on tacho knowledge. I’d guess about 40 per cent needed putting right on some of the things they were doing, and the vast majority of that 40 per cent were drivers who’d been doing the job for years. Given that DVSA observe the regulations far more strictly these days that they did back then (around 2000/2002) I’d suggest that for this reason alone, DCPC is not such a bad thing. Factor in other stuff like safe loading (yes we know you can rope and sheet, so can I but times have changed) first aid at work, manual handling and the rest, it stacks up.
I do accept that it’s bloody tedious; I do think it’s wrong that drivers should sometimes have to pay for it themselves. I do think it could be better designed, I do think there are a lot of companies in it for the money and I do think that some of the trainers are a PITA. But there is absolutely no doubt whatsoever in my mind that overall it has raised standards in the industry and that was long overdue.
What does stink is the government taking us back 20 years just for a cheap quick fix.
Certainly one benefit of my CPC was that I finally learned how to put diesel into the diesel tank. Before my CPC I had been trying to put it in through the air nozzle on the front tyre! I used to make such a mess!
With this change to licensing and testing, what’s going to happen to class 2 vacancies
Why would people who have just got both class 1 & 2 entitlements bother going for class 2 work?
The pay isn’t as good, the work is harder, both in terms of doing more drops, and more often being involved in the loading and unloading. You can’t even say that it’s better to start on class 2 to get experience, as driving rigids is completely different to artics.
And what about people who only want a class 2 licence? Will it be possible to just get that still? And then to upgrade to a class 1 in the future if you wanted?
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i await sidevalves answer on that as he seems to know everything even about those who’s history in transport he’s never met… 
TruckDriverBen:
My friends dad is a dvsa examiner for hgv and his been told to be ‘relaxed’ on some faults ie. Clipping the kerb but the whole test being good standard he would pass nowSuch a joke
Coming from a training provider with an on-site test centre, that is complete nonsense.
The driving test has always been an overall assessment of driving, rather than a black and white fault marking exercise.
Clip a kerb that you could have avoided with proper positioning/planning = serious driving fault (fail).
Clip a kerb that couldn’t have been avoided with proper positioning/planning = no problem.
Terry Cooksey:
With this change to licensing and testing, what’s going to happen to class 2 vacancies
Why would people who have just got both class 1 & 2 entitlements bother going for class 2 work?
The pay isn’t as good, the work is harder, both in terms of doing more drops, and more often being involved in the loading and unloading. You can’t even say that it’s better to start on class 2 to get experience, as driving rigids is completely different to artics.
And what about people who only want a class 2 licence? Will it be possible to just get that still? And then to upgrade to a class 1 in the future if you wanted?Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk
m.a.n rules:
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^i await sidevalves answer on that as he seems to know everything even about those who’s history in transport he’s never met…
Happy to oblige. Before the rule change, mid-1990’s I think, many of us went straight through a Class 1 and ended up doing class 2 work. Various reasons; either it suited them better, they wanted to be home every night (much less rigid tramping back then) or there wasn’t any class 1 work around which suited them. Employers in those days were also more inclined to start new drivers off on a rigid to learn their craft.
Has anyone considered the fact that if the vast majority of new drivers turn out to be class 1, the end result will be an increase in pay for rigid drivers due to a shortfall of available and willing staff? And isn’t that what the rigid drivers have been asking for, since as you rightly say by its very nature it’s potentially a more arduous job? I’ve done both so wholly agree with the last bit.
It isn’t that much different actually. The biggest problems (and the ones which provide them most comedy gold) seem to be with long term artic drivers who are put on a rigid for the day. Perhaps the ideal solution is for all drivers to have a class 1 and to do a bit of both occasionally.
rearaxle:
edd1974:
Second, tests will also be made shorter by removing the ‘reversing exercise’ element – and for vehicles with trailers, the ‘uncoupling and recoupling’ exercise – and having it tested separately by a third partyI have no idea what this means any ideas?
My guess is a spereate licence entitlement to say you’ve passed on uncoupling test.This throws up more questions than answers plus 3rd party involvement im.guessing means another test more cost to be show how to unhook and reverse?
Tests will be made shorter, with the reversing exercise element removed and the uncoupling and recoupling exercise for trailer tests removed - and they will not have to be tested separately by a third party
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Has it been announced from which date these changes will take effect?
pminsuffolk:
Has it been announced from which date these changes will take effect?
Not yet. The only date I’ve seen mentioned is regarding the end of B+E tests. The last B+E tests will be 19th September.
bugger.lugs:
pminsuffolk:
Has it been announced from which date these changes will take effect?Not yet. The only date I’ve seen mentioned is regarding the end of B+E tests. The last B+E tests will be 19th September.
I’m booked in for my class 2 training and test in November, do you think it will have changed by then?
pminsuffolk:
I’m booked in for my class 2 training and test in November, do you think it will have changed by then?
No idea. It could be next week, next month, next year…
Youll just have to keep an eye on the news and stay in touch with your training provider.
I’m in a similar position with my training and test booked for October