bardon.flyer:
Im just glad to have passed my test, part of me curious as to why two different set ups obtain the same license.
Firstly, congratulations of course. It’s far harder to get the C+E than it was in my day when you could go straight from a car licence to an artic licence. You have earned the right to be pleased with yourself.
To answer your question, since the licencing categories were revised in (I think) 1993 and HGV became LGV (even though we all still call them HGVs), an articulated lorry and a wagon and drag became the same thing, a prime mover (C) towing a trailer (E).
It’s far harder to get the C+E than it was in my day when you could go straight from a car licence to an artic licence
You reckon? I would say the opposite. Jumping straight from a car onto an artic with no power steering and no sychromesh box was a far harder task in my book.
The basic test has hardly changed apart from no gear changing exercise, no forward manouvre I believe which all makes it a lot easier.Does it not?
Some interesting comparisons here but it’s not just as straight cut as artic v w&d , generally most artics now are 3+3 mid lift ,but w&ds vary so much and each set up is different to the next ,with regard to w&d reversing it can vary hugely on how easy or difficult it can be depending on if it’s rear lift or mid lift ,axle up or down ,triaxle or tandem trailer / spread axle ,where the hitch is positioned,trailer neck lenght ,trailer over hang ,Ect Ect .
I passed my class 1 license Friday morning in a draw bar set up with a clean sheet, and for good measure had Saturday morning in an artic, which I`m glad I did as they are totally different to drive, whilst going forward felt no different, cornering and reversing ( whilst the principle may remain the same) had different handling affects.
Im just glad to have passed my test, part of me curious as to why two different set ups obtain the same license.
Many thanks
Firstly well done for passing but in all honesty a clean sheet means nothing as the examiner does not have to mark minor faults but good to have anyway.
I take it your drawbar trailer had fixed axles and it was not an A frame as these bad boys can put a good artic driver to shame when it come to going backwards.
The reason you get a c C+E license for passing in a drawbar is all about saving money as artic training can take longer and nowadays it’s all about you getting a license asap rather
than teaching you to drive correctly.Basically it’s crap because it lets people pass a test when they have not proven they can handle a different vehicle.It’s far too easy to gain such a license.
Anyway my advice as a retired driver of 40 odd years would be don’t follow the herd and drive like an idiot. Stick to the rules and regs and your life will be so much easier.
Good luck because you will need it.
Listen to the guy with40 years experience. The school I did my class2 with did their class 1 with w&d. As another poster said 8t helps get you through the test easily. The crazy thing is, that the day after your test, you could get an agency job driving a 44 tonne artic. The mind boggles…thats why I found a better school to do my class1 with, and believe me theres a profound difference to poodling around an empty trailer, than with a fully loaded triaxle. I know, that was my first experience. Those first few weeks were a very near vertical learning curve.
Anyway, congratulations, stay safe and take it easy, dont be afraid to ask questions, especially 'stupid’ones, be willing to learn from your mistakes, and hopefully youll go to work one day in a couple of months and youll wonder what the fuss was. Take care, and the very best of luck to you.
jakethesnake: It’s far harder to get the C+E than it was in my day when you could go straight from a car licence to an artic licence
You reckon? I would say the opposite. Jumping straight from a car onto an artic with no power steering and no sychromesh box was a far harder task in my book.
The basic test has hardly changed apart from no gear changing exercise, no forward manouvre I believe which all makes it a lot easier.Does it not?
Well, you only had to take one driving test rather than two, for a start. That’s got to be easier. And the Ford Cargo I took my test in had both power steering and a synchromesh gearbox.
jakethesnake: It’s far harder to get the C+E than it was in my day when you could go straight from a car licence to an artic licence
You reckon? I would say the opposite. Jumping straight from a car onto an artic with no power steering and no sychromesh box was a far harder task in my book.
The basic test has hardly changed apart from no gear changing exercise, no forward manouvre I believe which all makes it a lot easier.Does it not?
Well, you only had to take one driving test rather than two, for a start. That’s got to be easier. And the Ford Cargo I took my test in had both power steering and a synchromesh gearbox.
Nah, tests dead easy if you can control nerves, stick to the limit ,drive to HC ,and don’t meet any ■■■ holes. As for the Cargo, you did have it easy, I had my class two in a Leyland Octopus followed by class one in a Guy Big J.
I did my test in a 2600 daf back in ‘95. No theory test and no multiple driving tests to get to class one back then. 4 days training and test on the 5th to go from a car licence to driving artics.
Sounds a hell of a lot easier and more straight forward than the way things are these days.
I did my test in a 2600 daf back in ‘95. No theory test and no multiple driving tests to get to class one back then. 4 days training and test on the 5th to go from a car licence to driving artics.
Sounds a hell of a lot easier and more straight forward than the way things are these days.
jakethesnake:
By the way did any of you who think there is little difference notice that the OP (a novice) thought they were totally different? I rest my case.
All goes quiet. [emoji38]
Only if you conveniently ignore my post saying I did my test in a wagon and drag and went straight to driving conventional artics with no issues! [emoji6]
So the OP passed a test to drive a wagon… whoopity doo!!
now use it only for what it is, a way to earn some cash and get trained and qualified to achieve something more challenging and rewarding than driving a truck for the rest of your days…
Have some vision and achieve more with your short time on this planet
You seriously don’t want to be driving a wagon for the rest of your life… do you ■■
scoobyears:
So the OP passed a test to drive a wagon… whoopity doo!!
now use it only for what it is, a way to earn some cash and get trained and qualified to achieve something more challenging and rewarding than driving a truck for the rest of your days…
Have some vision and achieve more with your short time on this planet
You seriously don’t want to be driving a wagon for the rest of your life… do you ■■
Good luck to the lad, but…
Speaking as somebody who has driven most of my life I unfortunately find myself agreeing with you mate tbh.
It’s hardly an attractive propisition anymore, …over regulated, treated like crap, and looked upon like crap.
Poor t.s and c.s in most cases, poor wages with even worse wage structures, unless you’re one of the lucky ones who work for Union firms and/or own account haulage co.s
And don’t get mee started about parking facilities for trampers.
Thing with me now is I know nothing else, and too old to change, so I just try and make the best of it for myself, and so far I’m succeeding I’m glad to say.
scoobyears:
So the OP passed a test to drive a wagon… whoopity doo!!
now use it only for what it is, a way to earn some cash and get trained and qualified to achieve something more challenging and rewarding than driving a truck for the rest of your days…
Have some vision and achieve more with your short time on this planet
You seriously don’t want to be driving a wagon for the rest of your life… do you ■■
Good luck to the lad, but…
Speaking as somebody who has driven most of my life I unfortunately find myself agreeing with you mate tbh.
It’s hardly an attractive propisition anymore, …over regulated, treated like crap, and looked upon like crap.
Poor t.s and c.s in most cases, poor wages with even worse wage structures, unless you’re one of the lucky ones who work for Union firms and/or own account haulage co.s
And don’t get mee started about parking facilities for trampers.
Thing with me now is I know nothing else, and too old to change, so I just try and make the best of it for myself, and so far I’m succeeding I’m glad to say.
I think it’s always been the same. If you can find a good, well-paying job in your 20s, by the time you are in your 50’s someone will have found a way to get the job done cheaper either by outsourcing or by using immigrant labour and so you have no real choice other than join the race to the bottom.
It happened in shipbuilding, textiles, coal mining etc etc etc and now it is happening to us.
nomiS36:
I did my test in a 2600 daf back in ‘95. No theory test and no multiple driving tests to get to class one back then. 4 days training and test on the 5th to go from a car licence to driving artics.
Sounds a hell of a lot easier and more straight forward than the way things are these days.
I disagree, it was harder and better when individuals had to learn the HC and were given random questions from it. Now ask questions from the HC from someone who sat theory test and they know very little. I am talking about the average. Obviously there are some who still learn the HC as well.
jakethesnake:
By the way did any of you who think there is little difference notice that the OP (a novice) thought they were totally different? I rest my case.
All goes quiet. [emoji38]
Only if you conveniently ignore my post saying I did my test in a wagon and drag and went straight to driving conventional artics with no issues! [emoji6]
I did not ignore your post however you are an exception to the rule for whatever reasons. The average novice learning on a piddly w&d (which some are) and going straight to a working articulated vehicle struggles but in saying that it is not necessarily a problem depending on how the individual goes about the task.A day or so of familiarisation can easily help a lot but it’s all about the individuals capability to learn and adapt.
Learning in an artic and going to a w&d rarely causes any problems.
scoobyears:
So the OP passed a test to drive a wagon… whoopity doo!!
now use it only for what it is, a way to earn some cash and get trained and qualified to achieve something more challenging and rewarding than driving a truck for the rest of your days…
Have some vision and achieve more with your short time on this planet
You seriously don’t want to be driving a wagon for the rest of your life… do you ■■
Yep, could not have put it better myself.The good days of wagon driving are long gone. It’s gone downhill a lot and it’s only going to go futher down.
jakethesnake:
By the way did any of you who think there is little difference notice that the OP (a novice) thought they were totally different? I rest my case.
All goes quiet. [emoji38]
Only if you conveniently ignore my post saying I did my test in a wagon and drag and went straight to driving conventional artics with no issues! [emoji6]
I did not ignore your post however you are an exception to the rule for whatever reasons. The average novice learning on a piddly w&d (which some are) and going straight to a working articulated vehicle struggles but in saying that it is not necessarily a problem depending on how the individual goes about the task.A day or so of familiarisation can easily help a lot but it’s all about the individuals capability to learn and adapt.
Learning in an artic and going to a w&d rarely causes any problems.
There’s 2 people on this thread with first hand experience of going straight from training in a wagon and drag to driving a conventional artic. One says it was significantly different, the other says the differences are small. You are choosing to use the first to support your argument only - that is cherry-picking data to suit your argument.
The biggest difference between the 2 types is how they reverse, but seeing as you don’t get taught how to reverse during your training anyway, you’re going to be teaching yourself that in the real world whatever you end up driving!
