I have been doing my home work for an LGV training school and have shortlisted two potentials. One will essentially get me my C and C&E for ~£2.5k and the other for £2k. The problem with the cheaper option is they only offer training with automatics. I understand automatic transmissions have been getting more popular but it seems I’m shooting myself in the foot not being able to drive manual.
Is limiting myself for £500 worth it? I’m thinking no but its as good a newbie question as any, I guess.
Wheels Are Round:
I understand automatic transmissions have been getting more popular but it seems I’m shooting myself in the foot not being able to drive manual.
Plenty of threads on this subject but tbh only person who can answer it is you!
What do you mean by not being able to drive manual?
If you’ve got a manual car licence then you’ll get manual C/CE.
If you’ve got automatic only car licence then yes you’ll be restricted to auto only if you take test in one.
If you can drive a manual gearbox car now you’ll soon adapt to a manual truck gearbox.
Personal view - I’d do C in manual then CE in auto if were me.
Go for a few assessments in both types then see what you think
I have been doing my home work for an LGV training school and have shortlisted two potentials. One will essentially get me my C and C&E for ~£2.5k and the other for £2k. The problem with the cheaper option is they only offer training with automatics. I understand automatic transmissions have been getting more popular but it seems I’m shooting myself in the foot not being able to drive manual.
Is limiting myself for £500 worth it? I’m thinking no but its as good a newbie question as any, I guess.
Who’s doing LGV training for £500 in Portsmouth? I did my training in Guildford (through Wallace in north-west London) and I paid twice that for each set of lessons!
I have been doing my home work for an LGV training school and have shortlisted two potentials. One will essentially get me my C and C&E for ~£2.5k and the other for £2k. The problem with the cheaper option is they only offer training with automatics. I understand automatic transmissions have been getting more popular but it seems I’m shooting myself in the foot not being able to drive manual.
Is limiting myself for £500 worth it? I’m thinking no but its as good a newbie question as any, I guess.
Who’s doing LGV training for £500 in Portsmouth? I did my training in Guildford (through Wallace in north-west London) and I paid twice that for each set of lessons!
I learned to RIDE a 15 speed racer BY MY SELF soon it will be powered by Christ Kens I was only 8yrs & my feet … That far from the ground (NO PPE OR HI VIS ) James Broon .
On training you will learn just one type of gearbox and there are many different types out there so whether you learn in auto or manual you will still have many to learn once the test is passed
You learn other types by asking for advice as to how they work from your new work colleagues
With that info you can now decide whether taking the training and test in either manual or auto makes any real difference in regards to gear boxes
As ROG says, learning on a manual will teach you how to use that particular type of gearbox. And that’s got it’s uses if you get the same again in the real world - which you may or may not.
Personally, I would use auto for training and test and then have an hour in a manual without the pressure of test but will be enough to give you the outline knowledge.
Up to 10 years ago, the rule for tests was using any manual gearbox. So 99.9% of training vehicles had straight 5 or 6 speed boxes. And all those drivers seem to manage with whatever is given to them. No-one ever taught me how to use a splitter or a range change.
Those who insist that training should happen only on manuals are assuming that the current candidates are thick. And that’s simply not the case.
But, for the record, we continue to offer the choice of manual or automatic. So, no matter what the view is on boxes, we are happy to go with it.
I’m not getting into a long winded debate about training on auto’s because as much as I disagree with it we are where we are and unfortunately it’s not going to change any time soon.
However this argument about gears being irrelevant because you only learn one type of gearbox and anyway you’ve already used a gearbox is a completely nonsense, if you take that argument to it’s extreme you could say everyone has driven in traffic so the training and test can be done on private land, it’s just a ridiculous argument.
When you learn to drive in a manual vehicle you learn (hopefully) to control a large vehicle and use the gears at the same time, using a manual gearbox isn’t just about pushing a stick one way or the other as some of you seem to be suggesting, using gears safely, being in the right gear at the right time whilst in traffic requires a certain amount of concentration to get it right, and when you take that out of the equation and you haven’t learned to drive a manual vehicle safely.
Leaning to drive a large vehicle in an automatic is like learning to ride a bike and using stabilisers, any ■■■■ fool can do it, take the stabilisers off then go a main road and there’s a reasonable chance you’re going to be [zb]ed.
To quote ROG, “With that info you can now decide whether taking the training and test in either manual or auto makes any real difference in regards to gear boxes”
anyone that cant take and pass a test driving a manual should be ashamed of themself.as if driving standards arnt bad enough as it is,its just another lowering of overall standard,and self demeaning to think your not capable of doing a normal test in a normal truck. just shamefull.
I don’t agree to all this BS to do with manuals & Autos…
Simple fact in my view, if you train & pass the HGV test regardless of of it being class 2 or 1 using an auto box then the individual should be restricted to driving autos only and stay the hell away from manuals, just like it is in the manual car test.
Oh but now you can take the easy route and pass both classes using and auto box and this entitles you to drive a manual wagon…how very wrong… but then I wonder who though of that one,obviously same pencil pushing idiot that went advising the government that diesel cars where cleaner that petrols…
What you need to ask yourself is what am I getting for my money?
Some companies will quote a cheap price but then you only end up with a short course. They will then sting you on the retest.
Make sure you are comaring like for like!
On the automatic note there are many trainees wanting to train on manuals so I do know of trainers loosing business because they have auto training vehicles!
dieseldog999:
anyone that cant take and pass a test driving a manual should be ashamed of themself.as if driving standards arnt bad enough as it is,its just another lowering of overall standard,and self demeaning to think your not capable of doing a normal test in a normal truck. just shamefull.
tachograph:
When you learn to drive in a manual vehicle you learn (hopefully) to control a large vehicle and use the gears at the same time, using a manual gearbox isn’t just about pushing a stick one way or the other as some of you seem to be suggesting, using gears safely, being in the right gear at the right time whilst in traffic requires a certain amount of concentration to get it right, and when you take that out of the equation and you haven’t learned to drive a manual vehicle safely.
Leaning to drive a large vehicle in an automatic is like learning to ride a bike and using stabilisers, any ■■■■ fool can do it, take the stabilisers off then go a main road and there’s a reasonable chance you’re going to be [zb]ed.
This is the truth/reality that no1 else seem to agree with.
tachograph:
When you learn to drive in a manual vehicle you learn (hopefully) to control a large vehicle and use the gears at the same time, using a manual gearbox isn’t just about pushing a stick one way or the other as some of you seem to be suggesting, using gears safely, being in the right gear at the right time whilst in traffic requires a certain amount of concentration to get it right, and when you take that out of the equation and you haven’t learned to drive a manual vehicle safely.
Leaning to drive a large vehicle in an automatic is like learning to ride a bike and using stabilisers, any ■■■■ fool can do it, take the stabilisers off then go a main road and there’s a reasonable chance you’re going to be [zb]ed.
This is the truth/reality that no1 else seem to agree with.
Probably because the reality is that it makes no difference
If a driver can use a manual car and be in the right gear at the right time then why should they not be able to that in a manual LGV ?
tachograph:
When you learn to drive in a manual vehicle you learn (hopefully) to control a large vehicle and use the gears at the same time, using a manual gearbox isn’t just about pushing a stick one way or the other as some of you seem to be suggesting, using gears safely, being in the right gear at the right time whilst in traffic requires a certain amount of concentration to get it right, and when you take that out of the equation and you haven’t learned to drive a manual vehicle safely.
Leaning to drive a large vehicle in an automatic is like learning to ride a bike and using stabilisers, any ■■■■ fool can do it, take the stabilisers off then go a main road and there’s a reasonable chance you’re going to be [zb]ed.
This is the truth/reality that no1 else seem to agree with.
Probably because the reality is that it makes no difference
If a driver can use a manual car and be in the right gear at the right time then why should they not be able to that in a manual LGV ?
So basically you’re saying that driving a large vehicle is the same as driving a car ?
tachograph:
When you learn to drive in a manual vehicle you learn (hopefully) to control a large vehicle and use the gears at the same time, using a manual gearbox isn’t just about pushing a stick one way or the other as some of you seem to be suggesting, using gears safely, being in the right gear at the right time whilst in traffic requires a certain amount of concentration to get it right, and when you take that out of the equation and you haven’t learned to drive a manual vehicle safely.
Leaning to drive a large vehicle in an automatic is like learning to ride a bike and using stabilisers, any ■■■■ fool can do it, take the stabilisers off then go a main road and there’s a reasonable chance you’re going to be [zb]ed.
This is the truth/reality that no1 else seem to agree with.
Probably because the reality is that it makes no difference
If a driver can use a manual car and be in the right gear at the right time then why should they not be able to that in a manual LGV ?
So basically you’re saying that driving a large vehicle is the same as driving a car ?
In relation to gears then yes
Straight 6 car
Straight 6 van
Straight 6 lorry
No difference except for the size of vehicle
a 15 speed racer BY MY SELF soon it will be powered by Christ Kens I was only 
8yrs & my feet … That far from the ground (NO PPE OR HI VIS ) 
James Broon 
.