TruckOff:
It always amazes me that company s assume that because you have a class one licence you can drive any vehicle.
its a bit like calling a builder to fix your roof, then saying can you fix my boiler while your here!
■■■■■■■■.
Using your analogy, it’s a bit like calling a builder to fix your roof… but with slightly different tiles.
To be fair the old UK regs idea that it’s easier to go from driving rigids to drawbars,than having,any connection whatsoever with driving artics,made more sense than the idea that the two types have any relationship between each other.Examples like the OP are just the predictable results of the employers preference of applying the latter idea.Which is where we are now with drivers learning and taking their tests on rigids and trailers then finding that their training isn’t relevant in the case of artics and vice versa.
I can see the trepidation of the OP not having driven a wag + drag, as I can and have been able to drive wag + drag since my class 3 went to class 2 but I have never driven one let alone coupled one up…go figure, would I be safe?
NO
Would I drive one, after familiarisation yes, not so much driving as I move the odd artic about but more the coupling up routine as I wouldnt have a clue.
Get a morning playing with the kit, then tell us when your out and we can avoid your first route
Drift:
I can see the trepidation of the OP not having driven a wag + drag, as I can and have been able to drive wag + drag since my class 3 went to class 2 but I have never driven one let alone coupled one up…go figure, would I be safe?
NO
Would I drive one, after familiarisation yes,
Believe it or not you could actually drive up to 38t gross weight wagon and drag on a class 3 so long as it was 2 + 3 configuration.As always the best/only way to get familiarised was by driving it which is how the regs were ( rightly ) formulated in the day.The problem being that isn’t how the employers saw it which is why we are where we are today with drivers being scared to just get on with it and/or being put into the wrong type of trucks.
Been driving close coupled W&D for 20 years doing farm and building site work. The only downside to them is you can’t U turn in a tight space. The plus side is they don’t cut corners, need much less space to reverse into tight spots and are more stable overall. Try it, you’ll be suprised.
Theres A frame type and old style ,what I call euro turn table type. Both totally difernt. Would tackle Aframe no probs. Would tackle euro style after a lot of reversing practice. From what I can gather the euro style are real barstewards at first. But hey ho, you soon get used to anything.
trucken:
Been driving close coupled W&D for 20 years doing farm and building site work. The only downside to them is you can’t U turn in a tight space. The plus side is they don’t cut corners, need much less space to reverse into tight spots and are more stable overall. Try it, you’ll be suprised.
I am kinda liking the sound of these
Though I did help one of those furniture guys line himself up while on a chow in Burtonwood, he was having a ■■■■■ of a time getting the pin to drop, me and another driver (more familiar with those contraptions) helped him, fair enough he offered a drink from the coffee bar
We got 50 of them, and so I get to drive them now & then, I personally prefer the artics, but the guys who are regularly on the Wagon & Drags prefer them,
I must admit, when I do a week on one, after a couple or 3 days on one, I find them quite easy,
TruckOff:
It always amazes me that company s assume that because you have a class one licence you can drive any vehicle.
its a bit like calling a builder to fix your roof, then saying can you fix my boiler while your here!
■■■■■■■■.
Using your analogy, it’s a bit like calling a builder to fix your roof… but with slightly different tiles.
To be fair the old UK regs idea that it’s easier to go from driving rigids to drawbars,than having,any connection whatsoever with driving artics,made more sense than the idea that the two types have any relationship between each other.Examples like the OP are just the predictable results of the employers preference of applying the latter idea.Which is where we are now with drivers learning and taking their tests on rigids and trailers then finding that their training isn’t relevant in the case of artics and vice versa.
440Mopar:
Theres A frame type and old style ,what I call euro turn table type. Both totally difernt. Would tackle Aframe no probs. Would tackle euro style after a lot of reversing practice. From what I can gather the euro style are real barstewards at first. But hey ho, you soon get used to anything.
A frame is the turntable type.The A frame describes the drawbar that’s attached to the turntable which pivots vertically at the base of the A with the eye being at the top.It’s that combination of two points of articulation and isolation of the prime mover,from movement and weight transfer,provided by the front axle/turntable and independent vertically pivoting drawbar,that provides the advantage which that type has over the close coupled fixed drawbar and fixed axles at the centre type ,which is the former of those which you seem to be describing.
TruckOff:
It always amazes me that company s assume that because you have a class one licence you can drive any vehicle.
its a bit like calling a builder to fix your roof, then saying can you fix my boiler while your here!
■■■■■■■■.
Using your analogy, it’s a bit like calling a builder to fix your roof… but with slightly different tiles.
To be fair the old UK regs idea that it’s easier to go from driving rigids to drawbars,than having,any connection whatsoever with driving artics,made more sense than the idea that the two types have any relationship between each other.Examples like the OP are just the predictable results of the employers preference of applying the latter idea.Which is where we are now with drivers learning and taking their tests on rigids and trailers then finding that their training isn’t relevant in the case of artics and vice versa.
As I said the handling of an artic isn’t relevant in any way whatsoever to the handling of a rigid with a trailer attached at least in the case of A frame type and also arguably in the case of close coupled outfits too.Which is why as I said under the old regs it was considered as being more relevant to allow rigid licence holders to just couple up a trailer and get on with it than have to bother with getting an artic licence.
Although having said that even under those old regs an artic licence was also considered as being ok to cover drawbar outfits too.Which as the OP’s comments show is arguably just as much of an issue as swapping from a rigid and trailer to an artic would have been.
ancientone:
Hi gents have been driving artics for quite a few years now 20+ Now my current firm also has wagons and drags, and they are pushing me to take out a wagon and drag “yes i know its a class 1” but my problem is I struggle with them dont like em, and dont feel too safe with em. So my question, is if I refuse to take one out am I being unreasonable and refusing a reasonable request? if push comes to shove will probably just hand in notice and be the 18th driver they have lost in a year (only 12 in fleet) lol bit of a turnover in staff
sensible replies only please
Seems (on rereading) the OP has driven a wag + drag before, short and tall is if you have driven them before for this company or admitted to them you have drove them before you have no choice but to drive them.
ancientone:
Hi gents have been driving artics for quite a few years now 20+ Now my current firm also has wagons and drags, and they are pushing me to take out a wagon and drag “yes i know its a class 1” but my problem is I struggle with them dont like em, and dont feel too safe with em. So my question, is if I refuse to take one out am I being unreasonable and refusing a reasonable request? if push comes to shove will probably just hand in notice and be the 18th driver they have lost in a year (only 12 in fleet) lol bit of a turnover in staff
sensible replies only please
Seems (on rereading) the OP has driven a wag + drag before, short and tall is if you have driven them before for this company or admitted to them you have drove them before you have no choice but to drive them.
The OP seems to be saying that he’d rather leave the job than drive a drawbar outfit instead of an artic.Ironically I preferred to drive ( an A frame ) drawbar outfit to an artic or a close coupled drawbar.However it seems a bit extreme to allow that type of ‘preference’ to go as far as refusal/resignation.
440Mopar:
Theres A frame type and old style ,what I call euro turn table type. Both totally difernt. Would tackle Aframe no probs. Would tackle euro style after a lot of reversing practice. From what I can gather the euro style are real barstewards at first. But hey ho, you soon get used to anything.
I think you got that wrong, there is an A Frame and a Close Coupled, the latter having the wheels in the middle like a caravan.
ancientone:
Hi gents have been driving artics for quite a few years now 20+
■■■■■■■■.
20+ years experience and a) never driven a dragon and wag, and b) scared to drive a dragon and wag?
I smell bull[zb].
Why is it ■■■■■■■■? I have a lot more than 20 yrs and I have never driven one either, not because I am scared of them, it’s for two reasons, the opportunity has never came up, and I have never had the desire to drive one, no trace of bull ■■■■ either, so that blows your theory mate
If I was your guvnor I’d say “yes you are being unreasonable, you know where the job centre is”
Give it a go, they’re very similar to an artic, just need a bit more room.
Reversing takes a bit of getting used to, or for an A-frame a LOT of getting used to.
First A-frame I took out I spent 6 hours in Rugby truckstop practising!!
TruckOff:
It always amazes me that company s assume that because you have a class one licence you can drive any vehicle.
its a bit like calling a builder to fix your roof, then saying can you fix my boiler while your here!
■■■■■■■■.
Using your analogy, it’s a bit like calling a builder to fix your roof… but with slightly different tiles.
To be fair the old UK regs idea that it’s easier to go from driving rigids to drawbars,than having,any connection whatsoever with driving artics,made more sense than the idea that the two types have any relationship between each other.Examples like the OP are just the predictable results of the employers preference of applying the latter idea.Which is where we are now with drivers learning and taking their tests on rigids and trailers then finding that their training isn’t relevant in the case of artics and vice versa.
