Hi all, after being stuck in deadend jobs most of my working life i decided to try a change of career. I passed both my lgv tests in august this year despite the fact i had no comercial driving experience wotsoever. I passed my class 1 in wagon & drag & within a month or so had got myself a class 1 job. Alot of you may have read my first few weeks diary driving an artic.
Anyway the thing i was wondering was, how many people have passed class 1 in wagon & drag & then found driving an artic to be completely different especially reversing. I was thrown out in an artic with another driver who turned out to be of no help to me wotsoever. Ive had to master a 4 over 4 box with a splitter & reversing an artic by teaching myself. Im getting on ok but feel like ive missed out on some experienced advice or techniques which could of helped me out no end.
I was just wondering what other peoples experiences were.
Mine was vice -versa . Took ages to get the hang of Wagon & Drag reversing…
In my day you could go straight into Class 1, and this is what i did, taking my test in a day-cabbed Ford Cargo with a 20’ flatbed trailer so I found it difficult enough driving a proper artic.
As for a dragon and wag, I have only ever had a go once, and even after 30 minutes I couldn’t even get the thing to go backwards in a straight line 
I did the same as you ,passed in a waggon and drag and that was the last time I drove one. Had a lot of bother reversing the artic even with some one to show me, a bit of a mixed blessing at times. Never had a problem reversing the waggon and drag. But I had some experience with large boat trailers before.
Probably every person who have droven with wagon & drag will find artic to be completely different to drive, no matter going forward or backwards.
When comparing artic and wagon with caravan type drag I’d like to think transition might take some patience as trailers are hitched to completely different points in truck chassis which makes them behavior little bit different, but basic behavior is just the same. If comparing both of these unnatural vehicle types to wagon with a-frame drag, reversing for first time can be real experience, no matter which direction the transition goes. Reversing a-frame can be tricky thing to learn if you don’t get any guidance, but after realizing basic rules of the trailer’s behavior it doesn’t need anything but time.
I drove my CE license with wagon and a-frame, and after that I couldn’t reverse any mid-axle type trailers anywhere. In fact, almost only thing I could reverse at that time was one particular trailer in a way which was needed in the test 
Soon after that I had to reverse short mid-axle type trailer in straight line and it was quite embarrasing to go three meter backwards and two forward 
Bear in mind tyler’s probably talking about the close-coupled w+d that a lot of training schools use, rather than the “real” A-Framed deal - you’re all scaring the poor lad out of his wits for no reason!!!
Assuming the above assumption is right, you should be ok, mate…just remember that the trailer is slower to come around in an artic, especially with a triaxle trailer, and that it wil “cut in” far more. Just take it steady to start with and you’ll be fine. 
Yes Lucy i passed in a close-coupled wagon & drag
passed in one of sterlings dragon n wag
then went tramping in an artic
now im back on the dragon and ive got to admit i prefer the artic
There is a lot of talk about the difference between W&D and artic and yes they are different.
Like many others here I passed my test straight from car to artic and only drove artics for many years and I find I sometimes have trouble with a rigid. I find I really have to think about what I am doing when I try and reverse a rigid. As soon as I get up there in the cab the brain switches to ‘truck’ mode and I sometimes turn the wheel the wrong way - still thinking artic. I have to kick myself and remember what I am in.
So its pretty much the same with a wagon and drag. Remembering what vehicle you are in and what this particular vehicle needs.
My first experience with a W&D was disastrous. I explained I had never used one but the only help/advice I got was ‘treat it like an artic’
Mistake - big - huge enormous mistake.
I bent it double to get it back in the yard - gave it a bit slam backwards and bang - broken eye.
Won’t do that again!
So yes they are different but it is basically down to the pivot point and this needs getting used to. I don’t think it is fair to expect someone to just get in and drive without at least a couple of hours behind the wheel with an experienced driver giving some helpful advice.
I cant see it being too long before the DSA changes the rules to accommodate this. In other words you can only drive what you have passed in. It would sure be safer.
Mothertrucker,sitting my Class1 in a Wagon and Drag(18.25m),find it much easier to drive/reverse than an artic(13m),seems to go round corners as if on rails.With the reverse,you only need small movements of the steering to get it going exactly where you want it.
Looks like one in pic. but trailer and unit are further apart.
Only problem I am having is with re-coupling.
You have to have the unit bang on straight when re-coupling to trailer or the pin won’t drop.
Have only done it first time once in four goes so far.
Today,was about 1" of straight when re-coupling, had a lot of mucking about to get pin to drop.
After driving an artic for many years I got a job on a wagon and drag, a similar rig to the one in your pic.
I drove that around for 18 months, then was made redundant.
I had dreaded my first reverse with the wagon and drag, but although the trailer came round a lot quicker than I was used to, it wasn’t too bad. I did have to do a shunt to get it on the bay quite often, but it wasn’t as bad as I’d expected.
Once I got back in an artic I had to go back to basics . I had become used to a quick twitch of the wheel getting my trailer to start coming round, then following it before coming back into line. It doesn’t quite work with an artic. You have to wait much longer for your trailer to come round enough before following it, then bring your unit into line (more or less), before adjusting your line as required.
I could reverse the wagon & drag ok but i too had the same problem when recoupling. Coulnt get it lined up & it wouldnt connect.
I bet i would still struggle to reverse wagon & drag at some of the places i go in the artic at heathrow airport, vans, small trucks & artics parked all over the place. I suppose its easy to say reversing aint a problem when your training as most of the time you have plenty of room, nothing like the real world!!
I haven’t used a wagon and drag but I got my ticket in artic.
luckily it was my own truck. dragged the missus out with me for the first couple of hours practice thats helped heaps. then i made a rule to always reverse in to my street 
now that taught me properly.
mine is single drive with single axle on trailer. it flicks really fast but it sharpens you up I can’t believe where I drive my thing now. 4.25 meter wheel base truck and 45’ long trailer. 17+ meters it gets interesting in the confines of the city 
Hi Tyler
i too did my training and test in a wag n drag, and have been finding it INTERESTING moving on to the artics.
i wouldn’t say i find it difficult to reverse the artic compared to a wag n drag, just different.
i think with a bit more practice, getting used to the way an artic bends and i’ll be fine.
my firm are being very good to, giving me sopme of the easier runs, and some shunting/playing in the yard. (once i’ve finshed my rigid run, or theres not much doing)
my rule is to just take my time, and if there is someone around to watch me back, i ask them to, i’m sure i will get better and more confident soon.
best of luck with it, and just take your time