what's changed?

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

what has changed in the lgv test since 2000?

I know that you can now do the test in an auto, gears are no longer required, and the truck can’t be a flatbed and it must be loaded.

from what I remember, I had to do the reverse first, then the controlled braking exercise, then it was on the road for 60 mins.

while we were on the road we did the uphill/downhill starts and the driving in each gear exercise (guess they will skip that in an auto)

I read in another post somewhere that someone was asked questions by the examiner, I thought they had done away with that in favor of the theory test? or is it only when you have a weak area on test and the examiner needs to make sure? or have they brought that aspect back in?

2

3 - 4 show me/tell me questions about your truck and then the reverse manouver. Followed by roughly an hour on the road Inc up hills down hills, pull overs and drive off when your ready.

3

the show me tell me questions are a new bit, glad to see the back of the gear exercise, has that been totally retired now?

60 mins for the road drive is more than enough! lol

4

No more controlled braking.

5

Depends on test area if you do reverse 1st also couple / uncouple for CE

No gear exercise not been in for a while

They do show me tell me questions upto 5 on C 2 on CE

There is now an independent drive where the examiner tell you which sign to follow for a short time

6

the controlled braking was a piece of cake anyway, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone ever failing on that.

the independent drive sounds like it could be a bit nerve wracking.

7

the controlled braking was a piece of cake anyway, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone ever failing on that.

the independent drive sounds like it could be a bit nerve wracking.

8

Mid 2000’s we had the rule to use at least 8 forward gears. Stupidly, they allowed the use of 6 speed split with no requirement to use the split. Being consistently at least 20 years behind the times, this rule was scrubbed last year allowing the use of any gearbox to achieve a full, manual licence (provided the candidate already held the manual car licence). In other words, pretty well back to pre 2005.

One change that hasn’t happened, sadly, is the requirement for LGV Instructors to be trained, qualified and registered. It’s still the case that anyone who has held an LGV licence for 3 years can acquire a truck and call themselves a driving school. Utter madness.

7 years ago the DVSA (DSA then) ran a trial with us of private driving test centres. We were happy to be the first trainer in the UK to have their own centre. To make it easier for other trainers to have their own centre, the braking exercise has been abandoned and the reversing exercise area has been reduced. There are now a good number of private test centres throughout the UK.

Driver cpc was introduced Sept 2008 (bus) and a year later for trucks. In some ways, a missed opportunity IMO. But, overall, a step forward and it may improve as it matures.

DVSA LGV Accredited Training Centres were introduced in the early 2000’s. Cant recall the exact date. This was to establish a network of Centres that are quality assured by DVSA. Once again, no compulsion for any trainer to go for this accreditation. Wallace, based around London and the home counties, have a number of centres on this register. Then there are no more than a dozen trainers who have demonstrated this standard throughout the UK. The list is at dft.gov.uk/fyn/lgv.php

Overall, changes made to the test have resulted in the test being easier to pass. This has led to shorter training courses as it’s possible to reach the required standard in less time.

Employers are rapidly accepting their responsibility for giving all, not just newly passed, drivers training on the vehicles to be driven and the type of work to be carried out. Some are offering training from scratch and are doing a really good job. Others should stick to running trucks!

The industry is changing and I believe we’ll see many more employers offering training to LGV over the next few years.

Pete :laughing: :laughing:

9

the controlled braking was a piece of cake anyway, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone ever failing on that.

Agreed, it was perfectly straightforward. But folks did manage to fail on it.

Pete :laughing: :laughing:

10

thanks Pete, lot of interesting info there :slight_smile:

11

Peter Smythe:

the controlled braking was a piece of cake anyway, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anyone ever failing on that.

Agreed, it was perfectly straightforward. But folks did manage to fail on it.

Pete :laughing: :laughing:

I’m sure someone somewhere fluffed it, I’ve just never heard of it, nor had my instructor, at least that’s what he told me. lol

12

nor had my instructor

Perhaps he didn’t visit the test centre very often! It really wasn’t that uncommon. Normal problems were a) not reaching 20mph approx, late braking, early braking, inefficient braking.

One trainer at Sheffield had problems regularly because his old ERF would only achieve 15 mph on a good day in the required distance! They even used to, sometimes, take them around the test centre so they could get a rolling start.

Then the brakes would pull to one side and the examiner would abandon the test in any case!

That “trainer” is now out of business. Plenty of similar ones around though.

Pete :laughing: :laughing:

13

I passed with Hughes driver training. he was the cheapest at the time, he had old ramshackled trucks, but he did me proud. this was a lot of years ago, he’s got a few training schools now, Loughborough, Birmingham and I believe Milton Keynes so as a result his kit is better, but prices have gone up.