First step to becoming a HGV driver
Discussion
Its Just Adz said:
carmadgaz said:
I forgot we passed about the same time (3 years next week!) . Did my CE back in May (and failed on a stupid thing). Went back for a retest in Aug and nailed it.
Only used it twice since then but it's there if I want it
. Need to do my D now and then I have the full set 
How did you find the CE first time you got in?Only used it twice since then but it's there if I want it
. Need to do my D now and then I have the full set I don't think the length will bother me, it more the bendy bit.
. Moot point now as you've already got your ticket now 
Tbf I've been driving car and trailer for years and I'd been shunting the artics around the yard almost as long as I've been driving for PT. Wasn't as much a step from C to CE as I found B to C!
Still haven't been out in the artic this year. Been flat out in my little Merc (but getting paid the CE rate for doing it
) Good luck with your new truck
. Still haven't tried a Scania yet but I think I've ticked every other mainstream manufacturer now 
It's really nice to see some positivity on this thread. I've been thinking about retraining as a HGV driver for the last few years and mostly the only advice I've had is don't bother, it's not what it used to be, etc etc.
I suppose it's different for everyone but personally I think I would enjoy it.
Following with interest
I suppose it's different for everyone but personally I think I would enjoy it.
Following with interest
Its Just Adz said:
Last day in my rigid tomorrow, its been an awesome truck but upgrading to a new generation Scania R450 on Monday with a semi trailer.
Excited to get used to that on the roads and tight yards.
Gratuitous pic of my rigid from this week.
Artics have a much better turning circle than rigids, in some of our yards and spin round and straight out in an artic but doing 5 point turns in rigid! Trailer will cut corners much though so be wary of that. Excited to get used to that on the roads and tight yards.
Gratuitous pic of my rigid from this week.
I've been driving coaches since the day I passed my test 18 months ago, and a quiet spell due to COVID made me reconsider the C and C+E licenses which I let my provisional run out for. A change of mind was when the instructor who taught my D test said that here the gov't is removing the requirement to do the test in a manual vehicle from November onwards, so I can do my C licenses in an auto and get an unrestricted manual license. So booked for Friday to get a new provisional and going to start the lessons on the rigid at €92.50ph in November, in a 2014 Actros with straight torque-converter auto, which is very similar to the sort of setup you'd get in the modern buses we drive. Many of the other drivers who were of the coaches went straight into pallets/parcels etc. Never be stuck for a job, and if I want to buy a big camper van that's that sorted. A plus of the company I'll be doing the lessons with is they have the Actros for both rigid and C+E, as they have a 25ft trailer with the axles in the middle to attach to the wagon that satisfies the C+E requirement, save the hassle of getting to know a new wagon.
There have been drivers coming through for years who learned and took their test in an automatic of some sort, who pass with a manual entitlement.
If you had passed your bus test in a manual then you would have received a manual entitlement after passing in an auto 15yrs ago.
Passing in an automatic is all well and good, but there are still plenty of manual gearboxes out there and the majority of the drivers that I have seen, who passed in an automatic, cannot drive a manual.
If you had passed your bus test in a manual then you would have received a manual entitlement after passing in an auto 15yrs ago.
Passing in an automatic is all well and good, but there are still plenty of manual gearboxes out there and the majority of the drivers that I have seen, who passed in an automatic, cannot drive a manual.
GC8 said:
There have been drivers coming through for years who learned and took their test in an automatic of some sort, who pass with a manual entitlement.
If you had passed your bus test in a manual then you would have received a manual entitlement after passing in an auto 15yrs ago.
Passing in an automatic is all well and good, but there are still plenty of manual gearboxes out there and the majority of the drivers that I have seen, who passed in an automatic, cannot drive a manual.
If you had passed your bus test in a manual then you would have received a manual entitlement after passing in an auto 15yrs ago.
Passing in an automatic is all well and good, but there are still plenty of manual gearboxes out there and the majority of the drivers that I have seen, who passed in an automatic, cannot drive a manual.
especially if they have never seen a HGV manual and expect it like a car with maybe a few extra gears. We have one old rigid that’s manual and often new lads or agency go to head off and come back 20 mins later asking to change trucks!After doing heavy haulage moving 100 tons of crane ballast about with a manual truck having to use every half gear I’m happy to have an auto only at my current place of work!
GC8 said:
There have been drivers coming through for years who learned and took their test in an automatic of some sort, who pass with a manual entitlement.
If you had passed your bus test in a manual then you would have received a manual entitlement after passing in an auto 15yrs ago.
Passing in an automatic is all well and good, but there are still plenty of manual gearboxes out there and the majority of the drivers that I have seen, who passed in an automatic, cannot drive a manual.
Not too sure how it works here in Ireland, tbh I drive a lot of manual coaches (admittedly no range change here, only a straight 6-speed H-pattern), in fact, had a 430hp V8 manual Setra last Friday. If you had passed your bus test in a manual then you would have received a manual entitlement after passing in an auto 15yrs ago.
Passing in an automatic is all well and good, but there are still plenty of manual gearboxes out there and the majority of the drivers that I have seen, who passed in an automatic, cannot drive a manual.
I have no problem learning, I like a challenge. I vastly prefer to drive a manual full-sized coach (despite our newest manual, as it being a 2002 and 800,000km later) as it requires skill, I find myself using the brakes an awful lot less with the manual as I will use the engine braking and being in the correct gear, rather than the modern EcoLife dropping off the torque converter and using the intarder instead.
I passed the test in a 2006 DAF 11.6 Bova Futura, which was a dream compared to the first coach I had regular use of, a 2000 Van Hool Eos with the most worn gear linkage you've ever seen
Spent 3 days training on new truck and trailer, really impressed with it.
The unit feels huge, we transporter drivers don't usually get a full size cab so to be able to stand up in one is a novelty! So much storage space.
Drives amazing, pulls so well and nice gearbox.
Trailer is great, very versatile and can get some decent loads on it.
Just finding reversing a bit tricky, so taking my time and I'm sure it will finally click.
The unit feels huge, we transporter drivers don't usually get a full size cab so to be able to stand up in one is a novelty! So much storage space.
Drives amazing, pulls so well and nice gearbox.
Trailer is great, very versatile and can get some decent loads on it.
Just finding reversing a bit tricky, so taking my time and I'm sure it will finally click.
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