Class C1 Licence, how difficult?
Discussion
One Amp Andy said:
A rear steer on that would make it worse. The distance between the steer and drive axle isn't that bad to be honest. It's the eleventy billion foot overhang that's the bugger (that a rear steer would make it more of an issue).
Oh, and well done CAPP0!
It would shorten the wheelbase, sure. However it's still a distance from the front steer to drive with side panels that are vulnerable. I take your point about the rear overhang though.Oh, and well done CAPP0!
Venisonpie said:
It would shorten the wheelbase, sure. However it's still a distance from the front steer to drive with side panels that are vulnerable. I take your point about the rear overhang though.
They do look quite expensive those side panels! I had an offside panel on one of our Scanias detach and blow backwards like a barn door last year. £1200 unpainted and re-using the original trim and V8 badge....We repaired the damaged one.One Amp Andy said:
They do look quite expensive those side panels! I had an offside panel on one of our Scanias detach and blow backwards like a barn door last year. £1200 unpainted and re-using the original trim and V8 badge....We repaired the damaged one.
One of our drivers took the entire left side off a six-week-old Van Hool in 2019, on her first day on a tour full of Japanese tourists. Misjudged the wheelbase and carved every panel between the axles with a bridge wall. Luckily we have a body shop on-site, but it was still the thick end of 20k... 
CAPP0 said:
mercedeslimos said:
fair play for passing in that Merc, savage overhang and no tri-axle with the steering to help you (assume that tag axle isn't steered).
Cheers for that. No, no rear steer. And the test route was all town centre and residential!mercedeslimos said:
Looking forward to taking my rigid test and moving straight onto the artic stuff!
I've been out for a couple of hours in an artic today. Really enjoyed it, far more so than the rigid. The tractor is a Scania R480. It's got that weird "auto but need a clutch to start & stop" transmission on it.
You have to think and compute more in terms of how you'll get it round a bend or roundabout but it almost somehow seemed easier, even for my first time? Again, I did town centres (picked it up by the Dartford Tunnel, drove through Greenhithe/Northfleet/Swanscombe, a lap of Gravesend town centre, then back the same way, but then went into Dartford town centre too. Some very tight turns, less overhang than that Merc but then you've got the headboard to watch as well. No kerbs! That was my first drive in an artic but as soon as my licence is back I'll bung in for the test whilst I'm still in test/learning mode I think, and get some hours in in the meantime.
Little update from me: 5 weeks after passing my Class 2, today I passed the Class 1. Same day of the week, same time appointment and same examiner (although he didn't recognise me, I only told him after he gave me the pass 
). Only 3 minors, and one of those was a shunt on the reverse which I took just to be 100% sure of it, I could have got it in but decided not to chance it.
This was in the Scania I mentioned in a previous post, with Opticruise. It needs the clutch fully dumped out before it will give you full power, you can't feather it at all, but once you know that, it's surprisingly easy to drive.
Other than the 2 hours I had in it after I passed the Class 2, I had 1.5 days and then a couple of hours this morning before the test driving the artic.
My mate runs LHD and RHD wagon & drag/road trains so I'll be having a crack at one of those next.
). Only 3 minors, and one of those was a shunt on the reverse which I took just to be 100% sure of it, I could have got it in but decided not to chance it.This was in the Scania I mentioned in a previous post, with Opticruise. It needs the clutch fully dumped out before it will give you full power, you can't feather it at all, but once you know that, it's surprisingly easy to drive.
Other than the 2 hours I had in it after I passed the Class 2, I had 1.5 days and then a couple of hours this morning before the test driving the artic.
My mate runs LHD and RHD wagon & drag/road trains so I'll be having a crack at one of those next.
![](https://thumbsnap.com/sc/XT3i2tz4.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/WTL4A8xX" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/WTL4A8xX.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/yMPsdXgK" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/yMPsdXgK.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/CSiYBXy7" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/CSiYBXy7.gif)
So, 1 week after passing my Class 1 and having only driven a Class 2 since, I find myself sitting in my mate's office when someone tells him that a truck is ready for collection after repair. "Bloody hell" he says, "that's another couple of hours out of my day". I'm retired and just knock about doing "stuff", so I said "I'll do it for you if you like". Great he replies, that'll do me a big favour.
Just as I'm about to head out, he throws over his shoulder "it's a Roadtrain, by the way, you'll be fine".
And I was - despite having to back it out of a very busy yard in the depths of Woolwich, then along a side road lined with parked cars and onto a main road, before I could even start driving it forwards
Probably 200 yards or more with a 90 degree band halfway.
I can't deny, I had to take a few shunts to get it out, but the guy at the repair yard was really helpful and patient seeing me out. Once I got it rolling it was quite a nice drive.
It's quite a lump, it's a DAF XF.
Just as I'm about to head out, he throws over his shoulder "it's a Roadtrain, by the way, you'll be fine".
And I was - despite having to back it out of a very busy yard in the depths of Woolwich, then along a side road lined with parked cars and onto a main road, before I could even start driving it forwards
Probably 200 yards or more with a 90 degree band halfway.I can't deny, I had to take a few shunts to get it out, but the guy at the repair yard was really helpful and patient seeing me out. Once I got it rolling it was quite a nice drive.
It's quite a lump, it's a DAF XF.
Just got back from my Class 2 test this morning, despite 16 hours tuition, I still failed. A stupid error of my own (I didn't hang back enough to allow an artic to complete it's manoeuvre). If I had taken the test without any tuition I would have definitely failed on a lot more, I've learnt a lot about mirrors, positioning and even simple stuff I had forgotten since my car test 13 years ago.
The part I am still struggling most with is the correct speed, I'm getting nagged by my instructor for both driving too fast, and not getting a move on!
Onwards and upwards, waiting to hear when I can reschedule my test for.
The part I am still struggling most with is the correct speed, I'm getting nagged by my instructor for both driving too fast, and not getting a move on!
Onwards and upwards, waiting to hear when I can reschedule my test for.
Take my hat off to drivers of rigids with long rear overhangs, umpteen times worse when its a rear steer or rear lifter because the pivot point shifts to the centre of (usually) the drive axle, continually pivoting on the drive axle when a steered rear or when raised for the lifting axles, which makes the already long overhang worse.
I drove old design wag'n drag car transporters for years, they had long rear overhangs on the prime mover but because you had a drag on all the time unless visiting the workshops for towing hitch work or similar you didn't really notice the rear swing to the same extent, and solo you would still drive it like it had the drag on through being used to it.
Other than that have driven artics mainly or shorter rigids in the form of tippers/rolonoffs which don't have anything like the rear overhang issues, the few times i've driven long rear overhang rigids i hated every minute.
Haven't used one of the overlong artic trailers yet with the steering rear axle, and frankly have no wish to.
I drove old design wag'n drag car transporters for years, they had long rear overhangs on the prime mover but because you had a drag on all the time unless visiting the workshops for towing hitch work or similar you didn't really notice the rear swing to the same extent, and solo you would still drive it like it had the drag on through being used to it.
Other than that have driven artics mainly or shorter rigids in the form of tippers/rolonoffs which don't have anything like the rear overhang issues, the few times i've driven long rear overhang rigids i hated every minute.
Haven't used one of the overlong artic trailers yet with the steering rear axle, and frankly have no wish to.
Just got home from a 700km drive in one of these, an EX17. Negotiating city streets is a breeze with the third steering axle but the rear overhang is massive, I drive with my lights on during the day so I can use the white/red corner markers on the back for an indication of where the extremities are. I find it easier than the (slightly) shorter EX16 but without a rear steer and the wheelbase is massive, requiring ridiculous swings around corners with anything on the edge to avoid catching the side lockers as I found out to my peril...
mercedeslimos said:
Just got home from a 700km drive in one of these, an EX17. Negotiating city streets is a breeze with the third steering axle but the rear overhang is massive, I drive with my lights on during the day so I can use the white/red corner markers on the back for an indication of where the extremities are. I find it easier than the (slightly) shorter EX16 but without a rear steer and the wheelbase is massive, requiring ridiculous swings around corners with anything on the edge to avoid catching the side lockers as I found out to my peril...
Also I’m curious to find out how are these compared to a rigid ?
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