How, how on god’s green earth can that pass muster?
Some while ago (after years off the road), I went back to driving. I “inherited” a 9yo M-B Atego 2328 flat-bed that had done years and 450,000km on urban work. It had the 9-sp “slap over” range-change (not my favourite thing, but still). Its previous “driver” (now my TM) had butchered the synchro on 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th. He (Mark) fancied himself because he said he’d driven bigger and better things with RoadRanger boxes. Maybe he had, maybe he was full manure, I don’t know, but I know he ruined an otherwise decent lorry. I drove its sister (a 2328 Atego curtainsider) and its gearbox was fine. Slow, yes, but fine.
The mark of any decent driver (IMO) is that you learn to work with what you’ve got. Unfortunately, as you and others point out, even good synchro (let alone constant-mesh) manual boxes seem to be out of the reach of most these days. I think that’s a pity.
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R being undefined, ie forklift, agricultural or construction equipment for which you hold a ticket?
I lost my R, when I changed my licence over to WA, where no such category exists.
‘R’ meaning motorcycle in my case, sorry for the confusion. I do have a separate ticket for LR forklift (which I need where I work).
Can’t remember what year it was but someone decided that it would be a great idea to reform the hgv licencing system.The system when i passed my test had 3 basic catogaries.Class1 Artic Class 2 rigid with 3 axles or more and class 3 rigid with 2 axles above 7.5 ton mgw.Then they streamlined it to Class 1 artic including rigid with a drawbar trailer. Class 2 any rigid above 7.5 ton. Then they changed it again so anyone wanting to take their Class 1 had to take their Class 2 first. Much safer that way apparently , oh and you also had to do 35 hours on a CPC course before you could drive. Every drive must do this now irrespective of how long you’ve been driving. There was a big exodus of drivers leaving the industry , many very experienced. Then after a few years there became a shortage of drivers suprise suprise. Wages went up but still a shortage. Then someone , probably the same someone decided we would go back to the old system of going straight for your class 1. (They wont get rid of the hated CPC though, making too much money ) I’m not 100% on this but i think they then lowered the age you could take your test .Someone on here will know. Then they made the test much easier to fast track new drivers. H&S is only needed when it suits those who must be obeyed. I started in this job around 40 years ago so still a newby compared with many on here but even though i heard many times from the older end how the job had deteriorated it is unrecognisable now. I do local work and have done for quite some time.I get up at 04.30 and i dread the alarm going off. I hate every minute of what i do due to the total incompetence and lack of organisation from the company i work for. We have a big turnover of drivers who don’t want to do anything. One example the other day from a newish driver , his lorry was v.o.r so he was told to take a CF Daf. He refused and went home saying it was too noisey inside . I had to walk away from him
Did I read that right? You pass a test on an artic and are then allowed to drive a wagon and drag? Is there any theory time for each in a classroom which might slightly ease the situation? Otherwise what does your budding newbie dragster do when he has to back blindside into a warehouse, or anywhere else for that matter?
The old test when i did mine was even worse when you think about it. You could drive a wagon and drag on a Class 3 but not a 6 or 8 wheel rigid. But now it don’t matter .If you can spell your name and get through a theory test and be abused for 35 hours of CPC training then off you go .It doesn’t matter if you can’t drive you’ll pick it up as you go on
It is me who must apologize. I just checked my licence, which is also MC. R., Multi Combination and obviously unrestricted motorcycle.
My confusion came from the old (Queensland) system where R was a suffex indicating any sort of restriction, automatic transmission only, motorcycle under 250cc etcetera.
My old Queensland class, covering my plant tickets was U or UD, can’t remember which.
If you drive a forklift on a public road, it’s worth checking that it is covered by you existing licence and not needed to be noted separately.
Sounds alarming but who am I to talk, one who never had any training or testing in the whole of my life, apart from driving a car, and that was only for 8 1 hour lessons.
I learnt entirely on the job, observing and practising, but on the roads in real jobs. From car to little pop lorry, a year at sea and then back to a 6 wheel AEC tipper for Wimpy, 4 wheel Albion to break into general haulage and genuine tramping, finding my own loads (thank you Headlight 
), my 1st artic, a surprise gift when I got back to the yard one Friday evening ‘take that Dodge home with you and practise over the weekend’, a wide load of Raleighs for Liverpool docks on Monday. A real baptism of fire, they made me reverse blindside into a dark warehouse. With drags I sat down and worked out the principles involved on a sheet of paper.
Now, I sometimes clip kerbs in the car. 
But I still refuse to drive if my 2 mirrors aren’t clean and am forced to reverse blindside uphill on sometimes slippy ground to get back in the garden each time. So it is still there, somewhere. 
I think quite a few of the older end taught themselves with advice from older drivers.I passed my test in an ex Silentnight Dodge Commando and 33ft trailer and my first job was a changeover at Dover after a full days work elsewhere.It was a Renault R365 with an 18 speed box i got the keys and my instructions were good luck its a hire motor and see how the gearbox works because im not sure. It was a knock over box and the job got done obviously with a few tunes from the box . My point is that this wouldn’t happen now. Everythings done for the new breed or they dont do it. Im not saying run bent but it was more frequent then but nowadays if it isnt auto it dont leave the yard. If they dont like the look of it they wont drive it etc .A different world
If you think drivings tough would you prefer Freds job. A legend with some great quotes.
“One wrong move up there and it’s an afternoon with the undertaker”
I know it’s well off topic but it popped up on FB and i’d forgotten how good this bloke was
I thought Fred was one of yours.
Yeah he was , i wasn’t sure if you knew about him but what a fascinating bloke. I haven’t seen him for years and saw him on FB today we think our job is tough
I don’t think he walks amongst us any more. He was a very interesting fellow. He and his wife and kids used to go to steam fairs, in their steam engine and caravan.
They have a statue of him in Bolton town centre.
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They could have used a higher plinth, more befitting his occupation.
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He died of cancer after surviving a first bout. We over here will never see anyone like him again a true character. Could you imagine H&S trying to control him . No chance. He was about to blow a chimney up on one show and after he had cleared the area he set the detonator and ran blowing a loud horn with bricks flying all over the place. Legend
I remember it well, hilarious. 
