Automatic only driver HGV class 2 & Class 1

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
21

Juddian:
the industry dug itself into this hole by lowering the bar to acommodate such useless individuals and only has itself to blame.

That’s a bit harsh calling people who haven’t/can’t drive a manual truck as useless! I have manual entitlement, but have never driven a manual truck, not through choice but all the HGV trainers in my area were only auto and my employer has been full auto for over 10 years. You can’t call people useless because they haven’t been taught or had the chance to experience something you seem to think so vital.

22

DAF_Daily:

Juddian:
the industry dug itself into this hole by lowering the bar to acommodate such useless individuals and only has itself to blame.

That’s a bit harsh calling people who haven’t/can’t drive a manual truck as useless! I have manual entitlement, but have never driven a manual truck, not through choice but all the HGV trainers in my area were only auto and my employer has been full auto for over 10 years. You can’t call people useless because they haven’t been taught or had the chance to experience something you seem to think so vital.

Wasn’t having a go at people that haven’t had a chance to drive manual vehicles (though they ought to do so if offered the chance), i’m talking about middle aged and older bods that immediately throw a hissy fit or walk off if the vehicle they are handed the keys for happens to be a manual.
I also have respect for people who’s disability means they would have difficulty passing an assessment with a manual yet somehow manage to carry on in our industry, ie the one armed artic driver i saw a few weeks ago, i doubt he’d be in a manual these days due to H&S but would lay money on he can still drive one pretty well.

23

Juddian:

DAF_Daily:

Juddian:
the industry dug itself into this hole by lowering the bar to acommodate such useless individuals and only has itself to blame.

That’s a bit harsh calling people who haven’t/can’t drive a manual truck as useless! I have manual entitlement, but have never driven a manual truck, not through choice but all the HGV trainers in my area were only auto and my employer has been full auto for over 10 years. You can’t call people useless because they haven’t been taught or had the chance to experience something you seem to think so vital.

Wasn’t having a go at people that haven’t had a chance to drive manual vehicles (though they ought to do so if offered the chance), i’m talking about middle aged and older bods that immediately throw a hissy fit or walk off if the vehicle they are handed the keys for happens to be a manual.
I also have respect for people who’s disability means they would have difficulty passing an assessment with a manual yet somehow manage to carry on in our industry, ie the one armed artic driver i saw a few weeks ago, i doubt he’d be in a manual these days due to H&S but would lay money on he can still drive one pretty well.

I occasionally get a four over four rigid, quite enjoy it. I find reversing easier in a manual as it doesn’t go from 0 to 5mph. Also in manual cars and lorries I prefer to change down as a bend comes up rather than feeling the vehicle trying to corner in too high a gear until it adapts.

Would love a go in a splitter, might need a bit of tuition first though!

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24

You’d be fine with a splitter or any of the other delights out there Spaceman, select any gear leave the yard stay in that gear until out of earshot, then play a tune on the thing for an hour, the rest of the day, or three weeks depending on which box it is, just like all of us have done as long as we’ve been sat behind the wheel :smiling_imp:
Not sure as tuition as such makes a lot of difference, what does help is if the diagram sticker showing where the gears are is still in place, sadly almost never is on the sort of a motor a new driver receives :laughing:

25

Cheers Juddian, will try and track one down [emoji106][emoji6]

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26

dead.duck:
I’m sorry I’m not able to answer your question regarding getting an HGV job having an auto licence but I’m curious to know why people are getting auto B licence only with a prospect of getting into driving jobs in the future and not thinking about passing a manual licence.
I bought a manual car for my son but as I’m not as patient as a driving ‘parent-instructor’ should be I booked him for lessons with a proper ADI. However due to the high demand he’s offering auto only. So it turned out my son is enjoying his lessons and doesn’t see a point of driving a manual. What is worse my husband (I’m a woman to make things clear) though he has a full B licence he’s clearly struggling with a manual car and drives an auto on a daily basis.
So guys, I think you’re getting lazy.
Just do the manual test if you’re a man ffs.

Gatekeeping is not very nice, everyone will do what they can and what they like, we all have a hard battle to fight out there and we would like to do without a fear or anxiety of being judged, I mean, i passed my cat B in 2015 auto only and tbh I can’t wait to get into cat CE auto only as i don’t see any point of having or learning to drive a manual. they are a dead technology and in less than 10 years trucks would rather be fully self driving rather than manned (let alone automatic) :smiley: so yeah. Go Auto gearboxes!

27

Just came back from an interview. They have artics and rigids. All manual gearboxes.

28

spacemanZ10:
Cheers Juddian, will try and track one down [emoji106][emoji6]

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Me and my big mouth got a manual yesterday 4 over 4 good fun!

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29

spacemanZ10:

spacemanZ10:
Cheers Juddian, will try and track one down [emoji106][emoji6]

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Me and my big mouth got a manual yesterday 4 over 4 good fun!

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I kinda like those so long as they’ve had a bit of lubing up, gentle nudge over the range shifter does it don’t need to snap the bloody lever off which some think is how you manage them.

30

Juddian:

spacemanZ10:

spacemanZ10:
Cheers Juddian, will try and track one down [emoji106][emoji6]

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Me and my big mouth got a manual yesterday 4 over 4 good fun!

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I kinda like those so long as they’ve had a bit of lubing up, gentle nudge over the range shifter does it don’t need to snap the bloody lever off which some think is how you manage them.

No issues apart from forgetting to flick to low on once occasion when reversing, it didn’t like that!

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31

Just realised i’m wrongly, i think, assuming you’re driving a (ZF ecosplit is it?) slapover 4/4, you’re not, ignore my waffling ■■■■■■■■ about nudging the shifter over :blush:

32

Juddian:
Just realised i’m wrongly, i think, assuming you’re driving a (ZF ecosplit is it?) slapover 4/4, you’re not, ignore my waffling ■■■■■■■■ about nudging the shifter over :blush:

Correct it was a scania manual, not a slapover, another of those dying breed of gearboxes I have heard of but yet to try. Appreciate the heads up though [emoji106]

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33

Newly updated, may be interesting for the OP

gov.uk/government/consultat … test-rules

34

Zac_A:
Newly updated, may be interesting for the OP

gov.uk/government/consultat … test-rules

Great find so thank you :smiley:

About time they added B+E :exclamation:

35

Much as I’d like to pretend I’ve got my finger on the pulse, the truth is the info came in an email from a list I’m subscribed to : “Daily update from GOV.​UK for: Driving and road transport” :laughing:

36

Zac_A:
Newly updated, may be interesting for the OP

gov.uk/government/consultat … test-rules

Thank you [emoji16][emoji16]

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37

Transcript from DVLA online chat

Katie (16/07/2021, 09:15:12): Hi, you’re through to Katie. Please hold a moment while I read through the chat details.
You (16/07/2021, 09:15:43): HI KATIE - B AUTO then LGV AUTO then B MANUAL so WILL THAT B MANUAL UPGRADE THE LGV AUTO?
Katie (16/07/2021, 09:17:26): Yes, if you pass a manual B test the LGV would be upgraded too.

38

I have an auto only Cat C. So I can give you some insight on my first 9 months. I passed auto in a car due to impatience after a car accident, which resulted in 2 slipped discs and issues with the nerves in my left arm. I can use my arm fine in most situations. Dragging half tonne cages, carrying 120kg mattresses all fine. What’s not fine is repetitive movements, which, as many will know, includes sitting in traffic, changing gears.

So I passed last October, and got my last card back about a week or so later. I called up an agency, went in the same day, filled out some paper work and started at 6am for a local company. This was 7.5t work for Bensons for Beds. Hard graft. They had a mixed fleet or 16 plate DAF LF 6 speeds and DAF LF automatics. The automatics were bigger, which meant quite a few of the lazy drivers avoided them, but these were by far the best trucks on the fleet. Cleaner, more mod cons (like functional aircon, radio).

I did this mostly for 6 months, with the odd shift for another of the agencies clients. Not once did I have any issue due to having an automatic licence.

6 months in, I fancies a change so rang up an agency in Manchester. The next day I started for one of the major retailers on class 2 work. Entire fleet auto. Been there since. I am looking to change as its nights and after 3 months, they’re not for me, particularly with a young family. I have enjoyed the job however.

Tomorrow I have 2 interviews in the morning and will then be off to Leyland to register with another agency. I am also waiting to hear about another job doing similar to what I do now, but day work. All are aware of my auto licence, all say it’s not an issue.

It’s still early days for me of course, and I am sure I will come across companies where auto isn’t a possibility. As the years pass, such instances will probably become few and far between as we move towards electric (no manuals in electric vehicles).

On a side note, and some older drivers might have experienced this themselves but my grandad, who was a trucker for the best part of 40 years, suffered with chronic pain in his arm which was put down to the old manual gear boxes.

39

M65Chris:
On a side note, and some older drivers might have experienced this themselves but my grandad, who was a trucker for the best part of 40 years, suffered with chronic pain in his arm which was put down to the old manual gear boxes.

Most older drivers, self included, its a seriously short list of things that don’t hurt after a lifetime on the lorries, my worse problems are my right shoulder and both knees, back a close fourth and right hip a miserable fifth, left arm despite using some hellish gearboxes in the past is one of the things that doesn’t hurt :sunglasses:
I suspect it was just as much handballing tons of stuff on and off every day then roping and sheeting and hauling non power steering wagons around that gave your grandad the left arm issues, luckily i only suffered the first 3 years of my artic time without power steering, for older drivers still hauling the bloody things around in their later years well i don’t know how they did it…the only saving grace was it sharpened up your maneuvering skills pdq :laughing:

40

I’ve only ever encountered 1 manual. But I’ve found a few three pedal autos in older Scanias. You need a manual licence for them.