As a result of my class 2 being cancelled two weeks ago, it seems that I will have a long wait until I can finally hit the road.
I packed in a construction managers job due to the environment of an office and decided that I would follow in the footsteps of my arl fella, but on reflection I was a little hasty as I am knackered now.
My test was cancelled with 24 hours notice, in which the test centre was not advised to officially close, which got my back up a bit. Problem is that I had a nice little job waiting for me when I eventually passed my class 1.
I respect peoples opinion over this lockdown, but from a personal point of view find it a massive overreaction hence my frustrations, and I was looking forward to hitting the road and getting my backside off the couch after a month of doing nothing.
I appreciate that I am new to the forums, yet I would be grateful if someone could kindly shed some light on the forthcoming test situation, but I suspect that many of you are in the dark as much as myself.
I’ve been on the phone waiting for hours to the DVsa with no response as I wanted to discuss a priority test booking and reimbursement of lesson fees which i will potentially have to pay for before undergoing my test (whenever that may be)
Why aren’t all potential drivers deemed as key suppliers?
Any thoughts or suspicions when they will undertake tests again?
Anyway, thanks for the time and thanks for the advice if anyone kindly replied.
Evening,
First of all, let me start by saying how much I understand your frustrations. Test centres are currently closed for a three month period, whether that will change is anybody’s guess.
With regards to reclaiming money for lessons, I suspect this will be highly unlikely. Although, you are obviously able to reclaim the test fee and out of pocket expenses gov.uk/government/publicati … t-expenses
Tests for key workers are taking priority, but it’s unlikely you’ll be considered for one judging by your circumstances. Whilst lorry drivers are a necessity at the moment a large number of those who work in general haulage or for builders merchants etc have been furloughed so I don’t envisage a need for new drivers in the short term.
Damianb:
Evening,
First of all, let me start by saying how much I understand your frustrations. Test centres are currently closed for a three month period, whether that will change is anybody’s guess.
With regards to reclaiming money for lessons, I suspect this will be highly unlikely. Although, you are obviously able to reclaim the test fee and out of pocket expenses gov.uk/government/publicati … t-expenses
Tests for key workers are taking priority, but it’s unlikely you’ll be considered for one judging by your circumstances. Whilst lorry drivers are a necessity at the moment a large number of those who work in general haulage or for builders merchants etc have been furloughed so I don’t envisage a need for new drivers in the short term.
I’m sorry I couldn’t provide you with better news
I understand, and I also understand that the frustrations don’t just lie with me. Thank you.
I have the same problem.
Test booked for April 17th and a start date for the new class 1 job of Sat 2nd May.
All went to hell in a handcart with the measures now in place.
Just got to wait and see now.
I’m hopeful my new job will still be there when i finally get the C+E done.
Trying times…
Peter Smythe:
My advice is to contact your trainer to make sure that measures are in place to ensure that you get your test early on once they start again.
It’s frustrating for everyone but we’re told it’s for the common good. So let’s hope that’s right.
All the best with it, Pete
Cheers Pete. I’ll just have to be patient like everyone else. I’ll take your words on board.
trevorking1964:
I have the same problem.
Test booked for April 17th and a start date for the new class 1 job of Sat 2nd May.
All went to hell in a handcart with the measures now in place.
Just got to wait and see now.
I’m hopeful my new job will still be there when i finally get the C+E done.
Trying times…
I know mate, so frustrating. Good luck and I hope it all gets sorted and goes well.
Similar situation here. I should be on my 2nd day of training today with my test in 2 days
I was also desperate to get out of the office environment…30 years of battling against over-inflated ego’s & dodging those knives aimed my back & I just hit a wall, couldn’t take any more.
The temptation to just quit right there & then was massive but fortunately for me I made the decision to go on the sick with ‘stress’ until I passed the test & then hand my notice in to give me a month to look for work. Maybe slightly unethical but ya know what, [ZB] em!!! That lot drove me to my knees so ethics don’t come into it for me. It was all going great, everything dropping into place.
Then when I saw last week that the training centres were closing for at least 12 weeks I could’ve cried. If they’d just stayed open for one more week!!!
There’s no way I can keep the sick notes going for another 3 months!!! Cue the 2nd piece of fortune…my office is closing from Monday & from then I will be a furloughed employee, so will get 80% of my wages from the government. I’m just praying now that the training centres re-open before my office does
I know none of that really helps you, I guess I’m just saying I was a moment of clarity away from being in the same boat so I feel for you.
My CE test (actually a retest, which means if I hadn’t made some silly mistakes, I wouldn’t worry now) is also cancelled.
However, there is going to be a lot of uncertainty about what happens with the industry in a few weeks/months… In the perspective of economic collapse, the future is not looking that great.
In the 12 weeks (minimum) for which DVSA have suspending testing, I estimate they would have conducted around 14,000 tests throughout the UK. So managing the restart will be a job of massive proportions. My staff have developed a robust system to ensure that our candidates get tests in the order that they would have done originally. We are totally dependent on the supply of examiners of course.
I strongly suggest that anyone considering training this year gets registered. In our case, it’s basic details and £200 deposit just to show that you’re serious. We are forming a queue to follow all existing bookings. At the moment, anyone joining the queue will have a wait of around 7 weeks from restart.
In the meantime, DVLA are still issuing provisional licences. Some doctors are doing medicals. Theory tests are due back in a couple of weeks (subject to change). So it’s possible to use this time to get prepared.
Update guys. Email received confirming test for 22nd June. I’m grateful it’s been re-booked, but cheesed off that I’m in the brown stuff for months. I suppose I didn’t expect anything else, and hopefully this new date should shed some light for people in a similar situation.
As a result of my class 2 being cancelled two weeks ago, it seems that I will have a long wait until I can finally hit the road.
I packed in a construction managers job due to the environment of an office and decided that I would follow in the footsteps of my arl fella, but on reflection I was a little hasty as I am knackered now.
My test was cancelled with 24 hours notice, in which the test centre was not advised to officially close, which got my back up a bit. Problem is that I had a nice little job waiting for me when I eventually passed my class 1.
I respect peoples opinion over this lockdown, but from a personal point of view find it a massive overreaction hence my frustrations, and I was looking forward to hitting the road and getting my backside off the couch after a month of doing nothing.
I appreciate that I am new to the forums, yet I would be grateful if someone could kindly shed some light on the forthcoming test situation, but I suspect that many of you are in the dark as much as myself.
I’ve been on the phone waiting for hours to the DVsa with no response as I wanted to discuss a priority test booking and reimbursement of lesson fees which i will potentially have to pay for before undergoing my test (whenever that may be)
Why aren’t all potential drivers deemed as key suppliers?
Any thoughts or suspicions when they will undertake tests again?
Anyway, thanks for the time and thanks for the advice if anyone kindly replied.
You’re not the only one frustrated by this, my C+E should have been last week, at least it got cancelled before my training started.
In the grand scheme of things though, it’s understandable as there is no distance between yourself and the examiner or trainer. We just need to be a little bit patient, things will start to improve soon (Hopefully anyway!)
This will not be what prospective drivers and the training schools wish to hear but that doesn’t alter its relevance.
Perhaps all of you need to consider very, very carefully the chances of obtaining employment as a driver following this epidemic. There will be in all probability thousands of experienced drivers, from companies which have closed down, looking for work when things resume. You may well be better off cutting your losses rather than shelling out for further instruction and vehicle hire. How many weeks’ shopping etc need to be taken into account? My advice would be to leave any decision until at least six months after we are absolutely certain that this is all over.
The other side of the coin of course is that the epidemic takes a devestating toll on the current number of HGV drivers and there are vacancies galore.
cav551:
This will not be what prospective drivers and the training schools wish to hear but that doesn’t alter its relevance.
Perhaps all of you need to consider very, very carefully the chances of obtaining employment as a driver following this epidemic. There will be in all probability thousands of experienced drivers, from companies which have closed down, looking for work when things resume. You may well be better off cutting your losses rather than shelling out for further instruction and vehicle hire. How many weeks’ shopping etc need to be taken into account? My advice would be to leave any decision until at least six months after we are absolutely certain that this is all over.
The other side of the coin of course is that the epidemic takes a devestating toll on the current number of HGV drivers and there are vacancies galore.
Which outcome are you going to bet upon?
I think the first option is more likely to happen. However I only need a few lessons and a retest to get my CE so I want to finish what I’ve started. But if I was at the beginning of the journey, I’d be waiting and watching what’s gonna happen.
What is to stop an instructor who has had the virus from instructing
Apart from the fact the government has made it very clear that only essential journeys should be made, probably nothing.
But it’s a bit of a pointless exercise when there’s no examiner to conduct a test at the end.
For me, I’m sticking strictly to the rules. I may or may not have had it but I’m assuming I haven’t to make sure I take care and keep up with social distancing.
I’m not going to restart until I know, so far as possible, that the risk has either been eliminated or is extremely low. And I’m not putting any staff in the firing line either. When the examiners go back, we’ll be there - ready and waiting!
ROG:
What is to stop an instructor who has had the virus from instructing
Most of us who have the virus will never have been tested but WE KNOW we have had it
If you haven’t been tested, how do you know you have had COVID 19?
Other strains of flu are still around.
COVID 19 is a new bug and having a different strain of flu recently gives no resistance to this new strain.
.
You may have had a bad dose of something, but without testing you’re guessing.
An intelligent common sense approach is the key as there will be no testing to see if someone has had it until after all of us who have had it are no longer immune
Watch the second spike come in the middle of the NHS winter crisis
My test date for C+E was 17th April. This Friday. I had training booked for the three days prior.
Could have got a test date under the key worker rules but, as I couldn’t get the training…
I’ve had the conversation and the job i was supposed to start on 2nd May is being held for me.
I’m one of the lucky ones, i know that.
