Cubester:
I think progressive weight gain would be a good idea. A little bit like most of us drivers!
Seriously though, I think if you increase the weight throughout the course then that can only be a good thing. It’s a hell of a lot easier when you’re not carrying anything.
Is it? Personally I disagree, there obviously more work to be done if your driving a manual but other than that its just abit less speed and abit more forward planning. From my experience it was the size of the lorry and the gears which I found the hardest bit… Its about time they stop people learning in urban artics and wag and drags… How often do you hear people saying on here that they have there first day in an artic but never driven one!
Seems a good idea, they will be about 1/3rd loaded with water containers, that should be fun.
I learnt and took my test in an old little bedford with a 24’ flat trailer, straight from car licence to C + E.
Luckily I had been driving the things round our yard for 3 years prior to that and if I was really lucky and it was raining the old truckers would let me rope and sheet their loads for them. 
Course the real lessons only start once you have passed your test.
merc0447:
Stick the weight on give them am underpowered unit aswell for good measure. Infact gee them a mpg figure to hit into the bargain.
Maybe a visit to an RDC would be helpful too and they could see first hand what the job could entail.
Saaamon:
Cubester:
I think progressive weight gain would be a good idea. A little bit like most of us drivers!
Seriously though, I think if you increase the weight throughout the course then that can only be a good thing. It’s a hell of a lot easier when you’re not carrying anything.
Is it? Personally I disagree, there obviously more work to be done if your driving a manual but other than that its just abit less speed and abit more forward planning. From my experience it was the size of the lorry and the gears which I found the hardest bit… Its about time they stop people learning in urban artics and wag and drags… How often do you hear people saying on here that they have there first day in an artic but never driven one!
I agree entirely with what you say.The problem is now with licence aquisition rather than driver training this is the way things have gone.
Put drivers back in a proper artic,forget stupid little wagon and drags that are far too easy to drive and reverse.
The problem is then it takes far longer to train a driver which therefore increases the cost so it not viable for training companies to do the right thing.
As with most things it has gone backwards.
But then again any half decent driver can soon adapt to an artic and that is why things will not change.
albion1971:
I agree entirely with what you say.The problem is now with licence aquisition rather than driver training this is the way things have gone.
Put drivers back in a proper artic,forget stupid little wagon and drags that are far too easy to drive and reverse.
The problem is then it takes far longer to train a driver which therefore increases the cost so it not viable for training companies to do the right thing.
As with most things it has gone backwards.
WTF? Have you seen what’s involved to get a C+E these days? Its not like in your day where you simply have to turn up drive truck, pass test then away you go.
The only ‘‘easy’’ bit is trucks are ‘‘easier’’ to drive!
Oh dear ajt…What the hell are you on about? Please tell me exactly what is involved now? I am very interested to know.
Maybe your talking about the theory test (oh so hard 
) or the stupid hazard awareness? or have they invented a ridiculously hard test in the past month?
Please enlighten me with your superior knowledege?
I await in eager anticipation but I doubt I will get a proper answer■■? Come on…I am waiting… 
albion1971:
Saaamon:
Cubester:
I think progressive weight gain would be a good idea. A little bit like most of us drivers!
Seriously though, I think if you increase the weight throughout the course then that can only be a good thing. It’s a hell of a lot easier when you’re not carrying anything.
Is it? Personally I disagree, there obviously more work to be done if your driving a manual but other than that its just abit less speed and abit more forward planning. From my experience it was the size of the lorry and the gears which I found the hardest bit… Its about time they stop people learning in urban artics and wag and drags… How often do you hear people saying on here that they have there first day in an artic but never driven one!
I agree entirely with what you say.The problem is now with licence aquisition rather than driver training this is the way things have gone.
Put drivers back in a proper artic,forget stupid little wagon and drags that are far too easy to drive and reverse.
The problem is then it takes far longer to train a driver which therefore increases the cost so it not viable for training companies to do the right thing.
As with most things it has gone backwards.
i don’t think it takes that much longer, i went hundreds of miles to get my class 1 in a 16sp daf 95 with a 45ft curtainsided tri axle trailer, i could’ve put a skelly drag on the skelly 8sp rigid i passed my class 2 in. i can’t remember the details, but there won’t of been that much in it. my class 1 was a week with the test on the last day, but that was 2 up, so only 2 days driving. granted i failed the 1st one 
but passed the next fine with no extra training
stevieboy308:
albion1971:
Saaamon:
Cubester:
I think progressive weight gain would be a good idea. A little bit like most of us drivers!
Seriously though, I think if you increase the weight throughout the course then that can only be a good thing. It’s a hell of a lot easier when you’re not carrying anything.
Is it? Personally I disagree, there obviously more work to be done if your driving a manual but other than that its just abit less speed and abit more forward planning. From my experience it was the size of the lorry and the gears which I found the hardest bit… Its about time they stop people learning in urban artics and wag and drags… How often do you hear people saying on here that they have there first day in an artic but never driven one!
I agree entirely with what you say.The problem is now with licence aquisition rather than driver training this is the way things have gone.
Put drivers back in a proper artic,forget stupid little wagon and drags that are far too easy to drive and reverse.
The problem is then it takes far longer to train a driver which therefore increases the cost so it not viable for training companies to do the right thing.
As with most things it has gone backwards.
i don’t think it takes that much longer, i went hundreds of miles to get my class 1 in a 16sp daf 95 with a 45ft curtainsided tri axle trailer, i could’ve put a skelly drag on the skelly 8sp rigid i passed my class 2 in. i can’t remember the details, but there won’t of been that much in it. my class 1 was a week with the test on the last day, but that was 2 up, so only 2 days driving. granted i failed the 1st one but passed the next fine with no extra training
In some cases it does not take longer.It all depends on how good the person is at adapting to the particular vehicle.Some take to it like a duck to water and others really struggle.
The reverse in the W&D is so much easier and there is a lot more room for error.Not really any cut in with trailer and far less blind spots.
When I worked for the military on artics they introduced wagon and drags as an experiment and found the pass rate was much higher and people took less time hence saving money!
Still say the whole thing needs updating.
As Saaamon says, I think it would be better if new drivers are actually taught in a proper sized truck to begin with, something like they’ll actually be driving in real life. Not the bare minimum sized vehicle with an empty flat bed or a silly little wagon and drag. I think the weight issue is secondary to the size issue.
Still waiting ajt…Come on I want to know?
albion1971:
Oh dear ajt…What the hell are you on about? Please tell me exactly what is involved now? I am very interested to know.
Maybe your talking about the theory test (oh so hard ) or the stupid hazard awareness? or have they invented a ridiculously hard test in the past month?
Please enlighten me with your superior knowledege?
I await in eager anticipation but I doubt I will get a proper answer■■? Come on…I am waiting…
Thanks for the PM requesting i reply back to you. Clearly i said must have touched a nerve. Either that or you’re just highly strung individual with too much time on your hands. I expect its a mixture of both 
Your point was its merely ‘‘licence acquisition’’ these days rather than training.
To gain a truck licence today is far more involved than a few years back. You can scoff at it if you like but yes all the class room work adds to the rigmarole not to mention roughly 3k in cost.
All you had to concentrate on was driving the truck. You never had to get your head round rules and regs etc.
Yeah trucks are a pieces of ■■■■ to drive these days compared to 30 years ago but don’t say it’s merely licence acquisition today as its not. Its a major hassle trying to gain a licence today.
ajt:
albion1971:
Oh dear ajt…What the hell are you on about? Please tell me exactly what is involved now? I am very interested to know.
Maybe your talking about the theory test (oh so hard ) or the stupid hazard awareness? or have they invented a ridiculously hard test in the past month?
Please enlighten me with your superior knowledege?
I await in eager anticipation but I doubt I will get a proper answer■■? Come on…I am waiting…
Thanks for the PM requesting i reply back to you. Clearly i said must have touched a nerve. Either that or you’re just highly strung individual with too much time on your hands. I expect its a mixture of both
Your point was its merely ‘‘licence acquisition’’ these days rather than training.
To gain a truck licence today is far more involved than a few years back. You can scoff at it if you like but yes all the class room work adds to the rigmarole not to mention roughly 3k in cost.
All you had to concentrate on was driving the truck. You never had to get your head round rules and regs etc.
Yeah trucks are a pieces of ■■■■ to drive these days compared to 30 years ago but don’t say it’s merely licence acquisition today as its not. Its a major hassle trying to gain a licence today.
You have not touched any nerve but unfortunately you have not confirmed anything I did not know already.
In case you do not already know I was and still am involved in training.I know exactly what is involved in gaining an LGV licence and today’s test is no harder than it was 30 years ago.
In fact it is probably easier with the added comfort of power steering and a sync box.The rules and regs you have to learn are minimal and the theory test is multi choice so they could not make it any simpler.
Try doing a proper CPC if you want plenty rules and regs!
Training has changed over the years and not for the better.As I said it is all about time and money now.So please tell me why it is a major hassle these days because that is not the normal thinking.It is too easy to gain an LGV licence and that is probably why driving standards have dropped so much over the last 30 years.
I’m not saying the test is any harder today, although just over a 50% pass rate does not suggest its particularly that easy. I’m saying while trucks 20 or 30 years ago might have been far more difficult to learn in, due to lack of technology, that is pretty much all you had to concentrate on, getting to grips with the truck, where today the practical part maybe a breeze compared but its only half of what needs doing to acquire a C+E so in the grand scheme of things, the whole training balances itself.
Theory and hazard perceptions are multiple choice but a candidate still has to revise and pass and dependant on age iirc has to gain a mod 2 also ? Its all time money and added pressure even if it is ‘‘easy’’.
For arguments sake, today i would say is more mentally challenging where as in the old days it was more physical.
ajt:
I’m not saying the test is any harder today, although just over a 50% pass rate does not suggest its particularly that easy. I’m saying while trucks 20 or 30 years ago might have been far more difficult to learn in, due to lack of technology, that is pretty much all you had to concentrate on, getting to grips with the truck, where today the practical part maybe a breeze compared but its only half of what needs doing to acquire a C+E so in the grand scheme of things, the whole training balances itself.
Theory and hazard perceptions are multiple choice but a candidate still has to revise and pass and dependant on age iirc has to gain a mod 2 also ? Its all time money and added pressure even if it is ‘‘easy’’.
For arguments sake, today i would say is more mentally challenging where as in the old days it was more physical.
Ok thanks for your reply.Did not know the pass rate was that low.Certainly higher here where I live.The pass rate also has a lot to do with the candidate and how and if they can control their nerves.Really good drivers can fail due to nerves and a bad one can pass simply because he or she is not nervous.That is partly why there is too much luck involved.
I have actually done an examiners course although never worked as one.Must be one of the most boring jobs in the world however after doing that course I wonder how any one can fail.It is unbelievable how much you can get away with but of course do something blatantly wrong and that is the end.Examiners always give the benefit of the doubt if they are not sure.
Regarding the theory I do not really see how people can find it so difficult but I suppose we are all different.
I still say all driving tests need to be updated and more involved simply to cut the horrendous accidents that happen on our roads if nothing else.