Newbie asking annoyingly noob questions

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

So at the tender age of 21years & 372months (52 years for those who can’t be bothered to calculate it) I’m having a drastic career change out of the pub trade and into this one!
It’s a trade I know very little about apart from being on the receiving end and as the adage says “there’s no such thing as a dumb question” so here are a few potentially dumb questions!

DVLA.
What are the turn around times like for provisional entitlement additions like at the moment? It’s been 2 weeks since I put in the D2 and D4 forms, realistically how long should I wait for the provisional to come back?

Mod 2.
The online training package I’ve been given by the school I’ve gone with has a bank of about 30 example case studies, problem is I’ve gone through them several times so I know the answers by rote rather than working out things like finish times to adhere to the breaks and rests etc. Are there any free or cheap sources of other case studies available? Any good banks of questions focused on hours and vehicle weight & dimension rules as these are my 2 trouble areas?

Jobs.
From what I read it’s a employees market right now, what’s the best resource to look into agencies? who’s good, who’s bad etc… I’ll be aiming to look in the Dundee area so I can move close to my folks since they are getting on now.

C+E.
Last time I towed a trailer was 25yrs ago! What would be better, getting a few years rigid driving under my belt or going straight for my C+E training straight away? Pros & cons of either approach? I’m kinda leaning towards rigid driving for a while first since I’m well aware the tests are just to prove I’m minimally competent to handle a LGV rather than actually learning to be good at the job.

Thanks in advance for any answers, sorry if the questions were too dumb!

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Check out all the links contained within the link in my signature below :bulb: :smiley:

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HI ANDY DG Do not mess about at your age go for the class 1 your years are clocking on .

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Andy gd:
So at the tender age of 21years & 372months (52 years for those who can’t be bothered to calculate it) I’m having a drastic career change out of the pub trade and into this one!
It’s a trade I know very little about apart from being on the receiving end and as the adage says “there’s no such thing as a dumb question” so here are a few potentially dumb questions!

DVLA.
What are the turn around times like for provisional entitlement additions like at the moment? It’s been 2 weeks since I put in the D2 and D4 forms, realistically how long should I wait for the provisional to come back?

Mod 2.
The online training package I’ve been given by the school I’ve gone with has a bank of about 30 example case studies, problem is I’ve gone through them several times so I know the answers by rote rather than working out things like finish times to adhere to the breaks and rests etc. Are there any free or cheap sources of other case studies available? Any good banks of questions focused on hours and vehicle weight & dimension rules as these are my 2 trouble areas?

Jobs.
From what I read it’s a employees market right now, what’s the best resource to look into agencies? who’s good, who’s bad etc… I’ll be aiming to look in the Dundee area so I can move close to my folks since they are getting on now.

C+E.
Last time I towed a trailer was 25yrs ago! What would be better, getting a few years rigid driving under my belt or going straight for my C+E training straight away? Pros & cons of either approach? I’m kinda leaning towards rigid driving for a while first since I’m well aware the tests are just to prove I’m minimally competent to handle a LGV rather than actually learning to be good at the job.

Thanks in advance for any answers, sorry if the questions were too dumb!

I have found out that if you have C1 on your license as grandfather rights you do not need mod 2 or 4 but can choose to do 35 hours cpc training instead, i have found a cheaper online course than the tests price, not sure if i can post it…
Need to consider if you can even book mod 2 test, its not available when i try to book online.

As for resource i have just bought cd from amazon LGV & PVC 2021 edition of theory and hazard perception, really good value and it has case studies for cpc on it, plus mock tests that are as close as you can get to the real thing.

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Don’t let the age thing be a problem, and for the most get your cat c and then onto c+e unless you have a particular reason to not do that way, more job options if nothbig else. The cpc side of things from what I have seen posted on here by pete it is next to impossible to get the ability todo your mod 2 and 4 route if you have grandfather rights, so go for the 35 hours route.

Only just passed my cat c, licence came back yesterday and await the cpc card turning up, I am going for rigid work first because I want out of the current job and my arse in a truck as quickly as I can but once settled the next course is getting booked in, and hopefully can get a bit of support from whoever I work for with practice and once passed even if there isn’t much work available I can get the odd run out in an artic to gain some experience before moving on.

Good luck whatever you decide, don’t listen to the grumpy residents over on the main page lol

Sent from my LYA-L09 using Tapatalk

6

Hi Andy
As another youthful (51) 21 year old I started my HGV career last October with my class 2 then due to lockdowns didn’t get a chance to do Class 1 until May but I haven’t looked back, personally it has been the best move I’ve made from my former job as a Postie. One bit of advice I can give is make sure you get a reputable training school I went with Peter Smythe Transport Training and would totally recommend these guys as value for money and very professional. Good luck in your choices and happy trucking.

Andy

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Pete Smythe also pays your bnb if you’re 70 miles away.You will do well to beat them…

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Hi Andy,

21 years + 414 months here and passed my class 2 in May this year and the class 1 in June this year after previously doing 35 hours CPC. Got them both quickly due to accepting cancellations.
The theory tests are a walk in the park for anybody with 2 cells colliding, (mc 98 & hp 88%) and walked out of the test centre in less than 40 minutes.

The DVSA online training portal is great for practicing the multiple choice questions and the hazard perception vids, especially the latter !!

You’ll learn the square route of SFA about reversing during class 1 training, or the test, it’ll be an ongoing learning curve, or vertical line in my case.

Did class 2 for a couple of months, but tail lifts, pallet trucks and bouncing around the local area in an 18 tonner were not for me, which I already knew, as the plan was always class 1, distance and tramping.

Started class 1 now. Still terrified about reversing, especially with a critical audience in attendance, (any other driver sat in their cab watching you is a critic), no exceptions, ever. You will get help if you struggle, there is always one helpful critic wherever you are, they’ll take the p after helping you mind. ps, Ignore anything any forkie ever says, they invariably talk out of their other hole.

I’m not advertising or promoting any training company. I forked out £2600 for everything, going the separate courses route, excluding the previously attended CPC hours and passed both tests first time, with only three little crosses on the second.

Loadsa class 1 work about at the moment, you can pick and choose despite being a new pass, well, in my experience anyway. Maybe I’ve been a little lucky.

It can be done.

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andrew3737:
Hi Andy,

21 years + 414 months here and passed my class 2 in May this year and the class 1 in June this year after previously doing 35 hours CPC. Got them both quickly due to accepting cancellations.
The theory tests are a walk in the park for anybody with 2 cells colliding, (mc 98 & hp 88%) and walked out of the test centre in less than 40 minutes.

The DVSA online training portal is great for practicing the multiple choice questions and the hazard perception vids, especially the latter !!

You’ll learn the square route of SFA about reversing during class 1 training, or the test, it’ll be an ongoing learning curve, or vertical line in my case.

Did class 2 for a couple of months, but tail lifts, pallet trucks and bouncing around the local area in an 18 tonner were not for me, which I already knew, as the plan was always class 1, distance and tramping.

Started class 1 now. Still terrified about reversing, especially with a critical audience in attendance, (any other driver sat in their cab watching you is a critic), no exceptions, ever. You will get help if you struggle, there is always one helpful critic wherever you are, they’ll take the p after helping you mind. ps, Ignore anything any forkie ever says, they invariably talk out of their other hole.

I’m not advertising or promoting any training company. I forked out £2600 for everything, going the separate courses route, excluding the previously attended CPC hours and passed both tests first time, with only three little crosses on the second.

Loadsa class 1 work about at the moment, you can pick and choose despite being a new pass, well, in my experience anyway. Maybe I’ve been a little lucky.

It can be done.

Thanks

Mod1 will be a walk in the park, got 94% on without even doing any revision on 1a just to see. Still revising it though just to make sure. HP was a pain as I kept clicking just before the 5 points but no I click wait 1/2 a sec click again and have been getting high 90%'s ever practice I do. (had the same issue a few years back when I had to get my bike licence back. No I didn’t so anything naughty, DVLA messed up and removed entitlements but wouldn’t give the back )
Mod 2 I 100% every practice exam I do but it’s got to the point I know the answers without even reading the questions fully, not from knowing everything but from just lack of example case studies and memorising them. I need to get hold of more case studies.
I’ve chatted with quite a few people in the trade now and they all seem to agree C+E as soon as I can is the way to go for sure…

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ROG:
Check out all the links contained within the link in my signature below :bulb: :smiley:

Very useful thanks

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Boomerangtrucker:
I have found out that if you have C1 on your license as grandfather rights you do not need mod 2 or 4 but can choose to do 35 hours cpc training instead, i have found a cheaper online course than the tests price, not sure if i can post it…
Need to consider if you can even book mod 2 test, its not available when i try to book online.

As for resource i have just bought cd from amazon LGV & PVC 2021 edition of theory and hazard perception, really good value and it has case studies for cpc on it, plus mock tests that are as close as you can get to the real thing.

I’ve paid for mod 1 & 2 already :frowning: I was told the grandfather rights didn’t mean I could skip them!

What’s the name of the book? it’s more CPC case studies I’m really after, I’ve memorised all the answers in the ones I have access to.

good luck in you tests!

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Beetlejuice:
Pete Smythe also pays your bnb if you’re 70 miles away.You will do well to beat them…

■■■■ I’m 66 miles away :laughing:

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Andy gd:

Boomerangtrucker:
I have found out that if you have C1 on your license as grandfather rights you do not need mod 2 or 4 but can choose to do 35 hours cpc training instead, i have found a cheaper online course than the tests price, not sure if i can post it…
Need to consider if you can even book mod 2 test, its not available when i try to book online.

As for resource i have just bought cd from amazon LGV & PVC 2021 edition of theory and hazard perception, really good value and it has case studies for cpc on it, plus mock tests that are as close as you can get to the real thing.

I’ve paid for mod 1 & 2 already :frowning: I was told the grandfather rights didn’t mean I could skip them!

What’s the name of the book? it’s more CPC case studies I’m really after, I’ve memorised all the answers in the ones I have access to.

good luck in you tests!

Hi Andy,

It was a CD from amazon Called LGV & PCV Theory on Hazard Perception 2021 edition. I bought it for the main reason of multiple choice questions and hazard perception, but i noticed it has a cpc case studies section. think it was like £15 max