Who’s happy as a rigid driver then, with no plans to go on and do their class 1. Every new bod seems to view driving rigids as a necessary evil on the way to driving artics.
Surely there are some drivers who set their sights firmly at getting a class 2 licence and staying there.
I did my class 2 and had no interest in taking it further, and was quite happy to find a job that would keep me close enough to be home every night. I wonder if people overlook the fact there are some good jobs to be had driving rigids.
I have my C+E and do mostly artic work, but when the C jobs pay as much, depending on the job, I do those.
Wed I was driving 18t’s empty just delivery and collection of trucks, doddle.
Today, I was on Stobarts in an artic.
Monday, I’m back on the 18t’s doing same again.
Out of those, the delivery / collection job pays the most, is closest to my house, is the easiest and I don’t have to deal with the jumped up morons who just love to open their gob…
“are those steelies??” “you can’t park there…” “you can’t put your car there, it’s not insured and if a truck hit it blah blah…”
Just ■■■■ who love the sound of their own voices I think, the last of those was when I realised I’d taken the truck keys home, so took them back to work, no hi vis with me, so had a chat with security, just get as close to the office as you can, 15 seconds in and out with a quick explanation, then a muppet whinging about where the car is and saying it’s not insured… If a truck hit a running car with it’s headlights on at the side of the yard, then the insurance is the least of his problems
Oops, off topic. I’ll drive whatever pays the best, preferably with as easy a job as possible. For 50p difference, I’d rather do an easier job though.
Im pretty happy with my class 2 I have thought about class1 but I do like being home every night. But saying that if I did my class 1 it wud only be to earn more but im happy at the mo.
I’ve got a class1 but currently drive an 8 wheel tipper. It’s never realy bothered me about what I drive I’ve always looked at the money hours and job itself rather than is it class2 or 1.
8wheels:
Who’s happy as a rigid driver then, with no plans to go on and do their class 1. Every new bod seems to view driving rigids as a necessary evil on the way to driving artics.
Surely there are some drivers who set their sights firmly at getting a class 2 licence and staying there.
I did my class 2 and had no interest in taking it further, and was quite happy to find a job that would keep me close enough to be home every night. I wonder if people overlook the fact there are some good jobs to be had driving rigids.
who are you trying to convince? … go on push the boat out, you know deep down you wanna play
with the big boys
Place I used to work a guy was dead keen to move up to artics but could never pass the practical after umpteen goes. He wasn’t failing on the reversing or anything like that it was always mirrors, observation stuff like that. I thought he ought to have his rigid revoked as it must have been a fluke.
8wheels:
Who’s happy as a rigid driver then, with no plans to go on and do their class 1. Every new bod seems to view driving rigids as a necessary evil on the way to driving artics.
Surely there are some drivers who set their sights firmly at getting a class 2 licence and staying there.
I did my class 2 and had no interest in taking it further, and was quite happy to find a job that would keep me close enough to be home every night. I wonder if people overlook the fact there are some good jobs to be had driving rigids.
who are you trying to convince? … go on push the boat out, you know deep down you wanna play
with the big boys
Ah, I never said I didn’t have a class 1 licence. I paid for my class 2 and would have left it at that, my company wanted me to cover an extended holiday for our lowloader driver and also occasional other times. Whilst I wasn’t really bothered about doing it, I’d have been foolish to have passed up the opportunity to get paid whilst gaining another skill. I did a 3 month stint including wide some wide loads in and out of London and some fairly horrific country roads and have covered holidays and illness since. Our other driver is due to retire next year and everyone thinks I’ll jump at his job. Err no thanks I stay doing my job.
I think I’m just different, I like the challenges my job brings. If I could I’d drag a drawbar trailer behind my 8 wheeler, now that might prove to be interesting. In fact when the artic trailer was standing alone in the yard the other day I was wondering what it’d be like coupled to a drawbar trailer like the Scandinavian LHV’s
I was quite happy with my class 2 'til earlier this year when work completely dried up, so I went and got my class 1 (passed first time) thinking it would help… Nope.
Biggest waste of money ever. Everyone wants “at least 18-24 months experience”. Chances are, I’ll probably have forgotten everything by the time anyone would even consider taking me on. I’ve already forgotten the order of the lines when connecting up as I’ve not used my class 1 at all since the test.
I’m pretty certain I’d be all over the place if I ever get assigned to an artic now, and the eagerness I once had has turned pretty much to dread and fear now ugh
If there were two jobs paying the same, and equal amount of graft & hours etc… I’d probably take the class 2 job. Driving them is a lot less stressful (easier to get out of tight situations, find places to make about-turns if you’re going the wrong way, lower bridge height restrictions and weight restrictions, etc…)
I hate rigids after driving some of the best & most comfortable artics on our roads. Iv never been offered a rigid job that pays more anyway so I don’t see the attraction, I wish I could remove the cat C entitlement altogether so nobody can ask me to drive them…!
1 of my best mates has just taken his HGV1 and passed it after 12 years on Rigids, and another Nate starts his HGV1 course next week after 15 years on Rigids. Both of them had said for years they had no interest in Artics at all, but after endless verbal assaults from me about not being proper drivers they came round to my way of thinking! Now I tell them they’re not proper drivers til they’ve done European work!!
I passed my C+E in 1996 and drove only artics from 96 to 2004, I got fed up of the days being either 13 or 15hrs long so went on to rigids with the odd day in a bulk ejector artic on landfill for the skip firm I was driving for at the time.
I have been on eight wheel tippers with Hanson almost 5 years now and have no intention of changing that anytime soon.
We still get the odd long day 12hrs or so but the artics seem to be all or nothing.
I do find a lot of artic drivers seem to look down on you and think they have priority on the road though, and I DO give them priority (if they can get past)
