Just passed my Class 1, I enjoyed driving the rigids and prob still will, As for home every night, Ive done 8 years in rigids, 6 of them away all week, the only downside was the size of the cab, Had a 1820 Merc (Low Cab) MAN TGM (Low Cab) Volvo FH12 (High Cab but massive engine bump) artics generally have more space, unless you’re on car transporters, always thought that looks like a cramped job.
Yeah transporters ain’t great for cab size but the guys on that work have always had higher than average wages so I suppouse that compensates. I suppouse that could change now fast Eddie is involved.
Mind you I’ve always thought those guys deserve every penny hard work in built up areas with trees and street furniture. And a fair bit of time effort and skill loading and un loading.
Not sure whether I prefer artics to rigids, went from doing skips to landfill work with a walking floor trailer. The artic unit is much less claustrophobic and much better spec than my old skip lorry, and the work is easier and less dirty.
However artic hours are much longer and there is a lot of waiting around (which I hate), and the palaver artics create when we’re manoeuvring in our yard is very stress inducing (I was used to just nipping in and out with the skip lorry).
I’m on more in my 8x4 than what people will pay a C+E driver round here. The jobs easy/stress free and home every night.
8x2 but otherwise virtually the same. Not easy but not difficult.
I don’t want my class 1 (but would do it if it was free)
My place has 6 class 1 drivers and only 1 unit. All the rest are class 2 or 7.5
We do anything from one hitters to 45 drops (milk round style) covering all uk and Ireland. We are out for upto 5 nights and as we only move our own gear get quite handsomely rewarded with no hassle.
[quote=
If you pass a CE test, BE will also be added to your licence. Can you not do some sort of deal to take a CE course and test instead?[/quote]
TM trying to sort it but im not holding my breath!
Quite happy where I’m at. Don’t see the point in forking out around a grand for the ever diminishing wages that are around here. Somebody’s after a class 1 tanker (waste) driver…£7.18/hr…
i do a bit of artic bulk ejecter work now and then ,but much prefer my own job with 8x4 roro and triaxle drawbar outfit although it takes the size of a small country to turn around,and a bit of a ball ache to change two 35yd bins in a small area but like anything else it only looks easy if you do everyday,i also cover the grab driver on a 6x4 when hes off,this is a nice job,if a gas /leccy/water company wanted a local grab driver i would be lst in the queue and would probly get paid a few more dollars 
one day
Had enough of class 2 now. For last 3 years employer has been putting me through my class 1!
Given up on asking now as no doubt get usual answer of ‘will be getting in sorted in next few months’
Looking at doing it off my own back. I know will prob struggle to get a start with way things are right now everywhere but you never know? If get my class 1 might just get lucky
I see lots of talk about Class 2 keeping you closer to home than Class 1 ?
After 6 Years of driving Artics ive never had a night out, and i would curse the day that i had to drive a rigid now … so small and uncomfortable compared to an artic.
Anyone that says they would prefer to stay on rigids is scared IMO
nickb67:
Quite happy where I’m at. Don’t see the point in forking out around a grand for the ever diminishing wages
^^^ This.
(and that’s if you even find a job in the first place, which you probably will have trouble doing anyway)
just wish I’d been sensible enough to think like you before I went and wasted my money
rockape2620:
I see lots of talk about Class 2 keeping you closer to home than Class 1 ?After 6 Years of driving Artics ive never had a night out, and i would curse the day that i had to drive a rigid now … so small and uncomfortable compared to an artic.
Anyone that says they would prefer to stay on rigids is scared IMO
Well currently neither me or my colleague do nights out except once in a blue moon, as for cramped my standard R sleeper (not flat roof) is only about 8" lower than his Highline.
My work is much more varied and interesting as I can winch or lift with a crane as well as load via beavertail. The other driver rarely carries anything other than excavators, dumpers and piling rigs. Swap? No thanks.
I also keep my eyes on the local jobs and have never seen better money without having to do a massive amount more hours.
COOKiEEES!!:
nickb67:
Quite happy where I’m at. Don’t see the point in forking out around a grand for the ever diminishing wagesjust wish I’d been sensible enough to think like you before I went and wasted my money
On the other hand, the CE category will not disappear from your licence, so it will be there in the future if an opportunity arises to use it. Even if you stay where you are for now, you cannot be certain that you will not make use of it in the future. There may be no direct financial pay-back, but it may be that it keeps you in a job when other drivers without CE are let go.
Of course you’re feeling sore at the moment. By all accounts you wanted to (and even dreamed of?) move on to CE work, but have failed to find any work. On that basis, I don’t think you wasted your money - you wanted to do it and you did it. However, in your current circumstances, your thoughts inevitably move to what else you could have done with the time and money invested in gaining the extra category.
If you keep putting yourself out there, the opportunity to use CE will arise sooner or later. Though your recent experience on CE will diminish with not driving CE, ironically the newness of your CE is off-putting to many at the moment for insurance reasons.
Artics are just cooler 
[edit] I should probably elaborate on my flippancy. Home every night is fine, unless you have nothing to come home to. I’m single and rent a room not much bigger than my lorry cab.
They pay rigid drivers the same at our place, but I just prefer driving an artic, find it far more interesting and challenging. I still get that child like buzz from changing trailers or climbing up the cab ladder. If that ever goes it might be time to stop, but it hasn’t yet.
The first job I had after passing C+E was a rigid + drawbar outfit collected pallets for CHEP. It was the devils work and I kept finding myself getting into places I couldn’t get out of. After that, artics were a breeze.
My Dad was chuffed when I passed my Class 2, but told me it was only another step in the way of becoming a ‘real trucker’ and when he gave me his “congratulations” card, inside it had a little picture of an artic that he drew, and beside it, “this is next!” 
I had full intentions of going for Class 1 anyway, always have done.
always fancied getting my class 1,but until i can earn what i do driving an eight wheel grab (£13 an hour) there isnt much point
i get paid the same for driving an artic as i do rigid so no contest i find rigid work alot more intresting go to more exotic places and alot less stress
To be honest I prefer Rigid work to Artics, less ‘stressful’ and the work seems more interesting, I get asked back via an Agency to this Company that does 7.5t pallet ADR work. That pays £8 p/h and I love that job, you can go where ‘biggies’ can’t and it’s so relaxed and chilled out, it’s like a Holiday.
If I had a choice of job it’d be Class 2 Pallet with 4 nights out.
class 1 get paid the same at my place as class 2 as well… but i will stick with c2, 10 ish hours a day, home every night, sort my own work out… can,t be arsed with RDC waiting, handing keys in ect…
As I’ve said above, not bothered about which I drive, but I don’t think I’d like to do artic flat bed work, get to job, find missing straps or chains, ripped sheet etc, then swap trailers and go through it all again.
Easiest job I’ve done is Class 1 container work, but I’m sure Class 2 container work is easier again.