I have opened this Topic to update when the new procedures come out. I am on hold and at the top of the list for Training straight to C+E, I currently hold a C provisional which I assume will be upgraded to C+E provisional.
My Instructor suggested 2 days on rigids followed by 4 days on Artic.
He will contact me the moment he knows how/what will happen and I will then post the details here !
The best information is that it is hoped to be in place in Autumn.
No dates are yet available.
Pete 
My Instructor suggested 2 days on rigids followed by 4 days on Artic.
I’m curious as to why 2 days on rigid.
Pete
Pete S:
My Instructor suggested 2 days on rigids followed by 4 days on Artic.
I’m curious as to why 2 days on rigid.
Pete
Wag n drag i bet
I doubt many training schools are going to put a car driver into a W&D, it’ll be a regular rigid first. Personally I think two days rigid then into an artic isn’t going to be wise at all, but I’d expect a truck trainer to air their views on that here.
Personally I think two days rigid then into an artic isn’t going to be wise at all
Why? Not needed? Not long enough?
Interested in sensible comments.
Pete S
Pete S:
My Instructor suggested 2 days on rigids followed by 4 days on Artic.
I’m curious as to why 2 days on rigid.
Pete
He doesn’t think I need 8 days due to previous experience in the RAF (Bowsers and A/C Towing). I can only take his advice, if I fail the test or am not competent then I will obviously need more. Everybody has different paces of learning, levels of experience and different levels of judgement and I suppose its not a one size fits all.
I imagine if its the same as anything else I have learnt to drive or fly, there is no substitute for actual experience however many lessons you have.
I will of course let you know how I get on, good and bad !
Just fascinated why 2 days on rigid first.
Best of luck with it, Pete
Pete S:
Personally I think two days rigid then into an artic isn’t going to be wise at all
Why? Not needed? Not long enough?
Interested in sensible comments.
Pete S
I’m fairly certain I’ve never given you anything other than sensible comments Pete. I’d say it’s absolutely needed but two days is not long enough, certainly not for your average car driver of modern times. I would be surprised to hear that PSTT are doing that, the training school my friend works at were (apparently) planning on more like 4-5 days rigid followed by 4-5 days in the artic, including the test day. But I guess most places will be offering a compromise between (i) what they would think is the best option and (ii) what the market forces suggest would make best business sense. Fortunately for me I’m just an observer of their dilemma.
Pete S:
Just fascinated why 2 days on rigid first.Best of luck with it, Pete
Thanks ! I will ask him the thinking behind it.
You can sign up for updates to the new driving test rule changes (eg when they come into force) here :-
If you want to get scientific about it, it takes about 10 hours to get comfortable with something new. The reasons are several:
First, the “shock factor” of a new environment. Second, familiarization with the new environment. Third, once over the first two points, can you start to relax and actually start to take things in and the process of learning begins.
The current system allows you to drive artics having never driven an artic at all, ever.
The new system allows you to drive artics without ever having sat in a rigid.
Is an artic driver safer in a rigid having never driven one, than a rigid driver in an artic having never driven one?
Personally, I think it would be beneficial to have experience with both during training.
TruckerGuy:
If you want to get scientific about it, it takes about 10 hours to get comfortable with something new. The reasons are several:First, the “shock factor” of a new environment. Second, familiarization with the new environment. Third, once over the first two points, can you start to relax and actually start to take things in and the process of learning begins.
The current system allows you to drive artics having never driven an artic at all, ever.
The new system allows you to drive artics without ever having sat in a rigid.
Is an artic driver safer in a rigid having never driven one, than a rigid driver in an artic having never driven one?
Personally, I think it would be beneficial to have experience with both during training.
Did you mean the new system allows you to train on Artics without ever driving a Rigid?
David DeHavilland:
Did you mean the new system allows you to train on Artics without ever driving a Rigid?
Yes it will when it comes into force at some point this year …
If you want to get scientific about it, it takes about 10 hours to get comfortable with something new.
Not sure how scientific that really is. IME, a candidate gets comfortable to a certain level within an hour and they’re well on their way within another couple of hours.
I am old enough to be one of the near extinct batch of instructors who used to train car - artic all the time (prior to 1997). And it really isn’t a problem.
Pete S
ROG:
David DeHavilland:
Did you mean the new system allows you to train on Artics without ever driving a Rigid?Yes it will when it comes into force at some point this year …
Next year…
Probably.
Any hint as to how many hours you are going to have to do or will this be down to the schools?.
Sent from my SM-N976B using Tapatalk
rearaxle:
Any hint as to how many hours you are going to have to do or will this be down to the schools?.
Now C is about 18 hours including test and CE is about the same so reducing it by 2 hours by excluding 1 test it comes to about 34 hours but that includes time to get used to the lorry so lets reduce that if only one lorry to get used to which leaves about 30 hours
1 to 1 training done over half days would be 7 to make 28 hours plus 2 hours on day 8 for the test
That is just my GUESS as to how it MIGHT go … and is roughly the time I did back in the late 80s when I went from car to artic
rearaxle:
Any hint as to how many hours you are going to have to do or will this be down to the schools?.Sent from my SM-N976B using Tapatalk
I guess it will be down to the schools but my instructor thinks 20 hours on Artic, there isn’t much room to manouvre on this as the test is booked with the lessons so if it isn’t enough then you/I have a problem. He has suggested an extra 2 days of class 2 or Class 1 which equates to 10 more hours. He has suggested that I just do class 1 as I am not interested in class 2 work. Most schools offer the opportunity to do a “try out” where they attempt to assess your potential and estimate the training hours required.
I’ve seen on a few youtube truckers that say class 2 and class 1 are almost totally different. So what would be the point in training on a rigid before going to the artic? Surely, use valuable training time to just bang out hours in an artic?