Learning to drive an HGV - Mini Blog.

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Reply 20

Elementric

BJP

I thought you had to be 21?

It wasn't on public roads.

Reply 21

JC.

pompeyspud

You feeling okay? 'An aitch gee vee', what's wrong with that?

Also, JC - what's the work situation like? I mean, is there a shortage of lorry drivers around, so once you pass could you stroll into Eddie Stobart or whatever, or is it like any profession where you have to start out fighting hundreds of other drivers for a position?

No one will touch you for regular work without at least 2 years experience.
You have to "earn your colours" doing relief work with agencies.

Reply 22

pompeyspud

JC.

No one will touch you for regular work without at least 2 years experience.
You have to "earn your colours" doing relief work with agencies.

Is that hard to do, or is there always temp work going?

Also, is there a whole community of romanticised truckers like you see in the films and on TV and stuff, '10-4' and whatnot?

Reply 23

JC.

pompeyspud

Is that hard to do, or is there always temp work going?

Also, is there a whole community of romanticised truckers like you see in the films and on TV and stuff, '10-4' and whatnot?

Well, it's all luck of the draw. Some weeks I suspect I'll be so busy I'll not come home for 6 days on the trot, other weeks I might be sat at home with no work at all.

It'll be very sporadic for the first two years but we'll see how it goes. It's not like I'm committed to it for life, eh? I've got a degree after all.

I'm sure there will be a few "glory boys" out there, but I can't say I'm one of them.

Reply 24

mark1010

I thought it was Large Goods Vehicle these days. Well officially at least, HGV is still in widespread use as thats what many know it as!

Reply 25

mark1010

Oh and not wanting to hijack this but if anyone wants to know anything about learning to drive buses / coaches or what its like post test, then feel free to ask.

Reply 26

Lara C.

JC.

To answer a few questions; I've pretty much lost interest in working in an accademic role. So, I'll be having a crack at doing some driving for a living. The money seems to be good, even if the hours aren't.

Additionally, this is the motoring forum, not the Grammar Nazi forum. So, please take that debate elsewhere.

im with you on that one, gave minimal effort for my 2nd year and really not fussed whether or not i pass. will be a relief when i can finally get my career started and get on with my life. police force ASAP ftw.

Reply 27

JC.

Medical:

Had the medical today and passed. It wasn't particularly demanding. An eye test, blood pressure test and a load of questions about my health - how much I drink / smoke, whether I was mental any heart issues etc...

Cost was £15. However, it's often a lot more expensive than this.
Still, i'll not have to worry about getting another medical untill 2014, thankfully.

Just need to stick all the documents in the post and wait for the DVLA to send my licence back. :smile:

Once that happens, i'll go for my driving assessment.
Although, in the meanwhile, I can get the theory books and start revising for the theory test.

The theory test is essentially the same for a car. However, there will be additional questions which are more focused towards HGV's. Examples would include loading weights, stopping distances etc...

That's all for now...

-JC.

Reply 28

Minardi

Cj-Tj

They are easy to reverse! Want to try reversing one of these if you think HGV is hard. Its a dolly behind a tractor with a 40ft HGV trailer on. 2 pivot points!!! Nightmare.

Been there, done that, never again. :P. Its like reversing a trailed forager and trailer, also bloody impossible.

JC - Good luck dude. Its something I fully intend to do, given the chance/time, even if I never use it professionally. Will be interested to see how this progresses. I know how you feel about academia switching you off - I've done my degree and I can't wait to get out. I'm going back to the farm and seeing how that works out.

Reply 29

Rian1988

Oh that's quite cool JC I've always wanted to do this, so how much is this going to cost you altogether?

Reply 30

Cj-Tj

Minardi

Been there, done that, never again. :P. Its like reversing a trailed forager and trailer, also bloody impossible.

Not that hard once you get "your mind into it". Just needs more thinking. Boss at the last place was awesome with them, had a bulker body on it and he reversed it to places where I was struggling to get a conventional trailer. Took him a few shunts but did it every time. In an open yard, or just around corners etc they aint too bad. First time I tried though took me ages. Then got sent into a field with it and told to practice til I could manage it!

Be easier than forager and trailer, pivots are in line and quite close together. Wouldnt fancy reversing a forager and trailer with dolly though.... 3 pivots, all of centre, all spread apart. Be a nightmare!

Reply 31

JC.

Rian1988

Oh that's quite cool JC I've always wanted to do this, so how much is this going to cost you altogether?

Hard to say exactly how much it'll cost. However, I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up around the £2500 mark?

Reply 32

Rian1988

JC.

Hard to say exactly how much it'll cost. However, I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up around the £2500 mark?

Oh ok that's is kind of what I was thinking, keep us updated and with pictures too if you can.

Reply 33

JC.

Small update,
My new licence dropped through the door today with categorys C and C1 provisional status.
In the meanwhile I've been revising my weights etc for the HGV theory / hazard perception test. Next job will be to take the theory test and then book a free assessment drive with an HGV School to work out how long my training course will need to be.

-JC.

Reply 34

Porscha!

Something I've always wanted to know what is "Class I/1" and "Class II/2"?
How is the test changing in September is it going up in age or down?

I've always wanted to travel the world driving, I suppose this is the best way to do it but couldn't face the slow speeds of a lorry! Any of these haulage companies need a Porsche (for quick delivery of small parcels to exotic destinations?? :wink:

)

Oh and good luck! :smile:

Reply 35

JC.

Porscha!

)

Oh and good luck! :smile:

For difference between C1 and C2 look at my first post. C1 is artic lorrys C2 is rigid lorrys.
In september the age drops to 18 but the number of tests doubles.

Reply 36

dag

I will be doing the exact same thing in september (as i am only 20) and have been doing alot of research about it too and can't wait to start. I will be following this thread as it looks to be a great help, Thanks :smile:

Reply 37

Jusd

Was watching top gear lorry episode and googled hgv gears and here I am again lol

You get your HGV license ??

Reply 38

Camoxide

Original post by Jusd

Was watching top gear lorry episode and googled hgv gears and here I am again lol

You get your HGV license ??

Normally i'd moan at people for reviving a 5 year old thread but i'm interested if he ended up getting his license lol

Reply 39

JC.

Original post by Camoxide

Normally i'd moan at people for reviving a 5 year old thread but i'm interested if he ended up getting his license lol

I didn't actually.

I went for and passed a medical test and sent my licence off for the provisional cat D
I also took and passed the theory test. Much the same as a car test but there's a LOT of extra things you need to know such as different speed limits you have to learn about that apply to bigger vehicles depending on axle weights.
There's also a lot of common sense stuff in there about safe loading, height width and weight restrictions.
I then went for an hours assessed drive in a rigid lorry. Was certainly interesting. A lot of the same stuff you do when you tow a big trailer applied - drifting out towards the centreline before taking tight left hand turns and just being prepared to allow all and sundry to go, for example.
What was a little strange to get used to was going from what you perceive to be top gear back into the first position in the gate to go up the next set of ratios.

Unfortunately I just never got around to doing the rest of the training. Maybe I'll revisit it another day, but the medical and theory have expired anyway. Doh!