OOPS

[Lancs Lad]

I really want to do mine, I’m just not very good in “test situations” when someone’s sat next to me with a clipboard

Same , trailer test was horrific thought I'd failed after a crappy hill start on a narrow road ...passed just

 

[Monkeybusiness]

If anyone does want to do it get in touch with Dulson training - they have government funded hgv courses. One of my self_employed subbies got it for free!

 

[DaveDCB]

If anyone does want to do it get in touch with Dulson training - they have government funded hgv courses. One of my self_employed subbies got it for free!

What HGV are you buying then….?

 

[Furniss]

I recently did the hgv test and you are right, it’s a piece of cake.
You do have to reverse and couple/uncouple though (but that’s not hard either!).
(Mind you, HGV drivers are almost all mongs so they can’t make it too hard….)
Xx

I took my class2 a couple of years ago over here in France it was a bit of an eye opener.
2 weeks "training"
Then multiple choice theory, maneuvering and what have you as part 1, if you got through that then followed by about 45mins driving through town and a bit of dual carridgeway etc.

Dont know if its fair to say they were all mongs but it was sort of leaning in that direction tbh

There was a bloke bless him that every time someone asked him his name he would kind of hold his clenched fist to his chest and give his name and the name of his village, imagine braveheart sort of

 

[Monkeybusiness]

What HGV are you buying then….?

Not sure - I haven’t passed my prostitute-murdering module yet so not quite at that stage.

 

[Furniss]

Not obligatory here although during the written they handed out empty pop bottles that we had to piss in then lob out the classroom window

 

[pettsy]

Same , trailer test was horrific thought I'd failed after a crappy hill start on a narrow road ...passed just

Same for me when doing trailer test, I swear to this day he never gave me directions on last roundabout so ended up doing longer route instead of back to test center. Still passed just extra stress! Would much rather have say a couple of days driving where someone actually points out any things done wrong and helps so you learn instead of a straight pass/fail environment.

 

[craig]

I recently did the hgv test and you are right, it’s a piece of cake.
You do have to reverse and couple/uncouple though (but that’s not hard either!).
(Mind you, HGV drivers are almost all mongs so they can’t make it too hard….)
Xx

The driving school assesses the reversing and coupling I believe, their not going to fail their own customers

 

[Mogman]

I recently did the hgv test and you are right, it’s a piece of cake.
You do have to reverse and couple/uncouple though (but that’s not hard either!).
(Mind you, HGV drivers are almost all mongs so they can’t make it too hard….)
Xx

mongs or Mogmen

so you’ve joined the elite and become a prostitute murdering machine

 

[Monkeybusiness]

mongs or Mogmen

so you’ve joined the elite and become a prostitute murdering machine

I did say ‘almost all mongs’…

 

[Monkeybusiness]

The driving school assesses the reversing and coupling I believe, their not going to fail their own customers

Yeah, the people who I trained with have a fully marked out reversing bay setup and they get an approved assessor (different to whoever has trained you) to do the test. To be honest they were very thorough with it, and I’m sure they would fail you if you couldn’t do as required. But if you can’t do the basic manoeuvre needed to pass that particular test you probably shouldn’t be on the road in any vehicle!
It is all ridiculous though - you go from a car licence (having potentially never sat behind the wheel of a truck) to taking your test after 3 and a half days of lessons!
I’ll be honest, I didn’t pass first time, and I’m actually pretty glad that I didn’t as I learned a bit more again from the examiner. Plenty do pass first time though apparently, and the instructor reckons they have had several people who were really poor drivers who pass on their first attempt.
I found the artic really easy to drive - the auto box definitely helps with that in a big way though I’d rather have learned in a manual, but that wasn’t available from anywhere I could find. I’ve had a lot of experience driving big kit and done loads of towing over the years so I didn’t go into it from a standing start (and I really enjoy driving which I think helps).
I’m glad I’ve done it and may venture into truck ownership at some point (that was a big reason for getting my licence) - I will probably try and get a few days here and there agency driving just to ‘get my eye in’ (if I ever have time!) but I’m not sure I’d want to drive a truck all day every day.

 

[Lancs Lad]

Yeah, the people who I trained with have a fully marked out reversing bay setup and they get an approved assessor (different to whoever has trained you) to do the test. To be honest they were very thorough with it, and I’m sure they would fail you if you couldn’t do as required. But if you can’t do the basic manoeuvre needed to pass that particular test you probably shouldn’t be on the road in any vehicle!
It is all ridiculous though - you go from a car licence (having potentially never sat behind the wheel of a truck) to taking your test after 3 and a half days of lessons!
I’ll be honest, I didn’t pass first time, and I’m actually pretty glad that I didn’t as I learned a bit more again from the examiner. Plenty do pass first time though apparently, and the instructor reckons they have had several people who were really poor drivers who pass on their first attempt.
I found the artic really easy to drive - the auto box definitely helps with that in a big way though I’d rather have learned in a manual, but that wasn’t available from anywhere I could find. I’ve had a lot of experience driving big kit and done loads of towing over the years so I didn’t go into it from a standing start (and I really enjoy driving which I think helps).
I’m glad I’ve done it and may venture into truck ownership at some point (that was a big reason for getting my licence) - I will probably try and get a few days here and there agency driving just to ‘get my eye in’ (if I ever have time!) but I’m not sure I’d want to drive a truck all day every day.

Jolly interesting insight. Thanks
What's sort of money?

 

[TiltyShaun]

I done my rigid about 15 years ago. Last test on a Friday and they were running late. About 10mins out from the test center, sat at a red light, Fire Engine approached and I told the examiner I was jumping the red light to move out of the way. He said go left and go back to the test center. Got back having been out for 20mins. Parked up and could see my instructor who was waiting at the test center hold his head in his hands. Examiner said you do release that jumping a red is an instant fail. I said if your house was on fire you would be grateful I moved. He said “yep, that is why I didn’t need to see anymore. You have passed.’
INSTRUCTOR said “ That must be the quickest fail on record“. My reply…….nah. Got a pass!!!

 

[craig]

@Monkeybusiness congratulations on the pass by the way

 

[Monkeybusiness]

Jolly interesting insight. Thanks
What's sort of money?

I paid just under £1000 to put me and one of my employees through it - that includes medicals, 5 days of CPC training for me (as I’m an old bastardo, for some reason you can have a test instead and keep those 5 days of your life if you are younger!), touchscreen and hazard perception tests, truck training and test (including 1 retest if necessary), and the cost of your tacho card rebated through the Dulson Bootcamp scheme. It’s not means-tested, you just need to have a reason for needing the training (business growth etc).
As I said, one of my self-employed subbies got it entirely free of charge as it will potentially help him earn more money once trained.
It’s a no-brainer tbh, get it booked!

 

[Monkeybusiness]

@Monkeybusiness congratulations on the pass by the way

Thank you!

 

[Smiffy]

I paid just under £1000 to put me and one of my employees through it - that includes medicals, 5 days of CPC training for me (as I’m an old bastardo, for some reason you can have a test instead and keep those 5 days of your life if you are younger!), touchscreen and hazard perception tests, truck training and test (including 1 retest if necessary), and the cost of your tacho card rebated through the Dulson Bootcamp scheme. It’s not means-tested, you just need to have a reason for needing the training (business growth etc).
As I said, one of my self-employed subbies got it entirely free of charge as it will potentially help him earn more money once trained.
It’s a no-brainer tbh, get it booked!

Honestly I would have a thousand times rather have sat bored out my skull for 5 days than do the computer test. The questions are awful, purposely designed to confuse you rather than test your knowledge. You have to do hazard perception aswell except it's the same one new car drivers do so you have to pause after seeing the hazard or you will click to early.

 

[Monkeybusiness]

Honestly I would have a thousand times rather have sat bored out my skull for 5 days than do the computer test. The questions are awful, purposely designed to confuse you rather than test your knowledge. You have to do hazard perception aswell except it's the same one new car drivers do so you have to pause after seeing the hazard or you will click to early.

I still had to do the hazard perception and touchscreen.

 

[Smiffy]

I still had to do the hazard perception and touchscreen.

The theory touch screen is easy. And plenty of study material for it. The CPC test was peak stereotypical government sh**

 

[Monkeybusiness]

The theory touch screen is easy. And plenty of study material for it. The CPC test was peak stereotypical government sh**

Yeah, I had all of the questions and revision material for it on the online learning platform Dulsons gave us access to and I know exactly where you are coming from, some of the questions are ridiculous! I wasn’t sure if I was going to be asked to do that test too so had a pretty good look at it all - I really struggled in particular with questions relating to drivers hours and working time directive (it becomes incredibly confusing when they mix these two things in together for my tiny brain!)…
Stupid game!