I have recently got a new job doing roadside recovery, but as i passed my driving test after Jan 1st 1997, i can only drive a vehicle up to 3500kg. I want to take my LGV course so i can drive a 7500kg vehicle as this will increase the salary.
So far i have had my medical and got my "provisional" licence entitlement back from the DVLA.
Today i went and had an assesment drive of a 18 tonne rigid lorry as this is what i was gonna take a couse in. But driving this really scared the carp out of me and i was pretty bad at it to start but got better as i went on, kirbed it a few times, wrong gears, not braking hard enough etc etc.
so now i dont really want to do that course, and i only want to drive a 7500kg vehicle. Is there a course available where i can just train to do the 7500kg (ie train in a large van)
Also hats off to you guys who drive lgv/hgv. i thought it would be easy, but how wrong i was!
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Why do expect to jump straight into an 18 tonner and drive it without problem ? I doubt you've done any worse than any other car driver. The skills you are taking with you are co-ordination and road awareness - the rest you will need to re-learn.
I've had my license long enough to be able to drive a 7.5 tonne on a car license but when I drove an Air-Braked Ford Cargo many years ago I was shocked at my ineptitude in not being able to brake or change gear smoothly.
Edited by *Gongfarmer* on 11/02/2008 at 13:09
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Took my HGV years ago-in a Class I(artic)-driving later on in rigid vehicles,I found them harder to drive without the manoevurability of one that bends in the middle.Don't try to hurry the gearchanges and certainly on the vehicle I took my test on-when it said on the back "Danger-Air Brakes"-it meant it.One careless touch and all the wheels(and there were lots of them)locked up.
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I passed my test a long time ago, but have only driven a 7.5 tonne lorry once. The gears, clutch, road brakes and even the size of the thing caused my no problems, but of course I took it easy. But the air operated handbrake? Now that really was a surprise. Mindboggling effective, functioned like a switch, and I soon learn it really was not a good idea to engage it unless absolutely stationary.
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Stick with it Adam, it was only your assesment drive. You still have to learn it yet which is what the training is for. It's many years since I took my HGV 1 & PSV 1, but I do remember the first time I ever drove a truck the thing felt like it was huge. It will come with practice and you'll soon get used to it. Good Luck.
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I'm not up to date with driving licence regs. but I do visit the local HGV vehicle testing centre regularly. Part of it is used for HGV driving test manoevering ability.
I often see 'L' plated 7.5 tonners, mainly horse boxes, being reversed and manoevered about. Also see 'L' plated 4x4's towing a horse box doing it as well.
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