Lorry driving test

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Mike007

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I had a chat with the folks at DSA today about the changes to regulations regarding supervising learners. One snipit of information really took me by surprise. If you thought you could take the test in your own lorry, quite possibly you cannot! A vehicle for a test has to meet certain criteria. Seatbelts are one. A lot of older vehicles dont have them. Another is adequate mirrors so the examiner can see as well as the driver. So far so good, its what you would expect. But the vehicle must also have ABS,Many modern vehicles simply dont have it. But there it is,its compulsory,courtesy of our European friends.
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Also be warned, a friend did the traing and test at a local 'centre' first time she failed for going round the roundabouts like 'she was carrying horses or sommat' she was told to think 'white ven man' and passed next time.
 
Yup, a firend of mine failed her trailer test for keeping going through an amber light on the basis that if she'd stopped suddenly she'd have thrown her horses around.
 
When i did trailer test training (prior to failing my test on the reversing because i had 4 broken ribs and couldnt turn around to see, stupid test! Then gave up and got 3.5t!!!!)....anyway i kept getting told off for taking straight lines through roundabouts and being careful on my turns - because i was imagining having horse in the back.....white van man is way forward for trailer and lorry tests apparently!!!!!
 
The first thing I was told for both lorry and trailer test.......you haven't got horses in the back so don't drive like you have! It worked and I passed both first time.

All lorries have to be split gearbox now which I don't think most horseboxes are. I managed to just slip in before the rules changed so I got away with a normal gearbox but the training place was struggling to find a decent lorry with split gearbox to buy. I also think they have to be fully laden when I did mine empty which I thought was strange as I passed driving an empty lorry which will behave very differently to a fully laden one.
 
I think you are right about the split gearbox,but I dont think they have to be laden. They must be at least 4 tonne gross vehicle weight however.
 
Think the lorry i did my supersize test in was 14tonne
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And had a split gearbox (if you try and pull away in 6th, not 2nd then rev it hard, ride the clutch and you should still scrape a pass
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The other hint is to check the weight limit and height limit signs on the test route as on mine i got to a roundabout and he didn't say left or right, he expected me to realise that i wouldn't fit under the bridge to the right....
 
Did mine recently (old class two, so over 7.5t rigids). Minimum test requirement is weight of 10t, and eight forward gears. My lorry was ok on weight (14t) but only has six gears, so the friend's offer of private lessons in mine went for a burton, and I had to use training company at exorbitant cost! ( friend used to train the drivers for Scania until recently,so had no worries about his capabilities!) I actually did course and test in 18t scania, which was unladen. However, I also was advised not to drive like a "vicar's wife" !!!! You must make progress, and not be dithery (is that a word?). I suppose a bit like the car test - learn to pass your test,then learn to drive properly. The important thing for me was to pass first time........pride,obviously, but also I just couldn't afford to spend any more on training and retesting. I did, and the pride was truly inflated as out of five that week (others all men - sorry, boys!) I was the only one to pass! If you think you're using your mirrors well - double the amount, examiners soooo hot on mirror usage. Also, lorries must be fitted with all the new required mirrors re blind spots,kerb viewing etc. A pro company vehicle will have these all fitted correctly, whereas some older wagons are still missing the appropriate bits. The trainer also explained to me that if there WERE any weight/height restrictions on test routes ( several different ones are used, again as in car tests) they would NOT be pointed out, as you must read the road as you travel it....after all, when we travel to our far-flung events we must be capable of dealing with anything we find. It is possible to plan routes ahead of travel to navigate around weight and height limits when driving independantly, but on test routes it's already been done. Nothing worse than missing a height limit sign, and then having to turn around in a narrow road 'cos your lorry is six inches higher than the bridge!!!!
Digressing slightly...........a young driver I knew, recently granted a full licence, drives extra miles every day simply because he is too lacking in confidence to turn right across oncoming traffic!!!!! How scary is that? And he passed first time......How???
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To be honest, I think the rule about not having your own lorry to do the test in is fair enough - i could imagine that there are some right old wrecks out there that arent that safe to drive around in... thats what my driving instructor thought too...

I did my 7.5t test last year and didnt need the split gearbox.... but then again, i guess you wouldnt need that for the small lorries?
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and yes - definately have to get a move on when driving round the roads... need to make progress! my instructor used to have a go at me if i didnt hurl around the lanes at 50mph... felt very unsafe to me, but that's what they like!! I passed first time though and now do about 20mph with the horses on board.. very precious creatures, not cornflakes!!
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From reading all these posts about how lorry drivers are taught to do max speed limit at all times perhaps the BHS should be targetting driver tainig (both HGV and car) to teach safety regarding more vulnerable road users.
 
ah this takes me back...when i did my HGV i failed first time for being too careful round bends and things...so the next one i went a bit mental and i think i frightened the examiner to death...i even ran a red light
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needless to say i failed again
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passed the third time
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