Price of lorry test?

Captain Bridget

Captain Bridget

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 April 2010
Messages
853
Location
Hampshire
Visit site
I'm trying to work out the difference in costs between getting a decent 3.5t lorry that I can drive straight away (only 23) or taking my lorry test and getting a bigger lorry which I know will be able to carry our two horses.

Can anyone tell me roughly how much it costs for training and taking the test?
 
I sat my lorry test in sept (am also 23!) it cost me a total of £1250 but that included 3 retakes of the theory cuz i was being a bit spesh and couldnt get the hazard perception even thou i passed it first time when i sat my driving test at 17! The £1250 included all the tests- theory and practical and also a 3 day course :) if u have any other qus feel free to pm me :) i learnt to drive in a 12 tonne lorry and now i can legally drive anything up to 38 tonne rigid but i stick to my mums 7.5 tonne!!
 
Al did her test this summer, and it cost about £900 I think. Theory not included, but a 3 day course with the test on the 3rd day. Do your research about where you'd sit it first- she did hers in Norwich, and has since been told by quite a lot of people they'd rather cut their hands off than sit their test there... She struggled a bit because she was just turned 19 and had about 15 months of driving a normal car under her belt. She can now drive rigid body lorries of a weight up to 32 tonnes. I think.
 
Thanks for the info guys.

How difficult did you find the test to be? I passed my driving test first time but at the moment the biggest thing I've driven is a small people carrier! I took my test in Basingstoke which apparently isn't a great place to take it (hundreds of roundabouts!) so hopefully I'll be alright if I decide to take it.

I can't decide if it would be easier to have a 3.5T but not a proper living and not a huge payload but lower tax and insurance (presumably) or pay for the test and get a bigger lorry.
 
I'm lucky as I'm old and therefore able to drive a 7.5t lorry, however my choice would be to take the test. It's not as difficult driving a lorry as you'd think, and once you've got the test under your belt, you can choose whichever lorry you want (funds permitting). I have a few friends who are limited to the 3.5t lorries and they get very frustrated about it.
 
If ur only going to carry one horse stick with the 3.5 tonne if its easier on the funds for u! But if u want to carry more than one id say do the test... Carrying 2 horses and all the kit will most probably put u overweight in a 3.5 tonne unless of course they are little ponies then u might be ok!

I found the test to be relatively easy actually as u already know how to drive, u just have to readjust to the size of the lorry and get used to the gears and remember to always check the mirrors!!! I did my test in peterborough which has like a zillion roundabouts... I got rather good at getting the lorry in and out of gear!! The other thing to remember is to give the kerb more room as u have like 20 + foot behind u!! The 3 day course i did was basically 2 days of driving round town getting used to the truck with the instructor mainly quiet but chipping in if he needed to and then on the 3rd day i drove round for an hr or so and then headed to the test centre. Maneouver wise all u have to do is reverse into a marked out bay- which is dead easy as its huuuge!! And then pull up onto the side of the road and pull away a few times :)

I actually found the hazard perception harder than the practical!!
 
I'd probably end up carrying two most of the time and one of them doesn't like being in tight spaces so I think a 7.5T would be easier all round.

Now I just have to find somewhere near me that does the training and test for a reasonable price.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top