Just did a couple of days C1 work for a well known supermarket. I walked out. I was treated like a donkey. They cant get drivers coz they treat people like dirt. A company I know advertised a job a couple of weeks ago, good pay, good conditions & had over 100 applications. There is no driver shortage & there never has been. However there is a shortage of people willing to work 55-60 hours a week for peanuts. The people who are having problems recruiting drivers are the people who pay low wages & treat their people like dirt.
@@whatyousaidbud Wise words, 6 month's ago asda were hiring at 11 an hour. Chickens have come home to roost. Making it easier to get the licence wont make new passes accept the appalling pay & conditions. Insurance is also an issue here. Remember the unofficial 2 year apprenticeship & no one allowed in under 25. BTW i was on 20 an hour at asda via agency & still wouldn't do that shit & i used to do 80 drops a day on white vans & thats graft
Let me tell you as a HGV driver, the shortage is all a load BS. There are plenty of drivers out there, but because of companies like Sainsburys and DPD that love to unfairly dismiss drivers for silly company policies and only mainly employ through agencies so you have no rights. That no one wants to do the job. I was rejected 3 times last week, twice by DHL and once by XPO. And am working for XPO at the moment through an agency. All the decent jobs with companies that truly look after their drivers are taken, and all that is left is the crap. Long unsociable hours, disrespect, and no job security. So now the government thinks that by changing the way you aquire your licence that it is going to change anything. And what if it doesn't work, what will the next plan be. You can not drive an artic in this day and age expecially through London if you haven't had any experience in a rigid. I think it's a bad idea and it will definitely not solve the problem.
So technically, if people won’t fill the job, there’s vacancies, ergo a shortage of, in this case, truck drivers. As in actual working truck drivers. I’m lucky, I work for a decent firm, at an excellent depot, and we all work together to get the job done. Not the same at all depots, in fact, I believe ours is the best at working together in the firm. But, & I stress this, some firms out there really abuse their staff. Agency drivers LOVE working for us. We’ve got it easy, every job is properly planned as fully legal. Some places are not so, shall we say, compliant.
@@BoG25Cz, all I’ll say is we have a Large liveried fleet, and my depot is in the South East. Just finished a batch of hiring, so you may be out of luck.
Just scrap the CPC , the IR35 and pay another £3-£5 an hour then you will have all the drivers that are needed. Reversing the truck should stay as part of the test.
@@gerardburton1081 I have my class 1 coming up and the driving test is in 2 parts CPC Mod 3a reversing uncoupling etc and Mod 3b practical driving. The reversing part hasn't been removed it's just a separate test.
Me too 🤣. So they are basically saying driving standards out the window and a lot of unsafe drivers in control of 44 tone death machines. It’s actually crazy. I’m sure they was put in place to keep all road users safe. A can see a lot of trailers being dropped on the road and fatalities rising due to this. The rules should not change just because of a driver shortage. Government should have had this sorted along time ago.
Hi I did my ADR with you and LEVEL CO (D) I few years ago for Saints Transport,now left Saints for much more money:) this whole thing has been a blessing for us hgv drivers, no more low pay. I've had my license for 20 years, I did my class 1 in a flatbed truck, first time I was sent out in a full trailer I nearly quit the industry, VERY scary! I still struggle to reverse at most places, I go to motorway service stations to practice some times. In my opinion it's a lifetime of learning especially reversing
Hi Sean, good explanation and I believe you will be proved correct. I have had a ‘Class 1’ for 50 years now and been all over Uk, Europe and the Middle East so have seen all this at the wheel of a truck. Here comes the but anyone taking on the truck driver job in 2021 will be a brave man. Too much regulation and pressure although I an still trucking in The UK at 70 years old. Recently had licence renewed so old age has not got me yet, but I have decided that will be my last renewal, not because of health because I have loved my time on the road. The reason being the job is no longer worth the hassle. To change the subject I have know EPTRAINING for many years and I wish you and your company every success in the future and you can make the necessary changes to prove Shapps wrong. Good luck and Thanks
When will the rules change regarding the Hgv tests? Tbh I think for safety reasons I'd prefer to still go C first, I wouldn't fancy jumping in an artic with no experience that's for sure! Definately something you need to work up too in my opinion.
I tend to agree with that, even though I did pass my class One straight away, I did not dive a class one straight away and I drove a Bedford TK for a couple of years which great to begin with, in fact I would say don't bother with class One far more stressful, with all the red tape as in Tachograph etc.
I did the class c test 20 years ago,I've been contemplating going for class 1( C+E) in the past I drove manual and automatic bin wagons, curtain siders so on. I did pcv cat D 3 years ago so class 1 always felt like unfinished business. I left hgv because my wife was ill but thankfully she's ok and I'm getting itchy feet.
Hi Sean, I’d like to congratulate you for the videos. They are all well presented and the most informative ones, well done! Now the news, it’s a joke. I’m on the road since 91 and it’s like a cleaner want to tell me how to drive my truck. Personally, I wouldn’t give a 44 t vehicle into a car driver’s hands especially right after 4 days of practice, because the the 5th day is the test. In Hungary, it took 3 months to pass 5 tests before to get only car license, and 7 tests to be a qualified C+E driver. And I’m proud as I passed all the U.K. tests first time after my Hungarian license expired in 2009. Government should have MPs with common sense not to skip important safety parts to get more drivers.
I was what you referred to as a double L driver, I had a full motorcycle licence, and went and passed my class one or C+E as it is now, I did a weeks course spending most of the Monday in a class room, took my test at 8am on the Friday and passed, so in effect had just 3 days tuition, will say my instructor was top class. So it can be done
Took me years of gaining experience to be a competent Class 1 driver. New drivers going straight to Class 1, in an automatic with no proper reversing test is madness!! Wait for the carnage on the roads!!
I'm going straight to class 1, however I have been driving double decker buses for 3 years and had a drive in an 18T rigid and although the driving position was new the vehicle itself felt much easier to drive than a bus.
When all these new drivers realise how strict the hours are, how they will be maxing out their hours, the lack of facilities, the rubbish treatment of drivers at RDCs etc, we will be back to square one
Well said Sean I will be coming to you some time in February maybe March to to my class 1 did my class 2 with you and I can not fault you guys go above and beyond for any of your customers
What an outstanding company ep training. I was very fortunate to do my class 2 with this company and the level of training and patience they had was unbelievable. Once again Sean thank you very much and with a new career now ahead I will be coming back to book my class 1. Also I have given the company I work for your details as they are looking at putting some drivers through there class 1 also fingers crossed for you big man 👍👍❤❤
Hi Sean, from as Ex- Examiner of 15 years, and a Ex-self employed B+E trainer of 5 months, agree with everything you've said in this video, well done, wish more people could see it. Truth hurts.
Can I ask a genuine question please? Would you as an ex examiner be happy to pass a driver and grant them effectively a license to kill without actually witnessing them with your own eyes carrying out probably 2 of the most important tasks ie reversing and uncoupling? Granted being signed off for these tasks by a competent person (instructor) but me personally would have my reservations.
I did my HGV in 1990, 5 day intensive and straight into a class 1, £14ph job. I gave my license up in 2015 because the conditions and wages had deteriorated so much, drivers starting on £9ph. I drove in Hampshire on very busy roads but if you can drive a car well you can drive a HGV well with a weeks training and test. 😷👍
I think better will be Swedish style long truck for experienced drivers operating from big depot to other big depot only at night. You can take 2 times more. Only on selected roads.
Yes I’ve seen them in Sweden when I was driving out there, they look like they handle the Scandinavian roads just fine. As you say, if you went from hub to hub and only had to come off the junction I’m sure it would work just fine!
You try driving 16 foot trailers 52 foot long, on multi drop.. For a day an tell me where you think it's a bit of a stressful day. UK roads aren't made for them. They were only ever tested on a 9 year trial to be trunk motors, as you said, within 18 months they were out multi dropping. Sheer bloody hell. So no narrower streets an longer trailers isn't the answer.
Wow , well explained..I think it's a case of someone who can't do a job telling everyone how to do it...I'm 5yrs into hgv and some old boys say I'm not a real driver as I no experience of split gear etc etc. I think those who go straight to hgv from car with very little training will find it hard as once on the open road it's so different to passing your test. Thanks for the video.
Hi, as a ex HGV instructor we only teach you how to pass the test same as car really, the learning of the Job comes when your out on your own and listening to experienced driver's. Take no notice of older driver's saying about Eaton twin spliters, I've been there and done it. But times change and so do vehicles.
Just to address all the confused comments. You STILL need to pass the reversing and coupling uncoupling test BEFORE you can gain your licence. He even says this in the video. The test is split into two parts, part 3a reversing etc and 3b practical driving much like the theory test pt1 multiple choice and pt2 hazard perception. And just like the later they can be taken at a separate location at a different date but you still need to pass both. So don't be panicking over newly qualified class 1 drivers, they've just gone through a lot to get that entitlement and could even prove safer as it's all fresh and they haven't developed bad habits yet or beginning to get complacent. 👍👍
I have followed your blog for a little while and have learnt some good stuff but as a prospective HGV driver my issue and I'm sure a lot of other guy's and girls is the cost. Gaining a C+E is prohibitively expensive. I do feel for you if you go out of business but you can always get a job in the industry. Best news I've seen for ages as far as I'm concerned.
I don't think the cost is that expensive for what you are gained.at the end of the day it's a business and learning drivers are using verry expensive hgvs.
Coming from a place of where I’ve paid outta my own pocket for every license entitlement I’ve got, car, motorbike, Hgv 1&2, paying to have proper training is the most important, as some adapt to driving way quicker than others, so to John Robinson, sorry but your statement is a bit ignorant……, and yeah I’ve been in the industry as a driver for 20 years, and 10 of those years had been as a Hgv 1 driving, again, I saved up and paid for it all outta mine own pocket……
@@Sacrifice-Paid I think you have misunderstood my point, what I am saying is the cost of training is way too high. I understand training is a very important part in any vehicle but to be paying £1500 to £3500 is extortionate. These are quotes I personally have received to do the Cat C licence I never even asked how much more to do the C +E part but I assume another £1500. This is the reason there is a driver shortage. Most people just cannot afford the training.
@Jim Bob I'm not 100% but I think you need a manual car licence to start with. Check the DVLA website. As for test's I don't see any point of taking anything but the C+E that will allow you to drive everything and save yourself some money.
Thanks Sean, It’s been four years since I did my bus license with you. Best move I ever made ditching the taxis and moving to buses. Still with Lothian in Edinburgh running around in 130 passenger Tri-axles, loving the life. Glad to see your still thriving and doing well. Best regards
I fail my driving test 7 times, after pass my theory tests in the first attempt. I believe this is about the training centres and DVSA makes business together.
Years ago, they would only pass a certain number each day. So if you did a perfect drive you got failed. E.g, I was doing a test, and approaching a 20 zone with one of those flashy signs. Before I got to the speed gate (The two big 20 signs on either side of the road) The flashy sign came on, and the examiner failed me there and then. I complained as I had not got to the 20 zone, but he said if the sign flashes you fail. Complete bollocks, that was £250 down the drain, all because they had passed enough drivers that day. ALWAYS get a morning test.
Where do I start.....the wages have been poor for years for a job where if you mess up you can go to prison for a long time ( don't often get that happen working in a warehouse for not much less pay). You work long hours and want to take a safe break overnight in the services and you have to pay through the nose to park . No where to park in this country if you turn up early or late to your drop, and with the best planning in the world, it will happen. There are so many things I could say but this is such a under appreciated industry. So my point is, that's why there is such a shortage of drivers in the country. So many no go areas for HGV's and fines to be had. Some of the standard of drivers are poor as it is but I am really not sure about fast tracking drivers either being a safe solution. Sorry about the rant. Great video from a clearly knowledgeable guy.
The other thing is if you have a manual car licence, you get a manual HGV entitlement. Now when I did my Class 2 the trainers kept the split box so drivers had some experience of it because the Class 1 vehicles were all autos. I see a fair few car-Class 1 drivers being presented with a manual and having no clue. Well even less of a clue because they can't reverse either.
I lived in the UK for 3’5 years. Loved it over there. Loved to come back for my motorcycle holidays. Being back in the Netherlands, I missed living and working in your more than beautiful country. Nowadays, I love to live here, back in the Netherlands. Driving between HGV’s can be impressive enough in the knowledge that there are competent, skilled drivers. Knowing that your government starts to issue HGV driving license to all who think that it is the same like playing with HGV dinky toys, I will never visit your country again. Good luck with it.
Hi Sean, Since we spoke last things have taken a major tumble in this industry haven't they ! I got my licence back in 1979 (class 3 then). From memory it was just a practical test with no theory, and it was relatively easy to pass. I think a big problem now is this CPC, which can be costly. I remain glad I left the industry when I did though. Good luck mate. 👍
You can get CPC for £45-50 per module. If you don't leave it to the last minute. You can't fail it, so the biggest problem (for me) is losing a weeks work because I'm a night driver and so it's easier for me to do it in one hit than once a year.
I have my HGV Class 2 booked up with EP, I haven't got my category C provisional back yet from DVLA. When I do, there is no way on earth I would want to skip the rigid and go straight for Class 1, that's just madness.
But even under the current EU rules which have been in place for the past 25 years, there has never been any requirement for drivers to gain any experience in a rigid before being able to progress to a Class 1 so serves no purpose whatsoever. Many drivers do exactly that and have their tests booked back to back just to get through this bureaucratic pointless process. If you feel that you'd benefit from driving a rigid for some time before moving to a Class 1 then that sounds like a great idea. However, I'd still now be getting the Class 1 licence at the outset instead of a Class 2 and when you feel you're ready to then drive a Class 1, you'll already have it in your pocket. In many cases, you will take your Class 1 test in the exact same vehicle as your Class 2 test (now with a trailer on the back). So why not just stick the trailer on the back in the first place and get your Class 1 without having to pay for 2 sets of training and testing in order to get to the same place.
@@xj358 im only 21 and was looking into getting into it the past few weeks and this new news about skipping class 2 sounds good to me I’ve always been a confident driver and a quick learner and I agree the only reason I’d be doing class 2 first was to tick a box really. Totally agree with your statement but guess people are each to their own.
@@lfgaming1280 Good on you mate. Reading many of the comments on here, UK drivers have been turned in to a bunch of frightened rabbits and appear to be scared to death at the thought of going direct to Class 1 again since it was last allowed in December 1996. Seriously, since the EU allowed drivers to take their HGV test with an automatic gearbox in 2014, it has never been any easier to pass your HGV test, including Class 1. If I could give you one piece of advice it would be to try and get some practice reversing a trailer on the back of a car, including left and right reverse turns in to a driveway or through a garage door as this is almost identical to reversing a Class 1 (they're just different sizes). If you can do that without any problems you will find driving an artic a piece of cake. And for all those who think the reverse exercise has been scrapped, it most certainly has not. It has just been handed over to qualified instructors to now assess prior to the On Road part of the test with the examiner. The only way to get experience driving a Class 1 is to actually do it and those who slip in to a few years of driving a rigid will probably never progress to an artic.
Back in 1986 i went straight for a class one , passed second attempt , did 20yrs of it , crap money, long long hours, unsocial hours as well , left in 2006 don't miss it for a second , never been tempted back .
I've been a class 1 driver since I was 18 that's 12 years now and I find these new ideas absolutely disgusting. The government is a joke do they really expect car drivers to be safe and able to drive an artic with no previous experience in a class 2. The "quality" of drivers on the road is already abysmal and its only going to get worse. And don't even get me started on the reversing and coupling procedure.
Agriculture then you can drive under 21. I remember a young lad about 17 was driving a tipper but the brakes failed and several people and children were killed outright, he never was prosecuted because it was the firms fault but he was agricultural driver, hence he was allowed at 17.
Only the same as before we were in bed with the EU. And drivers that have had their license since before 1996 can and probably did what the changes allow now, it was the EU’s fault we did it C then C+E not our government’s.
I know loads of drivers with loads of experience in driving wagons all over the UK and Europe, one driver I know took a wagon out to the Chinese border from Clevedon in N Somerset in the 90s! They gave up part time driving because of the driver CPC…scrap that and you would get many drivers back doing the work for the drivers who are on their weekly rest! All I’ve heard is road safety for the last 10 years and now we have a situation where we will have drivers in charge of wagons who haven’t done the same tests and have the experience as other drivers because they haven’t got the CPC…madness in my opinion.
Well I'm happy about the trailer allowance now. I spent 4 years as a tractor driver on a pig farm. Could Tow 10tons of feed around. Every weds perform over 70 reversing maneuovers before 10am. Yet wasn't allowed to tow a car trailer. Definitely more tempted to do hgv license now.
That's fair enough because I was a farm boy and reversing was a piece of piss... Except you don't have the fcuck wits everywhere, because take it from me you can't second guess an idiot. Good luck, because you'll need it ;)
Hi just been accepted for the funding thro universal credit to get my class 2 so thrilled can't wait to get started as its been a big ambition of mine since being a teenager I'm 41 now
HI Dan - that's great news, congrats. I'm trying to apply for funding, too, but my local job centre doesn't know much about it (they are willing, though)! I was hoping you might be able to help with the process, and what you had to do/say/provide to get them to agree? Also how long it took, and whether you got a say in which training company you were able to choose? Basically any help and advice would be fantastic. Thanks in advance
I had been looking into joining this sector for years, though previously having no idea about the HGV world and since signing up about a month now finding out all these makes me feel even more intrigued. I was ready to pay the full fee. I don't mind the changes I guess cos it's cheaper but I really hope it does not affect the quality of learning and training as well as the way the new entrants are perceived by the old sweats. We come with love. Ha!
I dont think many drivers look down at you for being new. We were all new at one time. Forget what you've learnt about driving in lane 1 on the motorway, you will find yourself cruising in lane 2, because lane one is filled idiots who are unwilling or incapable of doing the speed limit in their fancy cars and/or little shit boxes. (All you wankers in the the i10's you know who you are)
I work for a training company and we will not be taking someone with no experience straight out onto the road with an artic we will insist that the first part of your training is a few hours in a cat c truck before anyone gets let loose in the big killing machine which does not have dual controls like a learner car. Once you have passed who is going to be looking down their nose at you,? We all have to start somewhere😎
Brilliant timing I’ve had my rigid license for a year and now they’ve decide to change the rules 🤣 I could’ve been class 1 instead. Oh well, keep saving up the pennies, at least I got the rigid experience first.
ALAS DEAREST BROTHER,,, THAT'S A GOOD PROBLEM TO HAVE. IT'LL SERVE YOU BEST OVER THE YEARS,,,, ALL THE PRICELESS EXPERIENCE YOU'VE ACQUIRED IN THE RIGIDS,,,,, SIMPLY PRICELESS.
@@stevenmaloney3787 ALAS,,,, OLD CHUM,,,,,, YOU'RE BEST OFF THIS WAY. THE EXPERIENCE YOU'VE ACQUIRED IS SIMPLY PRICELESS. TAKE YOUR TIME,,,, AND DO THE OLD SCHOOL HGV1 TRAINING,,,, FIND PROS LIKE THE GEEZER ON THIS CHANNEL,,,,, AND PAY HIM EXTRA,! TO TRAIN YOU PROPERLY,,,,, AND YOU&YOURWIFE AND THE CHILDREN,,,,, WILL BE GRATEFUL TO ALMIGHTY GOD FOR ALLOWING YOU SUCH ACCESS. BECAUSE,,, IN THE END,,,, IT'LL SAVE YOUR LIFE,,,,,, AND THOSE OF OTHERS,,,,K AND YOUR CONSCIENCE.
No it dose not all it spells is the government or the training centres will have to get more class one units and trailers and half of them don’t have enough class one instructors and also they will be loosing money it’s a peace of piss driving a class one even more so in a new unit much easier then driving a old car
Think it's going to be absolute chaos on the roads, I am class 2 have been for 3 years, the experience I have gained from class 2 work going into city centers, tight country roads to farms has been vital to prepare for class one, to go from car to class 1 without any rigid experience is disgusting, when these drivers pass and get sent to tight areas alot of damage is going to happen, new comers will go as the hours are long, treated like poo from customers and road users,alot of businesses are going to go bust as you have stated in the video, I hope the governments sake it will prove us all wrong
I feel more for bus companies, the amount of us bus drivers who may now be able to afford going into Class1 without having to get Class2 and therefore reducing costs is going to be immense.
12 years of Hgv1 tramping, done Europe all over uk. Main reasons I hate tramping 1. Rude customers 2. Traffic planners with no experience with no Hgv license. 3. Long hours 4. Pressure and no understanding of a Hgv driver. 5. Low wages 6. Urine and poo in lay-bys. 7. Showers dirty. 8. The Heath and safety OTT 9. No family and friends time. 10. No personal time. 11. Early starts 3/4am. 12. Unit sharing. 13. Lidl/ Aldi drive and self tip and load. 14. Middle lane drivers. 15. Cars brake checking 16. Traffic Jams. 7/7/21 M6 I was stuck for 11.5hrs and done a 17 hr day because no where to park. 17. Cpc 18. Bosses not listening. 19. Noise from fridges when parked up. 20. Thieves nicking your diesel. 21. £2k fine for driver each illegal immigrate on your truck, when you’ve secured your truck and trailer 100%. 22. Dvsa 23. Shall I go on. 24. Industrial estates with double yellows. 25. £30 to park in services smelling of p#*s. 26. Rush rush rush. 27. Your late we’ll tip you now. 28. Your on time we’ll keep your here for hours. 29. No more friendly drivers. 30. Reasons I still do this job is because I have 2 kids and a wife, with a mortgage and bills to pay. And I have no education. 31. I have forklift, adr, hiab license. 32. Reason I can’t do day work is coz my monthly outgoing is £1300/£1500 a month. 33. Work in a warehouse at £9ph at 48 hrs doesn’t cover bills. So this is reality of a Hgv 1 driver no bull, straight up. Some drivers are lucky pending on where they live or where Hubs, rdc, are. But 90% of Hgv1 drivers go through this day in day out. 34. So for new driver wanting to come in to this industry after 1/2 years the enjoyment will go and family will want you home. Mark my words work takes over.
You forgot to mention the little angels in their daddies car cutting you up because your in a "slow truck", wel they aint so slow anymore (by the way, I am a 54 y/o class 1 er for the last 27 years). My volvo will out accelerate most standard cars (with no trailer attached) easily up to about 40mph
I have been thinking about going into the haulage industry at some point in the future and what is currently going on right now isn't good, I have a few truckers in the family who have all mostly been telling me the same things. Now I do not fully belive that it is all to do with Brexit...Look, the UK were fine before it and everything went tits up after we got into it and because everyone had become so dependant on it things got worse when we left. At the end of the day we've never needed the EU, nor will we...But this driver shortage from what I've been hearing, from other truckers is mostly due to the conditions and the pay. There are truckers who want better conditions if they're tramping, or the companies that some of the truckers may be working for don't pay them enough for the work they're doing. And this from what I've been hearing, is what is contributing to the shortage of drivers. Used to work for a company where every Friday I'd be unloading tankers, have spoken with the drivers about the issues going on and even they had mentioned that its mostly to do with the conditions and pay. But I agree with you, changing the driving tests will not solve this. But for how long will those changes be in place once implemented? because guaranteed that once things go back to "normal" the changes will change once again...Thing is, the cost for these tests alone is probably putting some people off as it is.
I passed my driving test at the 2nd attempt just over 40 years ago. I failed my first test for hesitating at a junction. I was brought up in a household of HGV drivers and bikers so I was very aware of both these groups. On my test I had to stop at a junction with a main road. The junction was on a hill and just past a bend on the main road. On approach to the junction I saw an artic just about to hit the bend. I decided to let him pass, my thinking was that if I stalled the car as I left the junction the truck would be over the top of us. I failed my test. My point being, its never been about safety. Its all about numbers. Nothing much seems to have changed.
Hesitation is a minor fault not a major fault on a UK driving test. You would need an accumulation of minor faults to fail your test not just one hesitation.
i have had a licence from 06/01/83 and did own and drive a 7.5-ton merc lorry but it was a long time ago do i still need a class 2 . i do fell i need the extra training if i do not go for the test is there a way to get some sort of practical skills update ?.
Well explained Sean. I fear these changes are not rooted in road safety and I really hope nobody gets hurt as a result of this knee jerk reaction. I’m sure EP will be fine because of it’s great reputation
Just got my class2 and want to get class1 also but in the meantime I want to work on a rigid . The CPC module 2 case studies I’ve been able to book only on 30 November so government wants more drivers but it takes over 2 months just for a test . They should try to sort that out also as is pointless to get ur license because you can’t drive a hgv without the CPC
Strange. I only started my journey to get my hgv license a month ago and have done all tests in 3 weeks. I would cancel if i were you and try and go online after midnight to book your mod 2. It’s what I did for all 3 tests and found cancellations online after midnight.
There are enough drivers. Its the pay and working conditions that is the problem. Ive been a HGV driver for 30 years. Its a professional job. So should be paid accordingly. Try getting a plumber or electrion or mechanic for £20 an hour. Drivers who work for less than that deserve what they get. Taking on work like tramping and store deliverys is crazy and leaves you open to shite money and rubbish working conditions. A message for all who are seeing the news and all of the BS about earning 50k a year is. Yes its possible but be prepared for 60 hours a week and nights out. After you break it down you will be on minimum wage for the hours that you have worked
Hello just seen your video and as a driver of 33yrs experience and yes you will be aware that i went straight to class 1. But 33yrs ago the roads where much quieter back then but now it's much worse. The point is the people who are making these changes have no idea what it entails driving a 44tonne lorry how much concentration it takes these days with all the nuggets out there most of the people who will probably take there class 1 now can't even driver a car properly. After all the years trying to get this industry safer and more legal and all the legislation they brought in has now gone out the window.people think this is an easy job you get in behind the wheel and go it's not as simple as that and as a professional driver of 33yrs it's so discouraging to hear things like this. It's basically going to make road safety worse. And as for the test taking out reverse manoeuvre and drop and couple it's a joke. If you can't reverse 1 of these beast you can get yourself in a world of hurt. And as for the business it's going to affect it's shocking. Unberlieveable in fact how many is this going to send to the wall. I could on about this for god knows how long but it's time to go. Best of luck to everyone out there and stay safe and keep your eye's on the road.
Yes, I remember the good old days back in the late 80s when all we had to deal with was a few horses and carts going up and down the M1. Then around 20 years ago, the industry introduced glorified push and go dodgem cars with the introduction of the automatic gearbox in trucks. If only I could be like the current bunch of drivers and be fully experienced with having both feet up on the dashboard and drinking a cup of tea whilst the active cruise control does all the accelerating and braking.
I was due to take my b+e in September, my tester rang me to tell me the changes and that he's basically lost about 70% of his income in one day. Dont get me wrong i love mot having to do more tests but I really feel for the testers whose livlihood has just been destroyed, and just after the covid fiasco.
Hi dean if you feel confident enough to go out on busy networks with no training then fine,but have you done any training with a weighted trl they behave very differently when loaded, they amount of accidents i see with just car trailers is bad but add in caravans its mayhem in the summer.
@@668725 but you've never needed training on how to pack a caravan full to the door with all your holiday gear! And overload the nose and tail so that it sways like a mofo after the first pothole 🤣
I fully appreciate what your saying, but alot of the fun of a caravan holiday is the first time it starts to snake... sorry poor humour. I take on board wht you're referring to re extra weight. But I'd hope that ppl who don't understand it, won't do it anyway. Those that try and fail will make good statistics for when its all imposed again in a few yrs.
@@SiR2Dean We have the opposite problem in parts of the US. People will not have enough weight in their trailers (semis included) and the whole thing gets blown over by the wind. I watched a 40' fifth wheel and the chevy dually that it was attached to go over on I-70 in Kansas (I-80 through Wyoming is notorious for blow overs). Now I won't drive tall profile vehicles once the wind gets over 60 mph.
There is probably some argument for that but as this now only affects original HGV Class 2 & 3 licences obtained prior to 1 April 1991, then it will likely never happen. But yes, an original HGV class 2 or 3 holders got the C+E when the new EU categories were introduced on 1 April 1991 but were restricted to Wagon & Drag trailers as they never actually taken a test with a trailer attached. However, you can take a C+E test with the exact same Wagon & Drag and this allows you to also drive an artic. So I suppose the difference is that if you've never actually taken a test with a trailer attached, then they won't allow you any more entitlement than you originally had under the old HGV 2 or 3 licences prior to April 1991.
Ive been looking at cat c training so I can get that and then move on to the artic. Didnt realise you can go straight to class 1 now. Wheres that information I havnt heard it anywhere?
@@EPTrainingServicesLimited hlo sir I m from india work in soudi arab a truck driver I have more than 10 years experience so plz let me know if any recurment give me visa for UK
Hi Sean, To be fair I went from car to class 1 at the age of 21 back in 1981 then the same year took my PSV. I was also an instructor for both from 1995 to 2020 and took people from car to class1 and coach. But what I strongly disagree with is not coupling and reversing as it's 70% of the job.
Reversing shouldn't be "tested" but competence should be assessed, my view is 8 hours going backwards should prove whether or not you can do it 🤷🏼♂️ in regards for the trailer dropping and swapping the way you're taught is so far away from the reality that if you drop trailer in the way taught you'll soon be out of a job for ripping the spray suppression off the unit, when I started with current firm I had to demonstrate I could drop and hook up correctly and was basically told to forget how I was shown in my lessons....
Roads wasn't a busy back then less traffic less accidents this isn't going to end well especially with the young ones with the Mobile phone craze it's all changed since back in the day
I agree with you, I have a class one but drive class 2. I have a good job and I know I'm lucky that's why I stay. I'd not want to jump in a class one now without a refresh course. I see lots of accidents on the way.
I don't see any thing wrong with going straight for C+E, I intend to do so myself, but I DO think it wrong to make the test easier. OK so you still have to prove you can reverse and safely uncouple a trailer and be signed off on it, but you should also prove you can do it when under pressure and a test situation is ideal for showing that. You need to be able to do it off bat, not just under the friendly eye of your trainer.
I don't think the driving test is the slightest bit easier, all that's happened is that the test has been split into two parts. Or to put it another way, the off-road bit has been semi-privatised
Some of it is poor wages. Ive had my hgv some 30 years so I went straight to class 1did 12 months class 1 thought I had bitten off more than I could chew so did 8 months on class 2 then went back to class 1. I really think it will cause more road accidents with low skilled youngsters behind the wheel of an hgv. If HGV drivers were treated with the respect they deserve the over 20 thousand experienced drivers that have left the trade might think about going back to it.
They think making the test easier will solve the shortage... but they're still not addressing the reason drivers leave the industry so they've solved nothing...... government need to listen to the industry. On a side note I find it crazy how the Driver Vehicle STANDARDS Agency are lowering STANDARDS.....
In Ireland the biggest problem is drivers are leaving truck driving because of pay there only getting around €12.50 ph plant drivers and machine drivers are getting around €19 ph
Great video, and a good plug for your company. A very down to earth opinion. Another downside to the fasttrack to HGV 1... Class 2 roles will have to start paying the same as class 1 otherwise there will be no one who would want to do them? Maybe pay more even ??? It's often a harder working job
You hit the nail on the head. I've often thought that this whole having to gain experience driving a rigid first is actually more to do with getting someone to drive a rigid instead of them just wanting artic work.
I've just paid ( just over a week ago) for my class 2 and C&E licence back to back, I wonder then if I don't need to pay for my class 2 now, but would rather do full C&E at test centre than have to go somewhere else to complete it.. ( I've been a coach driver for 19years and drive coaches bigger than class 2 - so apart from over hang at front, it shouldn't be too different from class 2? )
I spent years on transporters with a car overhanging the windscreen, the only difference is the overhang is 10 foot up in the air. I didn't change my driving if I jumped into a curtainsider or flat rigid. I never had to fill out an accident form through clouting anything with a front corner as I never got that close to anything, in my mind the overhang was there even when it wasn't if that makes sense.
I was thinking this the people who have just done class 2 will be pissed paying twice the ones in the pipe line will they get a refund and go for class one. It's a cash cow doing class 2. Then 1 totally different ballgame it's always about rinsing working people it always has been and will be. Until they move the goal posts to suit the Government total madness. The job stinks treated like shit. No life bad diet no sleep divorce rate threw the roof. How many young Lads lassies want it. Very few. FACT
although I feel for class 2 drivers that might have been able to go straight to class 1 I honestly think it is a mistake to do so the new drivers need to gain some experience and get into a few scrapes in the smaller trucks before moving onto the artics as u still need to learn the vehicle and route planning etc.class 1 class 2 are completely different sports kindve like the difference between pool and snooker.It wont fix any shortage cus now we wont have anybody willing to drive class 2 multidrop sprint races for 10 quid an hour to learn their trade.greetings from NL
USA, Canada and few most developed nations all goes to class 1 straight, don't worry if these multi drops pay well, people will do the job, we reached at a point a class 1 holder could not have even a morgage, I don't know why you are so worried about multi droppers, companies owners will sort it,
Im a c+e driver ive also done the class 2 hgv in the army, its ok rushing these guys through a test but who is going to insure them, and are they given any training in reversing and coupling up, I'm not sure i want to spend my day sorting stuck trailers in the yard, i had a young lad pulling with all his might on a 5th wheel, just came from the warehouse, he still had all the weight of the trl on it, i just showed him how to lift the trailer jack down the wheels a bit then lower the suspension, easy but ive done a long apprenticeship, he was on the verge off quitting till i walked by, what im saying we can't put every new driver on shunting for a week or two id love to but in reality its not possible, most companies i no have a coupling and driving test with an un coupling at the end, so they may pass the test but are they insurance company proof.
Well done Sean you explained the changes thoroughly. Commiserations to the companies who specialise in B+E training devastating news. Very short sighted knee jerk reaction.
No testing on the 5th wheel of an artic if true is sheer and utter madness. 6 hours i was stuck on motorway because a class one driver never put the pins down properly on his trailer and when he had to slam the brakes on the container shot through the cab and killed him instantly. Goverment cutting corners wait till you see the statistics on death and serious injury rise, garunteed most of it class 1. Anyone going straight to class 1 needs the heads read, thats just madness. 17 years iv had my class 2 and i am still not confident enough
How do the new rules differ that much from the old EU rules when the likes of EP Training actually conduct back to back training, straight from rigid to artic with zero experience in between just to get around the system. The EU staged system of HGV driver testing over the last 25 years has been nothing other than bureaucratic nonsense. 31 years a Class 1 driver and 13 years as a Road Train driver down under and I'm always baffled by the claims that doing a rigid test in the morning somehow gives you a wealth of experience to then do the artic test in the afternoon (or even 3 weeks later). The only way you get experience driving an artic is to actually do it and the longer people drive a rigid, the more unlikely they are to move to a Class 1. The most sensible law that should be in place is that all new HGV drivers(regardless of Class of licence) must have to be accompanied by an experienced driver for 2 or 3 weeks after passing their test. Any decent haulage companies out there should already be doing this without the need for government legislation.
@@xj358 you are spot on mate. I have drove class 2 for years i am a confident driver and touch wood never had an accident but i look at class 1 trucks and the sheer size of some of them and i know i would need some time to get use to it, i would actually want some qualified to be with me for a bit to keep me right to start with. You could easily get a 25 year old with 2-3 years car driving expierence going straight for there class 1, passing and with no expierence driving a 40tonne truck on a small single lane country road just gives me the total fear.
@@davyg8864 seriously mate, the thought of driving an artic is worse than the reality. You will have no problems and I'll tell you one thing that, once you've got the reversing sorted, you will find that driving an artic is actually easier than a big rigid. Try some reverseing with a small trailer on the back of a car. You'd be amazed how similar the method is to reversing a Class 1 (they're just different sizes).
It is interesting to see the differences between the European and North American driver training. In the US and Canada you can drive a combination up to 26,000 lb that includes up to a 10,000 lb trailer (some states exempt recreational trailers from this weight limit) on a standard driver's license. My state does not exempt RVs so I have the equivalent of a C+E (class A CDL - approx. 260 hours of training) which allows me to drive a 43' LOA 45k lb coach with a 30' LOA 15k lb trailer. I could legally drive the coach without the trailer with a class B license and if I registered the coach and trailer in one of 36 other states I could legally drive both on a class C (standard license). European weight limits seem to be insanely low for most license classes. Even my daily driver would be too heavy to drive on a standard license in the UK.
Just booked my cat c. No regrets. The training courses are just gonna be longer to allow for the single test. I also wonder how much the fail rate will increase.
I worked for 3663 a good while back once, got the notes, planned the route and upon opening the back realised they ha dloaded it back to front. I jumped back in and took it back, they still offered me a FT job, told them where to go though. I stopped driving for several reasons, mainly cpc and drop in wages. Il never go back no matter how much they offer me!
I also lost a job because they said my tacho didn't add up and was over hour, no breaks then around 6 months later I got a new card and a letter to say that they'd issued me a dodgy tacho, I wasn't alone either but there's never any comeback.
I have just ordered D2/4 forms. I'm going for HGVing. This video is new news to me. I guess I will be able to save a lot of money with this new change? And get C1 fast. I'm on benefits and I'm hoping I can get help with training costs. I'm late 50s with full clean license and driving experience of buses, tanks and Parcelforce. Any advice would be wonderful! And thanks for this great info vid. I want you to train me! (but I'm in Wales :(
If you can reverse a trailer on the back of a car (such as a caravan), then you can reverse a Class 1. The method is exactly the same, just different sizes. That is the best way to learn reversing a trailer before you go on your Class 1 training. The BE reverse exercise (Car & trailer) was exactly the same as the CE (truck & trailer) before it was scrapped by the government a couple of weeks ago. Plenty of videos of both on You Tube and as such, its very easy to practice the reverse exercise yourself before paying for the HGV 1 training.
You seem muddled with your classes. A: entitlement is motorcycle. B: is cars. C: is trucks. D: PSV or buses etc. You put a letter E after the class, that means a trailer (See driving licence for restrictions) So fast-tracking your your HGV, is C+E (Truck with trailer, or an artic for short) C1 means 7.5t. The 1 meaning, is a smaller version of that type of vehicle
In fairness I disagree. Thiers never been a shortage of drivers the poor hourly rate for the last 20 years proves this. Its logistics companies and training companies have kept this shortage message up a to get ppl to train and therfore line thier pockets and thus increase the number of drives to over supply to keep the hourly wage low. The govermant logistics company's or training body has no interest in the welfare of the driver. The problem will only be resolved with a fotm of drivers union
Thanks for the information I personally think it’s totally unfair for drivers who who already and recently paid for their license and the supposedly longer and harder if the prepared themselves for something like this to happen since 97 we wouldn’t be where we are now for every bad decision Made we as hard workers have take the blow ok rant over by the way keep up the good work
As I passed my car driving test after 1997 I'm not allowed to drive up to 7.5 tonne. However I do also hold a category D license where I've driven busses in excess of 15 tonne. Surly freeing up the need to test for C1 license in his case would also be helpful
Increasing the weights allowed on each of the license classes would be a good start. The 3.5t weight limit for a standard license is laughable. The trailer rules also push drivers towards towing heavier trailers with smaller vehicles which is exactly the opposite of what they should be doing.
Just read that some of the changes that were supposed to have come into place on the 15th have been put on hold . Could you verify that this is right and advice everyone on what changes have been put on hold.
Would be safer to upgrade a PSv driver to hgv 2 driver. Then go from car to hgv 1. But that’s not being done. I have psv for 20 years but don’t think I am ready to go straight to hgv 1
The fact is not going straight to c+e they need to pay for the courses why should we have to fork out nearly 3k if not more to do our test and lesson and also ditch the cpc!!!
