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And all HGV drivers show everyone else how it should be done?
Good bad and idiots in fairly equal shares in all classes of vehicles has been my experience, some live up to their sterotypes, some are excellent and some shouldn't be allowed within a mile of the vehicle they are licenced to drive.
Edited by gordonbennet on 06/02/2014 at 18:59
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When you see a refuse wagon driver using a the phone whilst manouvering through streets with bin men walking around the wagon it makes you wonder what qualities you need to be an 'expert' LGV driver and pass an additional test.
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For some years now, 7.5 tonners have had to take an additional test.
Anyone with a car licence B / BE also gets C1 / C1E which allows driving up to 7500kg vehicles, or towing outfit up to 12,000 kg - unless that only apply to pre-1997 licence holders
Edited by RT on 06/02/2014 at 19:09
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For some years now, 7.5 tonners have had to take an additional test.
Anyone with a car licence B / BE also gets C1 / C1E which allows driving up to 7500kg vehicles, or towing outfit up to 12,000 kg - unless that only apply to pre-1997 licence holders
It only applies to pre-1997 licence holders. Also, if you wish to retain that on reaching the age of 70, you have to have a medical examination (at your own cost, some GP's charge £70) and supply the certificate withh the licence renewal.
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In my experience 'petrolheads' are the worst group of drivers on the roads.
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For some years now, 7.5 tonners have had to take an additional test.
Anyone with a car licence B / BE also gets C1 / C1E which allows driving up to 7500kg vehicles, or towing outfit up to 12,000 kg - unless that only apply to pre-1997 licence holders
It only applies to pre-1997 licence holders. Also, if you wish to retain that on reaching the age of 70, you have to have a medical examination (at your own cost, some GP's charge £70) and supply the certificate withh the licence renewal.
I hit 70 recently and it took me a long time, circumnavigating the DVLA website, to glean the facts in that last sentence. Eventually, I worked out that they had sent me the wrong form - not too surprising, given how complicated licences are in certain categories. My GP certainly wanted £70, so I abandoned the idea. The only loser was a charity I might want to drive a minibus for. The other reason for wanting to carry on was to drive a motor caravan. When I looked into this, I was really surprised to find how large they can be and still be rated below 3.5 tonnes.
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I hit 70 recently and it took me a long time, circumnavigating the DVLA website, to glean the facts in that last sentence. Eventually, I worked out that they had sent me the wrong form - not too surprising, given how complicated licences are in certain categories. My GP certainly wanted £70, so I abandoned the idea. The only loser was a charity I might want to drive a minibus for. The other reason for wanting to carry on was to drive a motor caravan. When I looked into this, I was really surprised to find how large they can be and still be rated below 3.5 tonnes.
Until recently, you could retain the C1 (not the full C) at age 70 by self-certifying your medical status - which would have allowed the largest motorhomes including American RVs but not included Minibuses without the full medical - but now the medical is needed at age 70 for all C sub-categories - I'll not bother to keep C1 when I get to 70, I never use it anyway.
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My GP certainly wanted £70, so I abandoned the idea.
John Boy, you can get the medical conducted by any doctor, some offer much better priced vocational medicals usually aimed at HGV drivers, i paid £35 last time approx 3 years ago, my own doctor wanted £120.
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My GP certainly wanted £70, so I abandoned the idea.
John Boy, you can get the medical conducted by any doctor, some offer much better priced vocational medicals usually aimed at HGV drivers, i paid £35 last time approx 3 years ago, my own doctor wanted £120.
I did mine today! cost £59 and they met me in the Truckstop. I had read alot of things on forums about them not being very thorough but, I can say he was very precise about everything. It was much more convenient than having to go to my GP.
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I have long said LGV or PCV drivers having to pay for medicals for their vocational licence is a shocking rip off by the powers that be. Speaking as a veteran long distance driver the very reason I drive a truck is to earn a living of which I pay sustantial amounts of tax and national insurance not to mention my employer paying indecent amounts of road tax, fuel duty and tax on company profits. The UK road haulage industry is the most highly taxed industry there is and what do we get back??? sod all. My union has campaigned against these charges for years to be told 'we cant afford it' although they can afford methadone for junkies, legal aid for criminals and plenty different benefits for the workshy ( not in anyway suggesting everyone on benefits is workshy ) What is wrongwith this country!!!!!
Scottie
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I have long said LGV or PCV drivers having to pay for medicals for their vocational licence is a shocking rip off by the powers that be. Speaking as a veteran long distance driver the very reason I drive a truck is to earn a living of which I pay sustantial amounts of tax and national insurance not to mention my employer paying indecent amounts of road tax, fuel duty and tax on company profits. The UK road haulage industry is the most highly taxed industry there is and what do we get back??? sod all. My union has campaigned against these charges for years to be told 'we cant afford it' although they can afford methadone for junkies, legal aid for criminals and plenty different benefits for the workshy ( not in anyway suggesting everyone on benefits is workshy ) What is wrongwith this country!!!!!
Scottie
It's not a rip-off - the fee is to pay for the doctor's time - it shouldn't be covered by the NHS as it's not illness.
For employed drivers it should be their employer paying the fee - for self-employed driver it should just be an overhead cost.
Economics dictates that the government has to balance it's books - you can't get more out without paying more tax somewhere.
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Cannot say I agree with you fella given some of the ridiculous fees some docs charge!!! neither should would be pornstars receiving boob jobs on the nhs be allowed as seen recently!!!
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Cannot say I agree with you fella given some of the ridiculous fees some docs charge!!! neither should would be pornstars receiving boob jobs on the nhs be allowed as seen recently!!!
If you think drivers should get their stuff free from the NHS should pornstars not as well? It's still job related.
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Cannot say I agree with you fella given some of the ridiculous fees some docs charge!!! neither should would be pornstars receiving boob jobs on the nhs be allowed as seen recently!!!
No-one dictates prices/fees in a free economy - it's up to the "buyer" to shop around - communism is dead even in Russia and China, remember ?
I agree that no-one should get cosmetic surgery on the NHS unless it's disfiguring.
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For some years now, 7.5 tonners have had to take an additional test.
Yep, cept a few older duffers like me with "grandfather rights".
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I can't say that I've noticed much difference in the driving standards of 7.5 tonners and 'proper' LGV's. For many years now 3.5 - 7.5 tonne drivers have had to take an an LGV test.
The general standard of LGV driving, including 7.5 tonners, is OK, I'd say. Not so sure about White Van Man in the under 3.5 tonne range, but as I said above, I still think the more petrolheadist tendency among us car enthusiasts are the worst category of drivers on the roads, because for them driving is all about breaking the rules without getting caught.
Edited by Sofa Spud on 07/02/2014 at 21:11
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This is very true because drivers who gained their licence I think after 1997 ( I will have to check the actual date ) were given a 3.5 tonne weight restriction and 7.5 tonne vehicles fell into a new catagory called C1 which means there is still tens of thousands of drivers out there entitled to drive these vehicles. I myself am a long distance LGV driver which I have done now for 26yrs. One funny story comes to mind about my ex wifes brother in law who was a total clown. He was full of stories of driving trucks all over Europe etc, a right been there, seen it & done it type and the truth of the matter was he didnt have an LGV licence. The most he ever drove was Non HGV puddle jumpers but oh to hear him slabbering you would have sworn he was The Rubber Duck in the movie Convoy lol
Edited by Scottie Boy on 07/02/2014 at 23:07
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When I retired at 51 (lucky b!) I became a part-time, white van man for 4 years, delivering car tyres around south London and the M25. It did me the world of good, because I realised very quickly that I had to learn to ignore other drivers idiotic behaviour, otherwise my working life would be misery.
I have to admit, however, that, by Thursday evening, I would have to take a real grip of myself - I could feel myself speeding up and becoming aggressive. It didn't help that I was paid the same every day, regardless of how long it took me to finish the round and get back to the depot.
Having said all that, I really enjoyed myself. It was sheer pleasure to drive through the countryside just south of the M25, being able to look over the hedges and see the landscape changing with the seasons. If I ever finished early, I would joy-ride rather than go home.
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