Hgv tests relaxed by government

“HGV driving tests will be overhauled, meaning drivers will only need to take 1 test to drive both a rigid and articulated lorry, rather than having to take 2 separate tests (spaced 3 weeks apart). This will make around 20,000 more HGV driving tests available every year and mean drivers can gain their licence and enter the industry more quickly.

Tests will also be made shorter by removing the ‘reversing exercise’ element – and for vehicles with trailers, the ‘uncoupling and recoupling’ exercise – and having it tested separately by a third party.”

Keep death off our roads. F..k me. Removing the reversing! The most difficult thing to do and something every driver has to do. How can they take this off?? This has to rank the most stupid thing the Nasty Party has come up with besides pushing back dinghies, allowing old COVID patients out of hospital without testing Oh hang on…

When I took my HGV class 1 it covered me for class 2 and 3 straight away didnt need to do all classes.
But there is no way you can not do reversing or coupling in a test. It's a must to know how to reverse.

Like others have said driving standards are piss poor in the uk. The latest crazy around here is turning right from the outside of the roundabout. You go on the inside of the roundabout indicating right , start to indicate left and move across only to find the car you were alongside is still there ! . They should have turned of by than but no and it's all age groups.
First two turnings outside of the roundabout. 3 or more turnings inside of the roundabout. Any turning passed 12o'clock as you approach inside of the roundabout. Unless its marked otherwise.

So many people just use the outside of the roundabout regardless of which turning they are taking !.
 
I doubt the relaxed test will change much with regard the shortage of drivers.

It's an industry that been in a race to the bottom for decades. It's only now, the 1st time in my career as a Hgv driver where I feel I can get a decent wage for the hours I do. That's likely to be a temporary feeling though.

Nobody young will want to become a hgv driver. It's long hours, it's anti social hours and in general quite low paid.

Most good firms want experienced drivers so most new to the industry will have to do a stint on general haulage in order to get their experience and I can't imagine many fancying 12-15 hour shifts, driving a fully loaded trucks into towns and cities you've never been to before whilst having a planner ringing you asking what time your gonna be tipped at because they've got a backload for you to collect when done.

There are decent jobs about but they're hard to come by and even the decent ones bring with them the anti social side of things. The industry will likely be crying for the foreign drivers that have gone home to come back in the near future.
i was container chauffeur years ago enjoyed every minute but now tracked everywhere dont think could handle the hassle now
what do you want with yer chips driver lol
 
When I took my HGV class 1 it covered me for class 2 and 3 straight away didnt need to do all classes.
But there is no way you can not do reversing or coupling in a test. It's a must to know how to reverse.

Like others have said driving standards are piss poor in the uk. The latest crazy around here is turning right from the outside of the roundabout. You go on the inside of the roundabout indicating right , start to indicate left and move across only to find the car you were alongside is still there ! . They should have turned of by than but no and it's all age groups.
First two turnings outside of the roundabout. 3 or more turnings inside of the roundabout. Any turning passed 12o'clock as you approach inside of the roundabout. Unless its marked otherwise.

So many people just use the outside of the roundabout regardless of which turning they are taking !.
Particularly dangerous on dual carriageways. I've lost count of the number of near misses I have had with people cutting across in front of me without warning.
 
When I took my HGV class 1 it covered me for class 2 and 3 straight away didnt need to do all classes.
But there is no way you can not do reversing or coupling in a test. It's a must to know how to reverse.

Like others have said driving standards are piss poor in the uk. The latest crazy around here is turning right from the outside of the roundabout. You go on the inside of the roundabout indicating right , start to indicate left and move across only to find the car you were alongside is still there ! . They should have turned of by than but no and it's all age groups.
First two turnings outside of the roundabout. 3 or more turnings inside of the roundabout. Any turning passed 12o'clock as you approach inside of the roundabout. Unless its marked otherwise.

So many people just use the outside of the roundabout regardless of which turning they are taking !.
You want to try driving on blue lights mate it’s fucking carnage. I have nothing but respect for HGV drivers ye some are knobs particularly on motorways right up your arse bit round towns must be a fucking nightmare
 
You want to try driving on blue lights mate it’s fucking carnage. I have nothing but respect for HGV drivers ye some are knobs particularly on motorways right up your arse bit round towns must be a fucking nightmare

Agree most HGV drivers are good professional drivers like any other industry you get knobheads.

When I pull over for blue lights I put my left indicator on to allow them through. But I have noticed its become more common for the cars behind you to follow the blue lights through. Years ago the car behind you would allow you back out !.
 
They are NOT removing the reversing aspect of the test. When doing a HGV test the first thing you do is the reverse in the centre before you go out on the road. If you don't pass that you don't go any further. If you then go on to fail out on the road you wont have to do the reversing part on any further tests. Thus saving time, enabling them to do more tests per day.
Err..that's alright then is it?
Why bother then with that 'reversing part on any further tests' in the first place?
 
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How dare you introduce a dose of reality into the thread as posters are in full outraged mode. It's a facet of modern life that people read a headline or a snippet of information and then proceed to go off on one.

The fact is there is a shortage of truck drivers all over Europe and it is crucial that we do something about this. I work for a German company and my boss told me recently that in the past if a truck turned up to collect goods and our logistics department deemed it unroadworthy then it was turned away. Now they are delighted to see any old wreck that turns up and none are turned away.
But according to the BBC website, the UK has been amongst the hardest hit by the problem!
 
But according to the BBC website, the UK has been amongst the hardest hit by the problem!
Well the experience my company in Germany are having suggests that it’s difficult all over. The fact is even before Brexit and Covid there was a shortage of HGV drivers as lots of older ones left the industry and weren’t replaced. It’s not going to be a quick fix but something needs to be done and making the test one part instead of two should hopefully help.
 

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