4 ms·

I'm a 50 year old Brit. I too have a 7.5 tonne lorry plus trailer endorsement on my license. Also, small PSV and various others. Everyone used to get them an

I'm a 50 year old Brit. I too have a 7.5 tonne lorry plus trailer endorsement on my license. Also, small PSV and various others. Everyone used to get them and that was probably EU wide. Not sure when it stopped. Provided you take corners carefully and use all the mirrors, a "box van" or a smaller "Luton" is easy enough to drive. The controls are pretty obvious and familiar but hillstarts and reverse hill starts need a little practice. When loaded, allow extra stopping and maneuvering space!

gbronner 5y ago
Don't make K turns either.
xyzzyz 5y ago
Yeah, in US you can rent and drive 26 foot long truck (these are rated to 26000 pounds, so just below 12 tons) on a regular driver license in most places. And yes, these aren’t that hard to drive, if you are paying attention. I like being able to just rent one if I need it, without going through complex licensing rigamarole like you do in Europe, and apparently lack of it has not caused the society to collapse ( we have not had terrorist truck attacks either). I find the American lenient system much more preferable.
- labster 5y ago
  > ( we have not had terrorist truck attacks either) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_City_bombing https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_City_bombing
  - deleted 5y ago
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- noizejoy 5y ago
  The spaciousness of North America compared to Europe makes a significant difference in many driving related (and numerous other) issues.
- djrogers 5y ago
  Federal law says you can actually drive a much longer vehicle than a 26 foot box truck, as long as it's GVWR isn't over 26k lbs. A few states may have more restrictive policies, but as far as the US Gubbmint is concerned, the weight is the key.
  - xyzzyz 5y ago
    It is not federal government that will pull you over, so I think it’s the state law that matters here.
bserge 5y ago
Even a 40 tonne tractor+trailer isn't hard to drive. I did it with a friend on long stretches of motorways. Surprising amount of torque and braking power. Reversing and maneuvering it anywhere is the real challenge :D
this_user 5y ago
> I too have a 7.5 tonne lorry plus trailer endorsement on my license. Also, small PSV and various others. Everyone used to get them and that was probably EU wide. Not sure when it stopped. It was pretty much the same in Germany. It was changed when the system was switched over to the new European driving license which was implemented in July 1996. Anyone who got theirs after the change will usually only have class B for up to 3.5t plus a 0.75t trailer. I'm a German who actually happens to have C1E. So who much do you currently pay for lorry drivers?
- gerdesj 5y ago
  No idea but I will enquire ... If you search for "salary HGV UK" you get £19-24K. That was probably last year and frankly wrong, now. I'm an IT consultant and MD of the firm and now wondering if I should get my big rig thang on! OK, I can drive a 7.5 tonner on my driver's license and have done so, many times. I can also drag a trailer, according to my license.

gbronner 5y ago

Don't make K turns either.

xyzzyz 5y ago

Yeah, in US you can rent and drive 26 foot long truck (these are rated to 26000 pounds, so just below 12 tons) on a regular driver license in most places. And yes, these aren’t that hard to drive, if you are paying attention. I like being able to just rent one if I need it, without going through complex licensing rigamarole like you do in Europe, and apparently lack of it has not caused the society to collapse ( we have not had terrorist truck attacks either). I find the American lenient system much more preferable.

labster 5y ago
> ( we have not had terrorist truck attacks either) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_City_bombing https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_City_bombing
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
noizejoy 5y ago
The spaciousness of North America compared to Europe makes a significant difference in many driving related (and numerous other) issues.
djrogers 5y ago
Federal law says you can actually drive a much longer vehicle than a 26 foot box truck, as long as it's GVWR isn't over 26k lbs. A few states may have more restrictive policies, but as far as the US Gubbmint is concerned, the weight is the key.
- xyzzyz 5y ago
  It is not federal government that will pull you over, so I think it’s the state law that matters here.

bserge 5y ago

Even a 40 tonne tractor+trailer isn't hard to drive. I did it with a friend on long stretches of motorways. Surprising amount of torque and braking power. Reversing and maneuvering it anywhere is the real challenge :D

this_user 5y ago

> I too have a 7.5 tonne lorry plus trailer endorsement on my license. Also, small PSV and various others. Everyone used to get them and that was probably EU wide. Not sure when it stopped. It was pretty much the same in Germany. It was changed when the system was switched over to the new European driving license which was implemented in July 1996. Anyone who got theirs after the change will usually only have class B for up to 3.5t plus a 0.75t trailer. I'm a German who actually happens to have C1E. So who much do you currently pay for lorry drivers?

gerdesj 5y ago
No idea but I will enquire ... If you search for "salary HGV UK" you get £19-24K. That was probably last year and frankly wrong, now. I'm an IT consultant and MD of the firm and now wondering if I should get my big rig thang on! OK, I can drive a 7.5 tonner on my driver's license and have done so, many times. I can also drag a trailer, according to my license.