Getting a C license

Conor_M1990

Im just wondering how many lessons would I need to pass a C license test Ive a full B license 2 and half years squeaky clean and have been driving since I was 17. Ive no idea how to drive a lorry also what exactly is the CPC

jimmyw

Conor_M1990 wrote: »

Im just wondering how many lessons would I need to pass a C license test Ive a full B license 2 and half years squeaky clean and have been driving since I was 17. Ive no idea how to drive a lorry also what exactly is the CPC

Well I had about 20 lessons before i passed mine, but I am one of the exceptions:rolleyes:;).You need cpc done if you are to drive for a living.There are 2 types,first one is known as acquired rights i.e if you had a licence before the 10th of Sept last year, but you have to do 1 day training per year for 5 years to keep it.Second one you have to go through 3 exams to get it and its all money:rolleyes:.


http://www.rsa.ie/RSA/Professional-Drivers/Driver-Hours/Getting-your-CPC/

ihateclowns11

click on this link m8,youll find out all you need to know,its a thread from this site

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055818093

Not to scare you away from it or anything but it took me a year and 2000 euro to get my license and cpc whitch i just got last month,but thats only cus i failed the test the first time.The cpc has 4 parts to it or 4 tests.The whole thing costs a small fortune,have my provisional artic now,gonna be funny pricing lessons and hiring truck for test in that:(

Conor_M1990

Is there no way you can just do the whole thing on an Arctic ?

jimmyw

I dont thinkso, have to do the rigid first.Have to walk before you can run , and more money for, you know who:rolleyes:

ihateclowns11

Conor_M1990 wrote: »

Is there no way you can just do the whole thing on an Arctic ?

No m8:( You will need to do a theory test first then get a medical test,then you will be able to get a provisional c truck license.then apply for your test and your 3 other cpc tests

jimmyw

ihateclowns11 wrote: »

No m8:( You will need to do a theory test first then get a medical test,then you will be able to get a provisional c truck license.then apply for your test and your 3 other cpc tests

And get lessons aswell.

Conor_M1990

ihateclowns11 wrote: »

No m8:( You will need to do a theory test first then get a medical test,then you will be able to get a provisional c truck license.then apply for your test and your 3 other cpc tests

Is the test much different to that of a car In terms of what you are asked to do I know the driving of a trck is going to be different

ihateclowns11

jimmyw wrote: »

And get lessons aswell.

Aye,get lessons aswell:rolleyes:,i see in your post jimmy that you got 20 lessons,i got about 14 myself at a cost off 100 euro a lesson so 1400 euro:eek:,so you spent 2000 on lessons:eek: not including the 200 euro to hire the truck,its just madness init.Also have you done your artic yet?,i have to wait 6 months cus its my first artic provisional.

ihateclowns11

Conor_M1990 wrote: »

Is the test much different to that of a car In terms of what you are asked to do I know the driving of a trck is going to be different

Yea its different,mainly cus off gears,there is eight off em:),4 low 4 high unless you get an old fashioned truck thats a straight box,and its much bigger on the road;),have to be more carefull turning corners,but once you get used to it ,its easy,but my first few times driving was pure terror at the size off it.BTW i forgot to tell you that once you get your provisional you will have to wait 6 months before they allow you to do the test.

Conor_M1990

ihateclowns11 wrote: »

Yea its different,mainly cus off gears,there is eight off em:),4 low 4 high unless you get an old fashioned truck thats a straight box,and its much bigger on the road;),have to be more carefull turning corners,but once you get used to it ,its easy,but my first few times driving was pure terror at the size off it.BTW i forgot to tell you that once you get your provisional you will have to wait 6 months before they allow you to do the test.

A straight box as you would get in a car but apart from the driving of the actual truck the tester will be looking for the same things

jimmyw

Yeah I am afraid I did 3 tests, 2 fail plus hire of the truck, ouch.Sorry to be a misery guts, but I am sorry I done it TBH.I could do with the money now.I was mad to get it while I was doing it, but after i got it, I lost interest in it:rolleyes:.The other problem with it is that the lessons will be in a truck that has 6 gears, but in the real world trucks have 8, i.e 4 low, 4 high with a switch which can be a a little trickier to get a handle on.

jimmyw

ihateclowns11 wrote: »

Yea its different,mainly cus off gears,there is eight off em:),4 low 4 high unless you get an old fashioned truck thats a straight box,and its much bigger on the road;),have to be more carefull turning corners,but once you get used to it ,its easy,but my first few times driving was pure terror at the size off it.BTW i forgot to tell you that once you get your provisional you will have to wait 6 months before they allow you to do the test.

I think thats only for a car.

ihateclowns11

Conor_M1990 wrote: »

A straight box as you would get in a car but apart from the driving of the actual truck the tester will be looking for the same things

Yea,same things although some testers want you to block change gears,thats when you are not carrying a heavy load and you start in 3rd gear then skip to 5th then 6th 7th 8th,but apart from that the actuall test is pretty much the same,observation signal manouver,same ****.

ihateclowns11

jimmyw wrote: »

I think thats only for a car.

Ohh,ill have to look into that

donkey balls

ihateclowns11 wrote: »

click on this link m8,youll find out all you need to know,its a thread from this site

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055818093

Not to scare you away from it or anything but it took me a year and 2000 euro to get my license and cpc whitch i just got last month,but thats only cus i failed the test the first time.The cpc has 4 parts to it or 4 tests.The whole thing costs a small fortune,have my provisional artic now,gonna be funny pricing lessons and hiring truck for test in that:(

congrats on getting your test:) how long it takes depends on how often you do a lesson(could be down to money etc). i managed to get my B/C &EC licence within 18 months along with the transport manager CPC.

as for waiting six months before doing the artic test thats a load of b*ll*x you can learn to fly a plane in 3/4 weeks:rolleyes: ,if your a good driver and have done the lessons i dont see the need for a six month wait.
I reckon if i was to re do the whole thing from car upto artic and hazchem it would cost me a small fortune,then you have companies that are looking for experienced drivers only, when i did mine all those years ago you had to be over 27 yrs old for insurance purposes etc luckily the company i worked for had no problems with a 23 yr old:D.
Now here is the part that hurts the most after you lads fork out a small fortune for your licence and manage to get a job just say stobart or breen transport,one will have you working for the minimun wage the other will pay you 75e a day regardless if you work 8/15hrs a day.
you would be better off flipping burgers or stacking shelfs in a supermarket and remember that your responsible for the truck&trailer which could cost in excess of 160k not including the load your carrying.
yet someone with not a big responsibilty as you working in a local shop/burger joint would be getting paid more than you:eek:.

Faith+1

donkey balls wrote: »

Now here is the part that hurts the most after you lads fork out a small fortune for your licence and manage to get a job just say stobart or breen transport,one will have you working for the minimun wage the other will pay you 75e a day regardless if you work 8/15hrs a day.
you would be better off flipping burgers or stacking shelfs in a supermarket and remember that your responsible for the truck&trailer which could cost in excess of 160k not including the load your carrying.
yet someone with not a big responsibilty as you working in a local shop/burger joint would be getting paid more than you:eek:.

Very true Donkey. I seen an ad on Fas just last week looking for a driver to deliver frozen goods. 40 hour contract on €8.65 per hour!:eek:

40 x €8.65 = €346 and after TAX/PRSI you'd probley clear about €300.

So work your bollox off for €100 quid more than the dole??? And as you said the extra responsibilty that driving a truck carries i.e Load, Time constraits, Deadlines and not to mention trying not to crash the fecking thing!:rolleyes:

redpoppy

I passed the truck test in April – overall the cost was as follows :

Theory test €32
Provisional Licence (C) €15
Medical for licence €50
CPC Theory (Multiple choice) €70
CPC Theory (Case Scenario) €70
Approx 15 lessons x €50 €750
Driving Test €110
CPC Test €50
Hire of Truck €150
Hire of Truck CPC €50

I spaced out my lessons earlier on and nearer the test I did the lessons more often and found the more often you do the lessons the quicker you pick it up so maybe leave it closer to your test to start them. Take a lesson early on and see how you find it, if you find it difficult then start slowly. I found the gearbox a bit difficult to master in the beginning along with concentrating on driving around corners etc but once you get the hang of it, it’s just practice really.

I’ve only done all this to apply for the ambulance but the cost is ridiculous for a bloke on the dole trying to get the licence for a job, it would be impossible really. Plus the CPC tests don’t actually give you a whole lot of extra knowledge for what you spend on it. A bloke driving trucks for a few years would teach you as much in an hour.

I did my lessons in Athlone and found the guy pretty good and one of the cheaper one’s around so PM me if you want his name/no.

Faith+1

Holy crap that's just over €1300! I'm afraid to go over my total's but I probley spent the same.

Not to mention before next april I have to do the first of my CPC modules, More bloody money!:mad:

redpoppy

It is a ridiculous amount of money and I dont think I spent as much as some people considering my lessons were €50 an hour and some lads have been paying €100 an hour.

I've done the same process for the bus and spent the same money but I have had to delay my test as I just didnt have the €700 for the lessons again so have to save for a while and hopefully do it in the new year. It will be a relief when its all done and dusted.

Thankfully when the HSE advertised recently they only wanted the C licence for now and the bus one by the time you finish your training so I've been given a bit of breathing space if I hopefully get the job ! If not I'll have it ready for next time they advertise and if I never get the job, WELL AT LEAST I CAN DRIVE A TRUCK LOL !!

Faith+1

redpoppy wrote: »

, WELL AT LEAST I CAN DRIVE A TRUCK LOL !!

Very true Poppy. I know it costs alot but once you have it you have no regrets. Always good to have another skill on the CV!:)

ihateclowns11

Faith+1 wrote: »

Very true Poppy. I know it costs alot but once you have it you have no regrets. Always good to have another skill on the CV!:)

Hey Faith,have you done your artic test yet?,and have you managed to get a job from your c license? If you dont mind tellin that is:D

Faith+1

ihateclowns11 wrote: »

Hey Faith,have you done your artic test yet?,and have you managed to get a job from your c license? If you dont mind tellin that is:D

Hey, No haven't done the Artic yet, got my Artic learner permit and was ready to get started but my instructor Ken sold his trucks. Couldn't imagine learning from another instructor so I just put it on the back burner.

Haven't got a job with the C license yet but to be honest with you I'm not exactly looking! Have a job at present and just wanted to update my CV with the truck license.

If you're looking for truck work PM me. I might be able to steer you in the right direction.:)

the hulk

me driving test for c licence in 3 weeks.....will have 15 lessons done by then...am very confident with driving one now.....but if i fail the test ....is it worth spending more money till i get it.....anybody have any opinions

donkey balls

Faith+1 wrote: »

Hey, No haven't done the Artic yet, got my Artic learner permit and was ready to get started but my instructor Ken sold his trucks. Couldn't imagine learning from another instructor so I just put it on the back burner.

Haven't got a job with the C license yet but to be honest with you I'm not exactly looking! Have a job at present and just wanted to update my CV with the truck license.

If you're looking for truck work PM me. I might be able to steer you in the right direction.:)

Faith is that Ken from driving matters? that was your instructer,i had him about two years ago doing an assesment on me he is very good.
You should try colliers for driving lessons everyone i know within the industry did there lessons with colliers:eek: stay waay from the likes of the other crowd with their shinny red mercs/volvo you should know who they are.

Faith+1

donkey balls wrote: »

Faith is that Ken from driving matters? that was your instructer,i had him about two years ago doing an assesment on me he is very good.
You should try colliers for driving lessons everyone i know within the industry did there lessons with colliers:eek: stay waay from the likes of the other crowd with their shinny red mercs/volvo you should know who they are.

Ye it was Ken. I drove the forementioned red merc, Nice truck but jesus the instructors hadn't a clue and not to mention the price per hour!!!!!!!

Tried colliers before Ken didn't like them, they had one chap with a beard who was useless, He looked like something out of a harry potter flick.

Besides I'm not that bothered at the moment with the Artic, would love to retrain my skills on the motorbike and travel Europe next summer:)

Faith+1

the hulk wrote: »

me driving test for c licence in 3 weeks.....will have 15 lessons done by then...am very confident with driving one now.....but if i fail the test ....is it worth spending more money till i get it.....anybody have any opinions

Hi Hulk, If you've put that much effort into your truck test you'd be mad not to reapply if you fail 1st time. If you let your lessons lapse you'll become very rusty and you'll require more lessons when you apply for the test sometime down the road.

Two things I'd always recommend any person taking truck lessons 1. Make sure it's a 4 over 4 gearbox and 2. Do the CPC modules/test.

the hulk

no its not a 4 over 4 gearbox....just a straight one....but i still have a fair bit of work to do.....am only good at driving the truck when listening to my instructer.....but when he doesnt say anyting i mess it up.......i have a feeling it'll take me another ten lessons to get it.....plus the price of renting a truck for test......as its very annoying that i dont have a truck to train in as im depending on the lessons to help me pass the test....then i have to rent the truck for the test.....very pricey isnt it.....!

Faith+1

the hulk wrote: »

then i have to rent the truck for the test.....very pricey isnt it.....!

I'd say 99.9% of applicants have to rent a truck! I'd say I spent about €1500-1700 to get me C license. But like anything in life, If you want it it'll cost you!

ihateclowns11

Faith+1 wrote: »

Ye it was Ken. I drove the forementioned red merc, Nice truck but jesus the instructors hadn't a clue and not to mention the price per hour!!!!!!!

Tried colliers before Ken didn't like them, they had one chap with a beard who was useless, He looked like something out of a harry potter flick.

Besides I'm not that bothered at the moment with the Artic, would love to retrain my skills on the motorbike and travel Europe next summer:)

Hey faith,erm yes please!,steer me in the right direction for a truck job:D
But wouldint be able to start till after october cus my motorbike test is comin up on the 29th,should have done bike test years ago as i was a motorbike courier for 5 years but never bothered to get it,now im like you and wanna travel europe on bike(south france,nurburg ring,holland) and all the good places:)

the hulk

cheers for the advice......:)

Faith+1

ihateclowns11 wrote: »

Hey faith,erm yes please!,steer me in the right direction for a truck job:D
But wouldint be able to start till after october cus my motorbike test is comin up on the 29th,should have done bike test years ago as i was a motorbike courier for 5 years but never bothered to get it,now im like you and wanna travel europe on bike(south france,nurburg ring,holland) and all the good places:)

Pm sent!

the hulk

goin to get a coach licence soon......but have to pass my test in a rigid first...any know is there much difference in between a coach and a rigid

donkey balls

the hulk wrote: »

goin to get a coach licence soon......but have to pass my test in a rigid first...any know is there much difference in between a coach and a rigid

If your doing the C test why not go and do the EC test(artic) it would make you more employable than having both the C&D licence.
As for the coaches i think most of them are automatic.