It is now possible to go straight to learning to drive an articulated vehicle after having not driven anything bigger than a car and EP does provide this option. Upon passing in a Class 1 vehicle the driver also is able to drive a Class 2 vehicle.
However this is not something EP Training would reccomend. This is because going straight to Class 1 from a car is usually very challenging no matter how many years experience a driver has driving cars and this is often not fully realised until the driver sits down in the vehicle for the first time. For this reason EP’s Car to Class 1 course is 8 days instead of 4 or 5 to be able to get better understanding of the size difference.
A lot of companies would encourage you to go straight to Class 1 from a car but this is usually because a Class 1 course costs more than a Class 2 course.
In terms of salary there is little difference between driving Class 1 and Class 2 as an HGV driver. The demand for HGV drivers is not neccessarily for driving Class 1 vehicles and there should be no problem finding work as a Class 2 driver. Companies generally would also feel happier employing somebody who has acquired a Class 2 licence rather than someone who has little to no HGV experience and has recently aquired a Class 1 licence.
What EP would usually reccomend to somebody looking to become an HGV driver for the first time is to acquire the Class 2 licence and spend a few years as a Class 2 driver to gain some experience. After a few years of experience, if the driver would like to drive Class 1 then the training company, EP at least, can provide a course shorter than 8 days to be able to gain the Class 1 licence. This should be an easier way to obtain an HGV Class 1 licence and the price difference overall, with EP at least, is about the same as going straight to Class 1 from a car.
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