Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Please note that it is not permitted to have referral links posted in your signature. Keep these links contained in the appropriate forum. Thank you.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2055940817/signature-rules

Miscellaneous questions on C & D

Options
  • 20-02-2019 1:43pm
    #1
    Epic Eir Epic
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 83 ✭✭


    Fell free to drop in questions of yours too!
    • Is the C test harder than the C1? I mean why would anyone do a C1 test, when you can do a C test and be qualified to drive both?

    • What's the difference between axle weight and train weight?

    • In the DTT book, whenever there's a reference to an operator, does this mean the company that the driver works for?

    • Am I correct in saying that it's B that's needed to apply for both D & D1 learner permits?

    • Elsewhere in the book it states that drivers should check their nearside mirror every time they pass a parked vehicle. Is this really realistic?

    • In the DTT book, it says that "after parking at a border crossing", it's the driver that should check that the vehicle has not been tampered with - How do you check that a vehicle has not been tampered with?

    • So it says a "driver should carry out visual security checks at every halt". What does every halt mean? Every time the bus is stopped?

    • What's a goods vehicle? In the speed limits section of teh DTT book, there's a mention that all trucks are limited to a max speed of 90 km/hr, but then there's a mention that goods vehicles with a MAM of 3,000 kg can go up to 120 km/hr. So this means that a goods vehicle is not a truck.

    • Under the 'driving hours and rest periods' there's a statements that says the normal minimum weekly rest period is 45 consecutive hours. What exactly does that mean? To me it seems to imply a day off. So if a driver was to finish on Friday at 5pm, he'd have to wait until Sunday at 2pm to start driving again. Is that right?

    • It's surprising to think that a driver can go 15 days without a driver card if their card has been lost/stolen. Given that such penalties as loss of license or heavy fines can be implemented for driving without using tachograph.

    • Do drivers really inspect the condition of the wheel nuts as part of their daily inspection of the vehicle?


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    ayux4rj6zql2ph
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,001 ✭✭✭ayux4rj6zql2ph


    I’ll try and reply to this better when I get home as I’m on the mobile.

    In short you need a full category B to apply for a theory test in C or D.

    You need C to do a test in CE as I’ve never heard of a school of motoring who do DE.

    Category D was more difficult than C i found.

    Go for C or D if you can as you’ll also get C1 or D1 if you pass the test.

    Whereas if you do C1 or D1 you won’t get C or D


  • Options
    #3
    Wishbone Ash
    Registered Users Posts: 24,953 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    Epic Eir Epic wrote: »
    Fell free to drop in questions of yours too!
    • Is the C test harder than the C1? I mean why would anyone do a C1 test, when you can do a C test and be qualified to drive both? Larger vehicle but I'd imagine the tests are similar. C1 tests are not very popular but some who do them do so because they have a vehicle which is too heavy to drive on a B licence but they have no interest in driving heavy rigid trucks,

    • What's the difference between axle weight and train weight?Train weight is the total laden weight of tractor unit and trailer, Axle weight is the weight lying on any axle.

    • In the DTT book, whenever there's a reference to an operator, does this mean the company that the driver works for? Yes, and it can be an owner/driver.

    • Am I correct in saying that it's B that's needed to apply for both D & D1 learner permits?Yes.

    • Elsewhere in the book it states that drivers should check their nearside mirror every time they pass a parked vehicle. Is this really realistic?I assume they mean sporadic parked vehicles when you have to change position to pass rather than a long line of parked vehicles not interfering with the driving lane.

    • In the DTT book, it says that "after parking at a border crossing", it's the driver that should check that the vehicle has not been tampered with - How do you check that a vehicle has not been tampered with?Broken seals on doors, sliced curtain sides, roof damage etc.

    • So it says a "driver should carry out visual security checks at every halt". What does every halt mean? Every time the bus is stopped?I assume they mean at the end of each section of a journey - eg when taking a break and when parking up for the night.

    • What's a goods vehicle? In the speed limits section of teh DTT book, there's a mention that all trucks are limited to a max speed of 90 km/hr, but then there's a mention that goods vehicles with a MAM of 3,000 kg can go up to 120 km/hr. So this means that a goods vehicle is not a truck.Small/medium commercial van that can be driven on a B licence..

    • Under the 'driving hours and rest periods' there's a statements that says the normal minimum weekly rest period is 45 consecutive hours. What exactly does that mean? To me it seems to imply a day off. So if a driver was to finish on Friday at 5pm, he'd have to wait until Sunday at 2pm to start driving again. Is that right? That sounds about right.

    • It's surprising to think that a driver can go 15 days without a driver card if their card has been lost/stolen. Given that such penalties as loss of license or heavy fines can be implemented for driving without using tachograph.There's a difference between driving without a tacho when you have one and driving without one because it was lost/stolen. If your driving licence is stolen, you are still permitted to drive but must have reported it and apply for a replacement

    • Do drivers really inspect the condition of the wheel nuts as part of their daily inspection of the vehicle?Some do, some don't. It's much easier now with the plastic pointers which are placed over the wheel nuts and show if they have moved.
    Replies in red above.


  • Options
    #4
    Epic Eir Epic
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 83 ✭✭Epic Eir Epic


    Wishbone Ash wrote: »
    Replies in red above.
    Thanks a lot, that helped.


  • Options
    #5
    Blush Proof
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 39 ✭Blush Proof


    Wishbone Ash wrote: »
    Am I correct in saying that it's B that's needed to apply for both D & D1 learner permits?Yes.
    As well as the OP, I was also confused about this.

    I've noticed in the book it refers to it as both a "bus learner permit" as well as a "D learner permit.

    For the "bus learner permit" it says you need to have normal "residency in Ireland" to apply for it. While with the "D learner permit", to apply for it you need a B license. Does "learner permit" account for both D & D1?


  • Options
    #6
    EuKaryMe
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 34 ✭EuKaryMe


    There's a question in the test about the effect a two-speed axle has. The answer is that it doubles the number of ratios available to the driver. Just to confirm - I don't need to know what that actually means? Or do I? I'd like to have some idea of what it is.

    Also, is there a difference between a tachograph chart and a tachograph card? I see both being referred to.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    Wishbone Ash
    Registered Users Posts: 24,953 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    EuKaryMe wrote: »
    There's a question in the test about the effect a two-speed axle has. The answer is that it doubles the number of ratios available to the driver. Just to confirm - I don't need to know what that actually means? Or do I? I'd like to have some idea of what it is.
    That's basically it - doubles the amount of gears available. Not really used nowadays but when gears were more limited it allowed a very heavy truck to get moving in lower ratios and also get up to cruising speed on a higher ratio.
    EuKaryMe wrote:
    Also, is there a difference between a tachograph chart and a tachograph card? I see both being referred to.
    Older trucks require a circular paper card which is inserted behind the speedo and physically recordes the details on the paper. It can be visually inspected without any additional equipment.

    The tacho card records the information electronically.


  • Options
    #8
    Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime
    Registered Users Posts: 3,964 ✭✭✭Kopparberg Strawberry and Lime


    PerfumeAndFart wrote: »
    This is a question I noticed recently:

    What is the minimum number of hours a driver must have between shifts? - 11 hrs, but this can be reduced to 9 hr three times during a week?

    So what's the point in having it so that there has to be 11 hours between shifts if it means that the rules can basically be changed three times during the week.

    Nearly every bus and truck driver in the country give out about this

    This is why working as a driver can be a pain in hole sometimes.

    You finish work just before midnight and are back in at 9am

    Be lucky to get a few hours sleep with that


  • Options
    #9
    Wishbone Ash
    Registered Users Posts: 24,953 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    PerfumeAndFart wrote: »
    This is a question I noticed recently:

    What is the minimum number of hours a driver must have between shifts? - 11 hrs, but this can be reduced to 9 hr three times during a week?

    So what's the point in having it so that there has to be 11 hours between shifts if it means that the rules can basically be changed three times during the week.
    There has to be a certain amount of flexibility built into the hours to allow for matters which are beyond the control of the driver or operator. Otherwise it simply wouldn't work. The additional time must be compensated for later so it evens out. For example, if a driver is diverted from his intended route, resulting in a longer journey time, it may affect his rest period and he may have to reduce it to keep his schedule on track to make an important delivery, meet a ferry, prevent perishable goods from 'spoiling' etc.


  • Options
    #10
    ayux4rj6zql2ph
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,001 ✭✭✭ayux4rj6zql2ph


    PerfumeAndFart wrote: »
    This is a question I noticed recently:

    What is the minimum number of hours a driver must have between shifts? - 11 hrs, but this can be reduced to 9 hr three times during a week?

    So what's the point in having it so that there has to be 11 hours between shifts if it means that the rules can basically be changed three times during the week.

    Three times a week? That's news to me, it's twice a week and as another poster has pointed out, finishing at midnight and being back in for 9am you'd feel fcuked by the time you get home many people don't go straight to bed and then getting back up for work the following morning, i'd say 6 hours sleep is alot in the majority of cases there.


  • Options
    #11
    ayux4rj6zql2ph
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,001 ✭✭✭ayux4rj6zql2ph


    PerfumeAndFart wrote: »
    No, you might be thinking of the number of times a driver can be made drive more than 9 hrs in one day (max of 10 hrs). It's two times per week.

    But it's three times per week that your daily rest period can be reduced from 11 to 9 hrs.
    I'm not disagreeing with that.

    Seems to be 3 reduced rest periods across 2 weeks

    http://www.rsa.ie/Documents/Tachograph_Enf/Drivers_Hours.pdf
    As a driver you may opt to take a reduced daily rest period of at least nine hours
    but less than 11 hours. You may only take a maximum of three reduced daily
    rest periods between any two weekly rest periods.

    I've never been in the position where that has happened to me thankfully,when we were being trained up the instructor told us it was 2 :rolleyes:


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    bladebrew
    Registered Users Posts: 1,673 ✭✭✭bladebrew


    I think the bit about reduced daily rest is just written in a confusing way, you can reduce 3 times in between 2 weekly rest periods but these days might not necessarily be in the same week,
    a weekly rest may be on a Thursday which could mean 2 reduced daily rests in 1 week (Mon-Sun) then a third one in the following week before the next weekly rest period begins,
    So it's within 6 days but not actually in the same week,
    I don't drive at the minute but I remember a CPC instructor going on about this


  • Options
    #13
    Plastic Age
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 14 ✭Plastic Age


    With regard to vehicle checks, which of the following should the driver check once on the road? Ans - that the speed limiter is operating correctly.

    So my question is, how can you ensure a speed limiter is working correctly unless you break the speed limit?


  • Options
    #14
    Plastic Age
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 14 ✭Plastic Age


    Q: To help prevent a breakdown, which of the following should be checked every day? - Oil level

    Why oil level? as opposed to brakes or battery for example? I'm assuming that if I got this question that other possible answer options would not be like the ones I've listed. Because they couldn't list several correct answers as options.


  • Options
    #15
    Plastic Age
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 14 ✭Plastic Age


    So I've noticed two questions about braking which seem to contradict each other:

    First question: Under normal driving conditions what system should a driver use for slowing down on downhill stretches? - Endurance braking system

    It then goes on to say that you can reduce the vehicle's speed without the service brake.

    Second question: When travelling down a hell the driver should - first use the service brake to slow the vehicle.

    It then goes on to say that the service brake is the main braking system to use coming down a hill because it controls the vehicle speed.

    So isn't there a complete contradiction there. I was thinking maybe it was that you should use the service brake before going on to use the EBS, but as you can see above, there's mention of how EBS can be used "without" the service brake?!


  • Options
    #16
    Plastic Age
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 14 ✭Plastic Age


    Delete post


  • Options
    #17
    Wishbone Ash
    Registered Users Posts: 24,953 ✭✭✭✭Wishbone Ash


    Plastic Age wrote: »
    So I've noticed two questions about braking which seem to contradict each other:

    First question: Under normal driving conditions what system should a driver use for slowing down on downhill stretches? - Endurance braking system

    It then goes on to say that you can reduce the vehicle's speed without the service brake.

    Second question: When travelling down a hell the driver should - first use the service brake to slow the vehicle.

    It then goes on to say that the service brake is the main braking system to use coming down a hill because it controls the vehicle speed.

    So isn't there a complete contradiction there. I was thinking maybe it was that you should use the service brake before going on to use the EBS, but as you can see above, there's mention of how EBS can be used "without" the service brake?!
    I'm open to correction but it would appear that the first question refers to 'downhill stretches' whereas the second refers to 'downhill' (presuming you have quoted correctly).

    To me, 'downhill stretches' would indicate a series of long descents without any real ascending - e.g. what you may get on Alpine Passes where you could be descending for 30 or 40kms.

    The second part may refer to a short steep descent on an otherwise 'normal' journey.


  • Options
    #18
    Problem Of Motivation
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 386 ✭✭Problem Of Motivation


    I'm getting a bit confused with all the different braking systems.

    What exactly is the difference between endurance braking & exhaust braking? Exhaust breaking involves retarders and endurance braking involves resistance via the transmission to the rotation of the wheels. I also saw the mention of air brakes & hydraulic vacuum servo brakes? And then there's a mention of a load sensing valve too, which also plays a plays a part in braking. All these different types of brakes seem confusing.

    Does the driver just apply the foot brake each time? Which one braking system is used ordinarily... as in if I'm driving along and just push the brake? Would that be the air brake?


  • Options
    #19
    Problem Of Motivation
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 386 ✭✭Problem Of Motivation


    And what type of brake is the 'secondary brake'?


  • Options
    #20
    Asian Scammer
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 23 ✭Asian Scammer


    Wishbone Ash wrote: »
    I'm open to correction but it would appear that the first question refers to 'downhill stretches' whereas the second refers to 'downhill' (presuming you have quoted correctly).

    To me, 'downhill stretches' would indicate a series of long descents without any real ascending - e.g. what you may get on Alpine Passes where you could be descending for 30 or 40kms.

    The second part may refer to a short steep descent on an otherwise 'normal' journey.
    Yeah, I saw another question there recently. It said that a driver can make sure that they don't get dazzled by sun by........... making sure that the windscreen is clean.

    How would that prevent you from getting dazzled by the sun?


Advertisement