Cat C Diary
Having lurked a while and benefited from some of the wisdom on this forum I thought I would add the experience of my training, it may be of help or interest to someone.
Monday, shown vehicle checks and then straight out on the road. Down some comedy size country lane to the reversing practice area. Reversing exercise explained and cones set out, I can reverse using only mirrors, so this didn’t prove to be too much of a problem to me, 4 attempts 3 good and one light touch of the barrier.
Now out on the road again, my instructor soon tells me I am too considerate to other drivers, I keep too far left putting myself too close to the kerb and making life harder than it needs to be, I need to move out toward the centre of the road, take a more commanding position and let the cars move over (they can manoeuvre easier than we can after all). I am also turning too early when turning left at junctions, although I am not hitting kerbs I am very close, leaving no margin for error (can get a ■■■ paper between kerb and tyre most times though!)
Wow end of day one, knackered, the effort and concentration made the day fly but was hard work mentally, enjoyed the driving.
Lessons learnt
- all car drivers are plonkers.
- don’t be quite so considerate, let other road users do some of the work!
- take more room at junctions to keep clear of those kerbs.
- all car drivers are plonkers.
Tuesday, vehicle checks first with instructor observing, then out for a drive. Instruction now moves up a notch, instructions/information coming thick and fast. I am keeping further out from the kerb, but still tend to drift towards it to give oncoming traffic more room, a habit I need to break! Positioning at roundabouts is ok but I find myself sometimes being squeezed into the roundabout kerb when turning right, this is cured by occupying some of the left hand lane (stops the plonkers flying up your left! Again too considerate). Learning where its ok to occupy more than one lane is a skill, forward observation and awareness of the size of the vehicle is required, I’m getting there (if it looks like letting a car next to you will make life awkward/impossible then take the space). Approach speed at junctions is too fast I need to slow down. Tail swing, look out for it!!! I am using the mirrors well but keep forgetting to check tail swing as I start to turn, too busy looking where I am going well that’s a feeble excuse, I am just going a little too fast and not allowing enough time to look around. Slow down it’s a lorry not a car!
Another day over, lots of town centre work, Knackered.
Lessons learnt
- all car drivers are plonkers
- slow down, slow down, slow down when approaching junctions, hazards roundabouts, give yourself time to see what is going on.
- take all the space you need to manoeuvre safely.
- all car drivers are plonkers.
Wednesday. Argh crap my driving today was rubbish I was thinking too much analysing every junction, position, mirrors, signal, oncoming traffic, speed, tail swing, speed, road signs, traffic arrrgh now I am too slow, hesitating missing opportunities.
Crap day today I have slowed down too much and am over thinking every move, I am not driving naturally and trying to get position, speed, mirrors, signal and progress perfect, this is making driving very hard work indeed. I am finding it a very thin line between too fast and too slow.
Thursday. Test tomorrow and on yesterdays performance oh dear!
Better day today, relaxed a little and let the part of my brain that has been driving for thirty years get on with the normal routines, this let my conscious brain get on with the specifics required for driving the lorry (slow it down, brake early, position, take all the space needed). On a plus point my reversing is still good, I no longer get squeezed by other vehicles and my approach speeds are consistent if a little fast (not a problem in an empty training vehicle but I must remember I will need to drive with up to 32 tonnes needing stopping one day!)
Friday. Test day
Well the reverse went off without a problem, got out and looked (costs nothing to check once) pulled back another 6” just to make sure I was in the box. Out on to the road and straight to an area with tight turns and easy to clip kerbs (instructor had taken me around all the dodgy awkward areas showing me all the prat-falls and getting me to practice them) downhill start fine, angled start also a breeze (performed just past a quite busy junction lots of mirror work keeping an eye on emerging traffic)
Uphill start I did roll back slightly, cursed myself inside, and then got on with it.
Through the busy town centre avoiding the keep clears and yellow boxes, on and off a duel carriageway back to the test centre 1.5 hours gone. Failed 11 minors and 2 serious, oh I didn’t think I had driven that badly but the examiners opinion counts more than mine. Serious 1 use of gears and 1 observation (Michael Schumacher coming round a roundabout at 200mph and accelerating hard! ■■■■■■■ I told you all car drivers are plonkers) assorted minors, positioning, planning enough ticks to almost convince me I can’t drive and should go out and buy a tricycle with tassels on the handlebars!
Disappointed you bet I was, down down down dooby down, I thought I could drive, my instructor knew I was good enough for the test, the examiner felt different.
Three weeks wait before my re-test and the only additional practice I get is the drive back to the test centre. Here we go again, I am as relaxed as I can make myself and went out determined to enjoy the drive. It was a fast 1.5 hours and back to the test centre for the earth shattering news, I passed with one minor.
So there you have it one day 11 minors and 2 serious, three weeks later with no further practice, a pass with one minor. All the instruction, positioning, planning, approach speed just came together, it suddenly all clicked into place and made driving a pleasure again.
Ratty
CONGRATULATIONS on passing your LGV “C” test 
