I would firstly like to introduce myself , my name is Rick. Hello! I am 23 nearly 24 and from the Northamptonshire , East Midlands region.
I’ve been hit by the truck bug for about 4 years now whilst being fascinated by big wagons from a young age, looking at them going past from the back seat of my parents car.
Currently in the process of having my medical booked for next week and acquired the funds to get my licence in the bag. Hurrah!
I have also bought the DSA books for the Theory and Practical Tests and studying them religiously.
Reason why I joined this forum is to get to know the many other drivers out there, make friends and learn about everything that is involved with driving trucks from people that are at the stage where I want to be. ( I apologise in advance if I ask too many questions)
I was hit hard by the recession once I left college ( Worst time to leave '10 ) and have struggled to find any long term employment in the past 3 years where I live so now it seems like getting my licence will open up a lifetime career for me.
I am aware that it can be hard to get employed first off and its not the best paid of jobs out there but being able to get off JSA , work without supervision, driving to new/different places , carrying different loads , dealing with weather and events of the roads and driving in all sorts of Cabs feels like an adventure I want to be a part of.
I will be making a diary of my learning process and post it on here for you guys/gals to read anyway I look forward to speaking to ya’ll soon.
Welcome and good luck for obtaining your licence, take all the advice you can get and stay positive and enthusiastic and you’ll do we’ll In the future. Ill look forward to your diary and maybe seeing you up the motorway one day in your own motor. Have fun and enjoy it that’s what drivings for .
Welcome to the forum. When selecting your training provider, avoid brokers at all costs. If you’re not sure if a company is a broker just put their name on here and you’ll soon find out! You should always visit your provider and check out the set up. Have a look at the state of the vehicles (not always so good) and chat with the instructors. Have an assessment drive. If you’re happy, get booked. The only exception should be booking on rock solid recommendation.
Good luck with it all and fire away with any questions, Pete
Excellent advice (as usual) from Pete & Rog, so no need for me to repeat anything, except to say Good Luck with it and I look forward to your training diary when it arrives.
Hey everyone , Thanks very much for the warm welcome and the advise
The past few days I have been hammering the revision books and trying to understand the weight, heights and dimensions and what strips are needed for a vehicle , I did a 50 Q mock test on the .GOV site and failed it by 38 needed 43 to pass part one of the mock test.
I have also started to read the signs for LGV’s when I have been driving around and answering them to myself. Another thing I have started to do is avoid the bad habits I’ve picked up over time. Such as indicating before looking and doing the one handed steer and such.
ROG - Have you booked initial driver cpc theory module 2 at the theory test centre?
Not yet mate , I’ve got my medical on Wednesday , still currently at this stage , quite surprised how hard it is to get an appointment at short notice, (short notice I mean by a week!)
I’m guessing but correct me if I am wrong, you need the provisional entitlement to do your theory/hazard perception , then if I pass that, I am able to do the CPC module 2 right?
It sounds a little off for me to say welcome baring in mind this is my first post but I signed up yet I still can’t cure my itch for two years however I’ll say welcome because you’re local, I’m down in Duston, Northampton so not far at all It’ll be nice to see your story on how someone local gets on and where you take your lessons etc so I can use the same place some time in the future
Best of luck with your lessons, I’m sure it’ll go great and perhaps in the distant future, see you on the road
RubberDucky89:
Hey everyone , Thanks very much for the warm welcome and the advise
The past few days I have been hammering the revision books and trying to understand the weight, heights and dimensions and what strips are needed for a vehicle , I did a 50 Q mock test on the .GOV site and failed it by 38 needed 43 to pass part one of the mock test.
I have also started to read the signs for LGV’s when I have been driving around and answering them to myself. Another thing I have started to do is avoid the bad habits I’ve picked up over time. Such as indicating before looking and doing the one handed steer and such.
ROG - Have you booked initial driver cpc theory module 2 at the theory test centre?
Not yet mate , I’ve got my medical on Wednesday , still currently at this stage , quite surprised how hard it is to get an appointment at short notice, (short notice I mean by a week!)
I’m guessing but correct me if I am wrong, you need the provisional entitlement to do your theory/hazard perception , then if I pass that, I am able to do the CPC module 2 right?
You do need the provisional to do the theory
All 3 theory tests can be done on the same day at the theory test centre
Steering = as long as you are in full control then steer how you like but pull/push is the safest method
If you paid more than £60 for the medical then you got ripped off !!
Visit a school before paying any money and assessments are recommended
Peter Smythe (Who commented 3rd post down) runs a school in the East Midlands, where I took my Class1. A fantastic school for training. They are DSA Approved and have their own Test Centre. So the reversing area you practice on (with all the helpful markings ) will be exactly the same area as you use for the test.
You’d could do a lot worse. Go and visit them and have a look round. Assessment drive is free.
Welcome mate, a fellow Rick and also from Kettering!!!
Also just starting out, although I am a little older than you. I got my medical done at a place in Northampton which cost me £56 for a 5 min check over Just passed my theories including mod 2, had to do them over 2 days though, bit annoying travelling to Northampton and back twice!
Got my practical booked w/c 29th of this month… [zb] thats 2 weeks away!!! using Caroles of Corby, she seems good enough and she offers assessments for free if you take the training with her.
Good luck with your journey mate, maybe see you on the road.
Rick80:
Welcome mate, a fellow Rick and also from Kettering!!!
Also just starting out, although I am a little older than you. I got my medical done at a place in Northampton which cost me £56 for a 5 min check over Just passed my theories including mod 2, had to do them over 2 days though, bit annoying travelling to Northampton and back twice!
Got my practical booked w/c 29th of this month… [zb] thats 2 weeks away!!! using Caroles of Corby, she seems good enough and she offers assessments for free if you take the training with her.
Good luck with your journey mate, maybe see you on the road.
Please tell Carol that ROG says hi
I met Carol a lot in 2005 as we were both instructors at that time
Weedon test routes are not too challenging but Carol will point out the iffy spots
Hyburnate:
It sounds a little off for me to say welcome baring in mind this is my first post but I signed up yet I still can’t cure my itch for two years
Rick80:
Welcome mate, a fellow Rick and also from Kettering!!!
Also just starting out, although I am a little older than you. I got my medical done at a place in Northampton which cost me £56 for a 5 min check over Just passed my theories including mod 2, had to do them over 2 days though, bit annoying travelling to Northampton and back twice!
Got my practical booked w/c 29th of this month… [zb] thats 2 weeks away!!! using Caroles of Corby, she seems good enough and she offers assessments for free if you take the training with her.
Good luck with your journey mate, maybe see you on the road.
Please tell Carol that ROG says hi
I met Carol a lot in 2005 as we were both instructors at that time
Weedon test routes are not too challenging but Carol will point out the iffy spots
Will do ROG, if I remember that is, will more than likely have my head full to think of anything else!!
Rick80:
Welcome mate, a fellow Rick and also from Kettering!!!
Also just starting out, although I am a little older than you. I got my medical done at a place in Northampton which cost me £56 for a 5 min check over Just passed my theories including mod 2, had to do them over 2 days though, bit annoying travelling to Northampton and back twice!
Got my practical booked w/c 29th of this month… [zb] thats 2 weeks away!!! using Caroles of Corby, she seems good enough and she offers assessments for free if you take the training with her.
Good luck with your journey mate, maybe see you on the road.
Wow! Its great to meet another Rick in Kettering! I thought I was the only one from this town on this forum. Glad I am not alone
Also got to say Congratulations on passing your Theories and the Module 2! Nice one!!
I have been looking for places to do my training , The closest to us I thought was Powerdriver UK on the other side of Wellingborough
Had no idea there was a trainer in Corby■■? Will have to research this
Good luck for your journey too and all the best for you on the 29th mate
So a little update for today, I had another go at a full mock theory test and failed it again however I did get 81 out of 100. Considering, I am pleased that the past two weeks of studying has been sinking in . I have really got to nail the braking side of things (retarders) and learn if someone is tangled in electric wires in an accident, I should poke them with a wooden stick . DVLA Theory test makers are a strange bunch! And surely if you are on fire you should stop and get out regardless of being in a tunnel?
I have also found that some of the questions are kind of confusing without actually being able to sit in a cab or observe the various parts of a Lorry itself. I am understanding it but feel as if I don’t totally get it without seeing it for real.
Tunnel fires would kill loads of people if the vehicle is left in it due to smoke and heat and loads of motors stuck behind you plus its harder to get rescue peeps in to deal with it. I agree that some questions are odd until you’ve sat in and driven a truck.
I’ve had a couple of “exams” recently at agencies and companies, I managed to get 99-100% in them so they assume I’ve been driving ages!! I only passed in may !
Theory is one thing but putting it in to practice is what makes it all add up
Keep reading your theory book, it will all sink in and best of luck with your driving course
I have also found that some of the questions are kind of confusing without actually being able to sit in a cab or observe the various parts of a Lorry itself. I am understanding it but feel as if I don’t totally get it without seeing it for real.
Ask your trainer if they offer face to face theory training. It works extremely well and, as we do it, there is access to a truck so everything makes a lot more sense.
Hyburnate:
It sounds a little off for me to say welcome baring in mind this is my first post but I signed up yet I still can’t cure my itch for two years
Hello all, my name is Peter Myers from ■■■■■■■■ I am too doing my HGV/LGV class 2 this sep with systems training in Carlisle.
I know finding work when past is going to be hard so any help out their would be a great help to me.
I found it hard to get the cost of the training but got their in the end, I too is out of work but don’t like been on JSA, I use to be self-employed has a builder and been out of work for a good 3 years now.
RubberDucky89:
I would firstly like to introduce myself , my name is Rick. Hello! I am 23 nearly 24 and from the Northamptonshire , East Midlands region.
I’ve been hit by the truck bug for about 4 years now whilst being fascinated by big wagons from a young age, looking at them going past from the back seat of my parents car.
Currently in the process of having my medical booked for next week and acquired the funds to get my licence in the bag. Hurrah!
I have also bought the DSA books for the Theory and Practical Tests and studying them religiously.
Reason why I joined this forum is to get to know the many other drivers out there, make friends and learn about everything that is involved with driving trucks from people that are at the stage where I want to be. ( I apologise in advance if I ask too many questions)
I was hit hard by the recession once I left college ( Worst time to leave '10 ) and have struggled to find any long term employment in the past 3 years where I live so now it seems like getting my licence will open up a lifetime career for me.
I am aware that it can be hard to get employed first off and its not the best paid of jobs out there but being able to get off JSA , work without supervision, driving to new/different places , carrying different loads , dealing with weather and events of the roads and driving in all sorts of Cabs feels like an adventure I want to be a part of.
I will be making a diary of my learning process and post it on here for you guys/gals to read anyway I look forward to speaking to ya’ll soon.
Hello did you find a training company to do you HGV/LGV class 2?
Hyburnate:
It sounds a little off for me to say welcome baring in mind this is my first post but I signed up yet I still can’t cure my itch for two years
Is that because you are age 16 ?
Yes, is this where I say goodbye to my account?
Not at-all, we’ve had younger than you on this board, so feel free to stick around and participate
I am 23 nearly 24 and from the Northamptonshire , East Midlands region.
.
It’ll be nice to see your story on how someone local gets on and where you take your lessons etc so I can use the same place some time in the future 
Just passed my theories including mod 2, had to do them over 2 days though, bit annoying travelling to Northampton and back twice!
