Your First Artic job

Just waiting for my licence to come back and I’m ready to start hunting for a new job.
I know there are a few companies out there that will take a pass certificate but I’d rather wait for the plastic to come back; as agencies want that.

So how did you guys get on with your first day; admittedly i’m more nervous about being let loose in an arctic on my own then when I done my first rigid job. My biggest concern being the reverse. I can do the test reverse but reversing onto a bay between two other trailers is beyond me I think. Did anyone else have this issue?

The way I looked at it was like this, I have been given the license that proves I can drive a c+e vehicle, I’m going to ■■■■ well do it to the best of my ability and reverse until I get it right each time and not give a ■■■■ about if anyone sees me getting out the cab to make sure I’m clear.

It doesn’t take long to get into the “swing” of it

Pretty much as Arborist said mate. Doesn’t matter how many shunts or how many looks you take as long as you get it where you want it without death, damage or injury. I’ve not been on Artic for long but already seen a huge improvement in my abilities, practice makes perfect pal so don’t sweat it [emoji846][emoji1303]

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wing it and get stuck in…drop your passenger window,and dont be afraid to dive across the cab mid shunt for a peek till your in,same for your own side…get off your bum and have a scope,that way there will be no disasters…you will do allrignt till your put into an empty yard with 5 empty bays each side of you,then you will wonder why you cant get it on straight

dieseldog999:
wing it and get stuck in…drop your passenger window,and dont be afraid to dive across the cab mid shunt for a peek till your in,same for your own side…get off your bum and have a scope,that way there will be no disasters…you will do allrignt till your put into an empty yard with 5 empty bays each side of you,then you will wonder why you cant get it on straight

Always happens to me [emoji23] now find it much easier backing between trucks / trailers then I do on to empty bays [emoji56] and why is it when you do an awesome job of the reverse and look like you’ve been at it for years there’s no one around for miles!! [emoji23]

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adam277:
Did anyone else have this issue?

Probably all unless they had previous experience, maybe shunting in a yard before they passed…

Your reversing will be crap, end of!
How you improve that will be down to you and how you approach it.
You can try and save a bit of time, chancing that you’re all right. Or you get out and check!
Time and the pressure of rushing, being you grading yourself, or holding others up, plays a part in your reversing.
Ignore time, don’t rush, check and double check, especially whilst your green…
Basically be careful first off, learning whilst you go along.

As for the reversing, it’s first about setting yourself up well, and not overdoing the steering, which you will…
Only ACTUAL practice will really teach you how to do it, sorry!

Best of luck, and we learn by our mistakes!

My first Class 1 job was at the same place I was with my Class 2.

One of be first times I backed into a bay I was going nice and slowly then heard a truck beeping at me so I stopped got out and looked on the near side to see there was nothing wrong. So I went to him and said why beep I thought I was gonna hit something. His reply was I’m in a hurry and your taking too long. My reply was oh well stop beeping then unless I’m gonna hit something and I’d already be on the bay. Btw I only passed last week and walked off and backed on in my time not his.

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Yep I was very apprehensive to drive a CE after passing…I mean could I do it I kept asking myself and now 9 months on I still sometimes kick myself knowing that I can.

Reversing still unhinges me but I copied a post from a fellow forum member that is sound advice…

its all mind games especially with that 44ft trailer and three wheels with a bendy bit in the middle but here goes…

The Rule of thumb

"The first point is the set up when going forwards. Make it so you can go back as straight as possible.

I had been told to get the trailer straight with whatever you are going into rather than putting it in at angle. When trying to do this however I found myself turning it too early and ending up with the trailer too far over to the off side.

I’d been told time and time again, just put a little bit of lock on because the more you put on the more you’ve got to take off. When going into a tight space I found this was always putting me in at that angle which you see so many newbies doing.

One day at the depot I was asked to reverse a trailer with each door only a few inches wider than the trailer, so you’ve got to get it right and you’ve got to get it straight, and there’s not enough forward space so you have to pretty much go round 90 degrees to get in.

I was told to go all the way back out, then put the end of the trailer further past than what you think before starting to turn. Then he said put loads of lock on, and almost jack knife it to spin the trailer on the spot, but then when it gets about halfway round the turn then quickly put opposite lock on to get straight. This way when the unit had come round I was straight with the entrance and only had to put small amounts of lock on to make small adjustments to where the trailer was going.

Ever since then, I’ve applied what he told me to this type of reverse which I was struggling with for so long. Go a little bit further past than what your instinct is telling you, then bang on loads of lock until the trailer starts spinning on the spot, then about half way round the turn really quickly take it all off. Then it’s just small adjustments to correct it. For me, it seems to work every time. Also you want to start with your trailer as far away in front of what your going into as possible. This will give you more leeway to correct it once you’ve swung it round. If you start with your trailer too close then you still risk going in at that dreaded angle. So I’m not saying the advice about only put a little on is wrong. It’s not wrong, it’s right. What I’m saying is you need a fair bit of lock to initially turn the trailer, then once that’s done you only need a little bit at a time to make small corrections.

I’ve found that if your reversing into something that is the opposite way round such as you’ve got a nice wide gateway but the space forward is really tight, then I’ve found its best to keep tight to the kerb on the side where the gate is, and then put on a little lock on at a time, because if you put too much on then you won’t be able to take it off quick enough as the unit will be over the other side of the road either about the swing into a wall or go up the kerb there."

Good Luck and God Bless

Reversing first day out in a bendy ain’t funny or easy but you did your test passed and got your first gig so easy does it,as already said “get out and LOOK don’t matter how many times”.
Better than thinking yep I’m fine i know what I’m doing and Crunch too late hit something or worse somebody.
Get to where you need pull forward much as possible,try to imagine driving out the spot and try and reverse the same way,easier to do than explain.

Delivered to the Arndale Manchester last week went round the the bay only 1 left was between a post and a compactor,had a skip opposite so far over as I could,started reversing started to bend it round the post gap disappeared stopped pulled forward took 3 shunts to get round the post 6" gap and 2ft from the compactor got out to look 6 times,held up traffic as its the last bay on the right before the exit BUT even tho I have driving bendys long enough also know you can’t guess stuff can’t see ? Look

I hated doing the Arndale Centre. Its bad enough in a rigid!

Radar19:
I hated doing the Arndale Centre. Its bad enough in a rigid!

It’s half way round,dips then back up PITA if its wet have to stop at the bottom if your light its a gamble if you make it.
Stupid bloody height limit 13’1" aswell have to stop by security drop the air out the trailer and unit and crawl round making all kind of bumps and bangs.

Daytrunker:

Radar19:
I hated doing the Arndale Centre. Its bad enough in a rigid!

It’s half way round,dips then back up PITA if its wet have to stop at the bottom if your light its a gamble if you make it.
Stupid bloody height limit 13’1" aswell have to stop by security drop the air out the trailer and unit and crawl round making all kind of bumps and bangs.

I want to know who designed the entrance, because they need a bloody good slap!

My first time out in an artic was shunting containers from Brain Haulage in Thurrock to 39 berth Tilbury docks.

With a 20’ skelly!

It was some time ago (1986) and the unit I had was a complete dog with the most evil crunchy gearbox ever and it nearly broke my hand that night.

Reversing in between the tyres at the entrance to the bays and getting straight between the lines was something that I appeared unable to do, made even harder by the fact it was at night and I could hardly see the lines. I took shunt after shunt until the sweat was running into my eyes and I still couldn’t get the trailer to go anywhere near where I wanted it to go. My reversing looked like a chase scene from the Benny Hill Show!

31yrs later and I’m a bit better at it now, on a good day I can put a trailer in a spot a ■■■ papers width bigger than the trailer, but I’ll never forget that first night in Tisbury as long as I live.

Done my test in a Ford Custom day cab with windows all round and a 20ft flat bed trailer. Next day I was driving a Merc sleeper cab with a fully loaded 45ft box trailer. Massive learning curve.

Only passed just over a month ago and was sweating it about the reversing! Was put onto nights having to reverse onto bays between other motors etc. My advice to you is just take your time. Watch others do it in the yard before it’s your turn. Look out for some of the banana guides on the ground as some of the bigger ones can rip off your mudguards! Remember to open your doors before backing onto the bay. I forgot the other night and felt a right prat when the loader brought my keys back out and said “I’m not a bloody magician mate” lol. It’s amazing how quickly it will come to you though! Don’t worry about anybody else watching you, they have all been through it! Take your time and if it looks close it probably is so take a shunt! Treat it as a challenge to yourself and enjoy the experience before it becomes mundane. Good luck.

My first day on class 1 involved a run down to Morrisons at the old Willand RDC. I got one of the first bays where you had to reverse from the main road then through the entrance and bend it round the gatehouse onto the bay. I took me ages to get it on a bay all the while a Samworth Brothers driver was sat in his cab watching me and laughing his head off while struggled on.

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smokinbarrels:
My first day on class 1 involved a run down to Morrisons at the old Willand RDC. I got one of the first bays where you had to reverse from the main road then through the entrance and bend it round the gatehouse onto the bay. I took me ages to get it on a bay all the while a Samworth Brothers driver was sat in his cab watching me and laughing his head off while struggled on.

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Samworths obviously not a proper driver,any decent driver would have got out not sat there taking the P.

In the early 90’s I passed my class 1 and a week later I was on my way to London with a 20’ Tank container full of acid on a swan neck trailer. Id been given directions by a couple of our drivers . part of the instructions were " go over three flyovers then turn right" I got over the second flyover and got stuck in traffic. I then made the mistake of asking a local how to get to where I was going he said " don’t go over the 3rd flyover turn right underneath " so this is what I did. the road seemed a little narrow but I was going ok till I came round a corner and was met by a bridge I couldn’t get under with traffic backed up behind me took me forever to reverse out. I came close to leaving it there and giving up. Its a steep learning curve. but worth it in the end … I think