Hello all,
I started my training a few weeks ago with Peter Smythe, commuting from Birmingham to Mansfield each day which was 60-65 miles. My thinking was that if I could pass in an area I didn’t know, it would give me a lot more confidence in general.
Booking was effortless through Tracey, she was just as happy to deal with me on a Tuesday morning as on a Friday afternoon at 16.50 when I called to pay in full. Initially I placed a deposit which resulted in an e-mail detailing my day and who would be training me.
I wanted to do my CPC on the same day as one of my lessons given the commute, this wasn’t an issue. Trained and passed on the same day then continued to my lesson in the afternoon.
My trainer’s name was Paul and he instantly made me feel at ease, it made it a bit easier that I drove buses previously but that ended in 2016 so was a bit apprehensive jumping in a truck. Paul took me to a quiet industrial estate to begin with and demonstrated what would be expected of me on the test along the way, I jumped in the driving seat and started banging out some left/right turns etc and felt ready to go. At the end of each day I would get a debrief of where I’m at and my confidence just grew.
I failed my first attempt unfortunately, this was due to a silly mistake where I crossed the line slightly once the lights had changed quickly. I think this came off the back of staying in a budget B&B where I barely got any sleep. Had I not made my silly error I would have passed with 3 minors.
Passed on the 2nd attempt this morning, I was a little anxious as it was a little over a week since driving the truck and it was during rush hour. Fortunately the trucks are effortless to drive and I settled in quite quickly.
Reversing area was spot on, lots of helpful tips. I didn’t ■■■■ it up once!
Inbetween everything, there was a free drink dispenser offering coffee and tea which was invaluable for those days I was a bit tired. Not so far away from this machine is the Receptionist Rosina who is very helpful and will make small talk with you so you’re not just stood around in silence, I felt this was a nice touch.
I couldn’t fault the place to be honest, everything from the building to the vehicles was immaculate and as I say the staff were fantastic.
Chuffed to finally say I’ve achieved this license!
Sorry if any of this is a bit cheesey I’m not great at reviews.