Hi everyone,
I am a newly qualified C+E and I am really hopeless at reversing. I just managed to pass the test, but am really worried if I get a driver assessment. Does it get easier or am I doomed to stay with rigids?
Thanks for looking
Doug
The only way to get better is practice practice practice
Don’t worry it will come , just take your time
Do you know anyone or a company that does yard shunting where you could get some experience by working for free alongside their regular shunter 
Hi Doug.
As Blue said its like anything it’s practice,its in the rules everyone is supposed to be rubbish at class 1 reversing and never think you will get the hang of it to start with,but you will it just takes time.
As for the assesment tell them its your first time reversing after your test everyone has to start somewhere.
When you get your first job you will look on here in a few months time and see another newbie post the same thing and think that was me once.
Jeff.
Edit.just to add to Rog’s post think all companies should do that with a newbie
Thanks for the replies. It is reassuring to know others have felt the same.
Doug
An alternative is just drive everywhere forwards [emoji12][emoji12]
Just take your time no matter how impatient others around you are getting and get out as many time as you want/need to make sure your happy your clear when backing in.
Relax and enjoy
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When I learned Class 1 (many, many years ago) I nearly went sick on the day of the test as I simply couldn’t do the reverse exercise. But I went and took the test and did a fluke reverse. I spent the next two years with yardmen despairing and saying stuff like “anywhere you like Pete, it doesn’t matter”. I was totally useless. Never did serious harm to anything or anybody but my point is that perseverance is key.
I have been teaching the dark art of reversing well over 40 years now and have every sympathy with folks who don’t find it easy.
Don’t give up.
Pete 
Another way to practice is to get hold of a car with a caravan or large box trailer
The principals involved are exactly the same as artic reversing
Steer from the bottom half of the wheel. Less is more, I find one turn sorts out most problems, it’s very rare I go to full lock. As said, get out if in doubt. When you’re reversing a straight line, watch your mirrors and if you see the trailer drift, from the top half of the wheel, turn about quarter to half a turn towards the drift, hold it about half a second, then take it off.
Relax, breathe and take it easy! It will come and become easy. I was in the lucky position to get a job as a shunter for the last 6 months which has helped, but my new job is on a wagon and drag, so it’s back to school for me too. I’m not as worried about the reversing, I know I’ll figure it out, I’m more worried about the coupling as that’s all new to me and I know you have to be more precise. I will be getting out a lot!
Half the fun of this job is learning something new.
I could have written this post 6 months ago, almost felt sick every time I had to reverse for a couple of months after passing my test. It’s all about the planning and if u set yourself up well it will be so much easier, as you go along you will learn how to get yourself out of trouble and how to avoid getting yourself in it in the first place. Seriously nobody was born knowing how to reverse a 40ft trailer and if anyone tells you they were a master after passing their test they are talking crap.
I’m pretty much in your shoes now. Just landed myself a job with longs of Leeds and they are having me shunting on the Dock for the first week for this very reason. It’s such a relief to know I’ll get plenty of practice reversing in early. Still dreading being sent out solo and that first solo reverse, but I’m sure it’ll get easier in time as so many have already said.
I hadn’t ever driven an artic before (got license on W&D nearly 10 years ago) so with only a brief refresher the day before assessment I was naturally bricking it. Just took my time (to the extreme) and explained to the assessor. It’s been said before by many more experienced than me and it paid off.
Good luck and don’t let it put you off
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Especially in this weather you must have clean windows and mirrors, without those you’ve lost before you start, so in your arsenal keep a spray bottle of water and a rubber squeegee blade, this is the quick way to shift salt spray.
But keeping those windows and mirrors clean helps all driving not just reversing.
Practice is the key, but i suggest not at customer premises.
At least once every day pull into a service area or lorry park, select a marked bay (the lines are a great help for learning) away from everyone else where you can’t possibly do any damage, and spend at least 15 minutes putting that lorry in the bay from all angles.
During this time try different ways of doing it, this includes how you go about the reverse, we are all different, personally i open the door and lean out for reversing on my own side, i’ve done this for over 40 years and haven’t fallen out yet, most people wind the drivers window down and lean out, some do it entirely by the mirrors…this latter crew seem to be the ones who overshoot pins when picking up trailers
Blind siding is another work of art, but one you must conquer because you will get them, these are best practiced and perfected at places such as i mentioned, take your time learning this, it will pay you back many fold.
When you stop for a break at a MSA, do not use the drive in/out bays if there is an alternative, those in out bays are for the drivers who can’t drive so leave them free for those 
.
By the way i still blind side the lorry in at every given opportunity, in particular this is the reverse that needs perfecting, any fool can reverse in on their own side after a few shunts, its the blind siders that catch you out and where damage usually happens.
Don’t worry by the way, no lorry driver was ever born with a certificate of perfect reversing clutched in his tiny mitt.
Important and overlooked by far too many,
mirrors must be set up properly, we are not on bird watching duties for the rspb so there is no need for mirrors to be sky view because they might as well be chucked away as be pointing upwards.
Your mirrors want to be set fairly low, so you can see all tyres apart from the steer axle, though you can see that in your kerbside mirror and from out the drivers door/window, and they want to set outwards, you don’t need to read the signwriting on the cab, you only need to see the lorry in a small part of the mirror nearest the cab, so set them up sensibly before you set off.
Watch the wheels, they are your guide, learn where the trailer pivots, three axle trailers usually pivot on the middle axle, if two axles only or two axles on the ground (if the third axle is raised) then it pivots at a mid point between the two…though this can change on uneven or altering ground.
Don’t worry mate, I was exactly the same when I started two weeks ago, slowly getti g the hang of it now and some of the yards I reverse in are awful. Best tips I have had so far:
Set up is key. Getting the initial position helps massively with the reverse
Less is more. Turn the wheel slightly then when the trailer starts to bend straighten the wheels push it to see where it is going
Don’t let any one rush you. Especially hero’s who will tell you it’s a piece of ■■■■. Tell them to jog on
When I get to a delivery, I tell the back door man that I’m a new pass so it may take me a while.
Enjoy it. Nothing better than finally getting it right
Juddian…those old 40’ single axle trailers,with the axle right at the back,sorted out the men from the boys back in the old days!
carryfast-yeti:
Juddian…those old 40’ single axle trailers,with the axle right at the back,sorted out the men from the boys back in the old days!
That was the first box trailer I shunted as a night yard shunter for national carriers leicester with a ford unit - the driver teaching me said - it dont get no worse than this !
Don’t worry , I’m back to work after a week off so my reversing will be like the Ops 
ROG:
carryfast-yeti:
Juddian…those old 40’ single axle trailers,with the axle right at the back,sorted out the men from the boys back in the old days!That was the first box trailer I shunted as a night yard shunter for national carriers leicester with a ford unit - the driver teaching me said - it dont get no worse than this !
Unfortunately it did get worse, not so long ago i had to use a single axle urban trailer, which you may think would be no problem, except that single axle steered 
Took a lot of getting used to, worse reversing because if you looked at the side of the trailer as normal you’d end up in the next bay 
, you had to ignore the body and watch the trailer wheels.
Another fun set up, was car transporter artic with peak over the cab, plus you’d usually have a car with a long arse reversed onto that peak, that peak deck and 4ft of car sticking out in front went a hell of a long way out when you turned sharp corners.
I got all the good jobs
And yes i well remember my first attempts as reversing an artic, however with no power steering and hauling the wheel round with one leg braced against the dash you learned pretty quick.
I don’t know where you are and what your plans are but is there a Stobarts, Downtown, Turners etc near you?
They will give you a start and most importantly if you are struggling help you. I had major issues and spoke to the driver trainer and had a morning in the yard with him. Made a huge difference. People knock these companies but they are a steady start. With 6 months on your card loads more doors open, trust me 
I used to get the feeling sick at the thought of reversing, but that is nothing compared to the day out on your own when you think WHAT HAVE I DONE, I CAN’T BE A DRIVER WHAT A WASTE.
But just stick at it and take your time. I got out 3 times on one reverse the other day, but I didn’t hit anything and I wasn’t late so it seems like a success to me.
Take your time don’t rush get out & look as many times as you want as has been said clean mirrors & windows ( I can’t lean out of the door or hold it open partly due to being 147cm )
If someone around ask to watch you back ask for help I have done but also watched drivers back even experienced in a tight position never panic stop take a deep breath & start again