Bit of a late announcement but I managed to pass Class 1 last week with Keep it Simple training school in Chelmsford. That was my second attempt (first one ended really quick on reversing where I panicked and started shunting before passing cone B making a huge mess. Got few minors for being to close to vehicles in front while stationary, lack of mirror check here and there but overall it is the blue paper that matters.
I can recommend Val and Peter from Keep it Simple. Decent price (999 for 4 days + test on their artic) and Chelmsford is a really nice area to take your test (nothing too tricky although lots of narrow country roads where those instructors tend to take you to hone your passing and judgment skills).
Next in line is a Driver Development Course with Wallace which I booked for 27.08. It is advertised as a nice 4 hour skill honing course during which you drive a manual Class 2 truck (handy) and get shown stuff which you would usually have to learn the hard way on your own (tacho, loading etc). I though this might be useful since my lack of Class 2 experience (still driving a van/suv at work).
Now a well deserved week of holiday, DDC and start the job hunting from next month.
When I passed I opted to be thrown in at the deep end… “there’s your keys, here’s your drops”
Passed Class 2 in Dec 17 and Class 1 in Feb this year. I failed Class 1 first time dodging a van and mounting the pavement in doing so… ■■■■ van drivers [emoji23]
rog:
Keep it simple LGV training has been added to the members recommended list of providers
thanks. I’d rather minimize the chance of soiling my pants first week on the job if I have the chance to do so.
As for Keep it Simple they are subcontractors of Flair Training School in Chelmsford (at least for Class 1). I went with Flair just to be put through to Val from Keep it Simple.
albion:
Congratulations and listening to some of the stories, think it’s a good idea to have a hone your skills course.
Good luck with getting a good job!
Some of the stories… Be honest Albion. You mean reading my threads
That all being said - a bit of prep before your first shift will be spot on. Still remember mine… Signed up with the agency and they asked for references etc… Took pics of all my cards. Which I’d owned for about two days. Two hours later at about 2pm agency call:
“can you be at a ■■■ company tomorrow at 4am?”
“yeah why not - but I don’t really have a lot of experience will there be someone to help me?”
“don’t worry it’s just pallets on a rigid - nice easy job for you”
So I went home had a couple of vodka and cokes and started to prep myself. Googled the company etc… Then realised I had no idea how tachos work, how curtains work, how to strap loads… So I asked on here. I was told that I was being a bit reckless. Sod it I though - it can’t be that hard. I have some technical difficulties like not owning steel toe caps at this point - but I did have some walking boots so thought they’d do.
Well I woke up a bit late and I then drove to the wrong place. Google maps is spot on - but if the same company have 2/3 depots in the city you can have problems. I finally worked this out and ended up arriving at 5.30ish. Straight to the brand new truck. Eager to please I skipped all the checks, forgot to put my card in and set off for the gate.
At this point I didn’t know it was the drivers responsibility to close the doors. And only realised when they were flailing around whilst I drove through the big yard. I also felt the fuel was a bit low… So went into the transport office and explained this. They gave me the key for the fuel pump. I just couldn’t get it to work. So the shunter helped me. I couldn’t understand why it wouldn’t put more than 2/3 litres in. The problem being I’d confused the fuel and adblue and I infact had half a tank of adblue.
This was the start of my problems that day. On the first drop I crashed the brand new 67 plate truck. It was a week old. I also kept setting the smoke/fire alarm off in the wagon with my vape. This was highly annoying. And to add insult to injury - I ended up passing down 6 pallets of goods I’d broken down to some poor warehouse lad at B&H bargains as I didn’t know enough to know that this truck had a taillift and the forklift driver had gone home.
All in all - at this time it was a bit traumatic. I look back fondly at my driving journey. But a bit of training on the basics is a good idea.
albion:
Congratulations and listening to some of the stories, think it’s a good idea to have a hone your skills course.
Good luck with getting a good job!
Some of the stories… Be honest Albion. You mean reading my threads
Lots of newbie stories…yeah, but mostly yours
See the benefit of double manning - most of the ‘what is this for?’, where is the…’ and ‘why do we have to do ?..ah, oops, that’s why’, doesn’t happen
What can I say… I’m an adventurer. I like to find my own way - and discover things out. (Especially when I’m not footing the bill).
The nice thing about haulage - is that once you have learnt the basics of class 2 you can go and get a class 1 licence and reek carnage with that. Then you can get a HIAB ticket and do the same. The possibilities are endless for causing grief to people who work in the office.
Joking aside - I think the double manning system (mentoring if you want to call it that) is fantastic. IF you have the right person doing the mentoring. It’s either a top-notch way to not turn into a SammyM or a great way to hate the job if you put with the wrong person.
It is pretty good sammy, and what we normally do is put a newbie out with a range of people and once they are settled in, we know who they get on with and who they don’t. In fairness, none of mine are objectionable hovel dwellers, so it works well 99% of the time.
albion:
Sorry OP we are hi-jacking your thread here>
It is pretty good sammy, and what we normally do is put a newbie out with a range of people and once they are settled in, we know who they get on with and who they don’t. In fairness, none of mine are objectionable hovel dwellers, so it works well 99% of the time.
No, thats fine. In fact sammy’s story was exactly what I needed to reassure myself I did the right thing.
making a huge mess. Got few minors for being to close to vehicles in front while stationary, lack of mirror check here and there but overall it is the blue paper that matters.
