Failed class 1 on Friday, failed badly at reverse exercise got myself in a mess and panicked took my two shunts but forgot to straighten up and made things worse. Then left myself with no room to take a 3rd shunt even if I could, sat there for a minute knowing I was totally [zb]d! Then took the third shunt and straightened up outside the yellow lines examiner came over told me I’d failed and that was it, didn’t even get out on the road.
Didn’t feel confident with my reverse going in, didn’t get to practice reversing on Thursday because a bus broke down at the gates of the test pad. Instructor told me we would spend my hour before test at the pad reversing, head on collision happens at the junction before test pad and I watch the clock in horror as my hour drifts away. Got up to the test pad 10 minutes before my test and the examiner appears. I’m standing at the cones and my instructor says RUN RUN you’ll get one practice if you’re quick. Nerves where already bad before all this but after running to the lorry and rushing to get a practice with the examiner standing watching totally [zb] me. Made a mess of it reversed back to starting position and the examiner gave me the thumbs up and it was test time.
Don’t feel I had a fair crack to be honest and just can’t wait to get back for a resit, told the company who done my training the circumstances where unacceptable and I want 2 hours to practice before my resit to make up for it. My instructor knew my reverse wasn’t good enough but failed to give me the time to sort it out we established I was struggling on Wednesday it’s not good enough, I know these things can’t be helped but he should have compromised. Also his method was not sinking in for the reverse exercise should he not have explored alternatives? Seen one online that said steer from the bottom of the wheel so left hand up trailer goes left I think that makes more sense to me than right hand down to go left.
On the upside I went out to an empty yard last night with a friend and reversed for fun in his artic in the dark, set up a similar scenario and had absolutely no problems he couldn’t see how I managed to mess it up and said my reversing was spot on, so that’s made me feel a lot better.
Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
I would expect some extra training for free and maybe a free lorry. Book another test, threats of name and shame might help.
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Easy to say, and I failed on reverse first time but try to control your nerves.
The shunts are there to be used so use if you need to but make sure you go as far forward as you can. I used to be the master of the 2 foot shunt 
Other than that have a practice to try and settle the nerves and you should be fine 
Wheel Nut:
I would expect some extra training for free and maybe a free lorry. Book another test, threats of name and shame might help.
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I didn’t want it to come across as “sour grapes” but the more I think about it the angrier I get, looking back I wasn’t given a fair shake.
Interesting. On one hand you say that the instructor hasn’t managed to train you - and yet you’ve been told by an experienced driver that there’s no problem with reversing. The circumstances around the missing last bit of practice are so unlucky and, it seems, beyond your trainer’s control. So have you really got cause for complaint? It doesn’t seem to have been the trainer’s fault so why should they pay?
On the other hand, I would give you the truck for a test and a couple of hours training because I always make sure the customer is happy. But not everyone would take the same generous view.
Better luck next time.
Pete 
Peter Smythe:
Interesting. On one hand you say that the instructor hasn’t managed to train you - and yet you’ve been told by an experienced driver that there’s no problem with reversing. The circumstances around the missing last bit of practice are so unlucky and, it seems, beyond your trainer’s control. So have you really got cause for complaint? It doesn’t seem to have been the trainer’s fault so why should they pay?
On the other hand, I would give you the truck for a test and a couple of hours training because I always make sure the customer is happy. But not everyone would take the same generous view.
Better luck next time.
Pete
Thank you Pete. I’m feeling more confident today just hope I don’t need to wait for too long for a resit.
It’s not that my instructor didn’t manage to train me it’s the fact that he established a problem with my reverse on Wednesday night then couldn’t facilitate me the time to work on it properly, some things happen out with our control and cant be helped but when you pay for an hour’s training before test and you’ve had a seed of doubt planted in your head about a particular element of the test, you naturally want that hour to put it right, then instead you get one rushed attempt with the examiner watching before the real thing, it’s not really the ideal scenario to an already stressful task.
All sounds unfortunate and I totally get your point.
IMO it’s best put behind you and move on to pass your next test.
Pete
kcrussell25:
Easy to say, and I failed on reverse first time but try to control your nerves.
The shunts are there to be used so use if you need to but make sure you go as far forward as you can. I used to be the master of the 2 foot shunt
Other than that have a practice to try and settle the nerves and you should be fine
Good advice Kev indeed, and as a side note, many thanks regarding the other information you brought to my attention 
eagerbeaver:
kcrussell25:
Easy to say, and I failed on reverse first time but try to control your nerves.
The shunts are there to be used so use if you need to but make sure you go as far forward as you can. I used to be the master of the 2 foot shunt
Other than that have a practice to try and settle the nerves and you should be fine
Good advice Kev indeed, and as a side note, many thanks regarding the other information you brought to my attention
No problem, I hope it helps
Put it behind you ,Do not over think the fail .move forward and pass next time .All the best .