johnteller:
Distance work is mostly class one, and I dread to think what you would do with an artic!Learn from it and move on. Sounds to me like your special awareness needs work, and ironically you are in the perfect job for that. Take your time, take a mental picture of where you’re manoeuvreing. Get out and look if necessary (or better still, get the lazy gits with you to help) you have to know when you’re getting close to something and be more aware.
Dustcart… best driving job you can have. I did commercial work for a while covering for someone off sick and loved it. You have an easier job than I had for reversing as in commercial work the 1100L bins are always in the most awkward places.
“get out and look” (never a truer word spoken) every time! only costs 30 secs. In tight spaces get your window open, get out and go to rear, then (say you have a foot spare), then watch and measure the distance from the centre of the wheel or the step to a point back on the ground (a certain stone or something). I still use that method in a recovery truck to avoid missing gates etc at folks homes. When you get tried is when you make mistakes. I get out and look all the time especially when it’s half light or dark.
I understand your anxiety - my first couple of days I wondered how I would cope. But never touched anything… always get out and look. I don’t like other folk giving directions either… the driver is responsible.
Think of it this way - you’ll have the best reversing skills in a short while.