Passed my C test in early January with 8 Minors but haven’t driven a truck since.
I’m still at my old job partly because I wanted to wait until I had C+E but also I didn’t realise how hard it would be to find Class 2 work. Yes the old one “you need 2 years experience” if I had known how hard its going to be to find HGV work I don’r think I would have done it
I’m still glad I have though because as I said in the postings in November I’ve wanted to drive trucks since I was a little nipper (over 30 Years)
The small haulage firm that asked me in September “if you pass would you consider working for us?” are really quiet with all the trucks standing in the yard. So even though they would employ without HGV experience the lack of work for them rules that one out until it picks up.
So back to Paul at Elmet Driver Training in the morning and driving the same truck I passed C in but this time with a drawbar trailer on the back! I have been watching how to reverse with a drawbar trailer on you tube, doesn’t look too bad but looking forward to having a go and finding out myself
Also no idea about the coupling, Paul told me in January that it was easy but when you have never done it…
With the trailer it will be quite a bit longer than a artic! Paul has told me how long but I can’t remember
Ok I’ll post on here how it goes tomorrow. I guess I’ll probably be driving round north east Leeds Roundhay etc
Below is a link to my cat C training
Rob
PS I’ll try to get a photo of the truck and trailer coupled up tomorrow.
Dont worry about coupling and uncoupling mate easiest part of the job you will soon come to terms with it… I had the same problem finding work with my class 1. I passed when I was 17 in the army. I fell lucky and got a start with an international firm I went sweden and places like that wouldn’t advise going accross the water though I did 7 months and didn’t enjoy it to say the least. Now I’m delivering spuds and carrots up and down the country started my new job today, there is hope out there once you pass just don’t give up the job is easy enough you just need to find the right firm to give you a start to get some experience there are firms out there willing to do it! GOOD LUCK
Started off coupling up so we could go straight to the reversing area. Lining up wasn’t too bad but then Paul said I was been too soft with it and the locking pin wasn’t dropping and engaging properly. I tried again but still nothing Paul climbed in the cab and slammed the linkage so hard I thought the trailer was going to bounce out of the yard! Bingo it worked and we were off to start reversing.
Paul explained in detail what i should be looking for and how to know if its not going right. I did the reverse 3 times and was told would have passed all 3 times 2nd one I needed to do a shunt but was pleased as quite a few very experienced class 1 drivers had told me the reverse was the hardest bit! So then it was onto the uncouple and recouple. Again full explanation of the hard and easy way to do it. I did it twice but had problems again with the pin dropping, I think i’m just frightened of damaging something I now know what people are talking about with the red airline. Was a bit tricky to get on, I guess maybe a bit harder on the W+D because you have to climb underneath the rear to do it and theres not a lot of room.
Next it was out on the road. I was surprised how much I had the use the gears more sometimes setting off in 2nd and using the splitter on the climbs. Most of the time though you almost forget the trailer is there that is until I got to the Leeds outer ring road. Came up to the roundabout as paul said “make a left turn” No problem I thought until it was pointed out that I hadn’t left any room for the trailer and scuffed the tyres all the way round the kerb! Next left turn and had to be told again to leave room and swing out so 3rd roundabout I was ready
I enjoyed today and I think I was soon back into swing of HGV driving again. It seemed ages since I had driven a truck (6th Jan) but back out on the road and I felt like i’d come home again.
I’m doing more reversing 1st thing and then uncouple recouple I hope it comes more natural tomorrow, I really don’t want to do a good test then ■■■■ it up at the end coupling bit!!!
Then we are going to Harrogate and Knaresborugh. After dinner I think we will be back to north east Leeds Wetherby road, Coal Road etc.
I’ll post another update tomorrow, test Friday morning
Another and last day over with driving test tomorow morning
Back to the reversing area and did a couple more. Needed 1 shunt on the 1st but second go better. So thats 5 goes at the reverse and all ok I think I’ll be ok on this but who knows!
Then on to the uncouple/recouple, 1st one pin didn’t drop again so back into cab and really gave it some hammer and hey presto it dropped but then had trouble remembering the correct order of what to do. Really started to worry about it but second go (and final before test ) did go better so fingers crossed.
Then it was up to Harrogate and Knaresborough. Really intense today and hard work we seemed to hardly ever stop.
Got told off for making a car stop and wait on roundabout. I was told I would fail for that but I was on the roundabout before the car but because he was going faster than me and a Peugeot 406 is much shorter than the 18ton truck with 10ton trailer I was driving he caught me up! If thats the rules then fair enough but seems a little unfair to me. Also happened again with a Jag that was moving a bit, I did have the sun dazzling me and just didn’t see him until I was commited to entering the roundabout He did take me by supprise. Hope this doesn’t happen on test or it will be bad news
After dinner we went into Wetherby town and a small ind estate, quite tight and loads of parked cars. Again quite tiring and lots of concentration. A bloke on his C+E test came the other way with the instructor that passed me last month on Cat C, hope thats a good omen
At least I feel a lot calmer this time that I did for Cat C the night before.
Will post what happens tomorrow.
Hello everyone, Yes its true I passed with 6 minors
Sorry I would have been on here Friday but we went away for the weekend almost as soon as I got home
Didn’t start off great, the only part I wasn’t worried about was the reverse and guess what, its the part that I almost fell at the first hurdle!!
I needed 1 shunt to straighten up and then only went and touched the barrier at the back! I thought I had blown it! But just another minor.
Then straight onto uncouple/couple before going out on the road. I was worried about this and was pleased to get it over with. First attempt to recouple the pin didn’t quite drop so back into the cab and really gave it some and all was well. This I think I was most worried about but it was fine.
Then out for a drive, cocked up gears coming out of test center! 1 minor. A1M South, turn off A64 towards Leeds. Got a minor here when coming off the A1 even though I started to signal at second marker and checked mirrors? I really don’t know why.
Turned on the usual Thorner road tight left then left again on mini roundabout no problems and down to the Leeds outer ring road for a quite sharp and tight right turn. think this was fine.
Now along ring road until A58 Wetherby road and back towards the test center. When I got to the big main roundabout near wetherby police station it was really busy with none of the cars using there indicators. I seemed to wait for ages as I didn’t know where they were going. I knew if I pulled out and a car came round it would be an instant fail At last it seemed fine but then a van that I was sure was turning off vied a bit to the right and I stopped again as thought he was going to come my way. He didn’t and turned off so I went again but got a minor (undue hesitation) but would rather get that than instant fail!
Got back to Walton test center having no idea if I had passed or not and seemed to wait an age before the examiner said I’d done it
Not sure where I got the other minors, 1 was steering and other change direction but didn’t notice getting them.
When I saw paul (EDT) again I asked him about the examiner i’d had (R G Kitchen) and he said he was one of the bosses and not here very often!
So here I am a full C+E licence holder, I can’t wait for it to come back from the DVLA All I had on New Years day was C1 from when i passed my car test 21 years ago
If your in the Yorkshire area thinking of LGV training then Elmet Driver Training is fantastic. Paul is a great bloke and very honest. I’m sure he could have told me I needed more training than I did and made more money but he didn’t. I did 3 days training for cat C and passed 1st time in January with 8 minors and then only 2 days training and passed 1st time with 6 minors for C+E.
He must have saved me a fortune! Cheers mate
I’m now thinking of doing the ADR training with the money I’ve saved from not having any extra training and not needing any retests. Also I’ll get 21 CPC points as I have grandfather rights until 2014. Hargreaves is just round the corner from me, I could walk there. Any experience doing ADR with them anyone?
Well done and all the best in your job hunting.
Like you said paul is an excellent teacher , i was struggling with reversing but after a few words and tips he got me sorted out.
Regarding ADR i did it at hargreaves in leeds it is a weeks course , i messed up by only doing flammable liquids in tankers i should have done all the rest of the available classes they do in tanks and packages, it is not really hard if you listen to what they are telling you and a little bit of revision on a night. Just take a notepad and a pen with you.
jonny74:
Regarding ADR i did it at hargreaves in leeds it is a weeks course , i messed up by only doing flammable liquids in tankers i should have done all the rest of the available classes they do in tanks and packages, it is not really hard if you listen to what they are telling you and a little bit of revision on a night. Just take a notepad and a pen with you.
(over 30 Years)
Paul climbed in the cab and slammed the linkage so hard I thought the trailer was going to bounce out of the yard! 
I seemed to wait for ages as I didn’t know where they were going. I knew if I pulled out and a car came round it would be an instant fail 