Ghiabox:
10-11am and I thought it would be a lot easier than it is, my neck and eyeballs hurt from checking that N/S mirror.Any examiners on here? Would I be marked down for going too slow, say 40 in a 50? My mains areas of error are, not checking the N/S mirror when changing to the right hand lane, roundabout planning (have pulled out on cars in lessons as not seeing blockers coming round til the last minute then pulling away and the car coming from my right out of the junction has to slow down, can be hard to tell in my opinion as cars move fast truck moves slow) and leaving the indicator on too long.
Everything I seem to fail on in lessons is a major fail on test
who said truck driving was easy? I honestly cant see me passing first time!
Drive to the conditions. On a dry, clear day, providing the road permits, there is no reason why you shouldn’t be making good progress.
An example: we have a local single carriageway which is national speed limit. 50MPH in a truck on this road would be fairly dangerous - it is quite twisty in places. However, on a clear dry day, where the road opens up for a few hundred metres, there is no reason why candidates can’t build up a little speed, creeping just over 40MPH. This shows safe progress and also indicates that the candidate is aware of the speed limit.
Mirrors are essential - you should be checking them BOTH every 10 seconds minimum. Don’t forget to check them before changing direction, before signalling, when passing pedestrians or parked cars in built up areas, and when slowing down. Remember to check your blind spot every time you pull away from standstill, BEFORE the wheels start turning.
Take your time at roundabouts and junctions. There is no rush or time limit - only proceed when you are 100% confident it is clear to do so. I’m sure you would rather pick up a minor for undue hesitation than a serious fault for observation (cutting someone up). As I was always told, the space will always open, you just have to be patient.
It seems a lot to remember, but plenty of practice should get you into a rhythm/routine. ROG’s suggestion is a good idea - also, try and turn the interior mirror around on your car and drive using just the OS & NS wing mirrors to improve your routine.
Hope this helps - best of luck for tomorrow.