Assessor sounds like a bell end and no your not barking up the wrong tree, plenty of companies who want drivers will help you out and cut you some slack knowing your a new driver. Stobarts should be one of them seeing as they do training themselves. A different day or different depot with a different assessor probably a totally different story. Not much of a loss though not getting a job with them. Look how they treat a driver on here called dozy.
Don’t give up and just keep looking.
How about culina? Depot on the estate at junction 14 where screwfix is. Surely they take newbies and it’s easy clean work being fridges probably 99% RDC deliveries as well.