Double cream
Sorry mate, only skimmed through your post 
Been driving as a subbie for one company for 8 months when I was called in to be told that I had never had a driving assessment with them and I needed to go out the next morning for “a quick drive round”.
All seemed to go ok, no comment from the assessor, dropped him off, hooked up me trailer and started out for Norfolk. 2 hours in and cab phone rings, TM telling me there’s a problem as I had failed my assessment!
I think he was a bit affronted when I burst out laughing, then realised he was being serious. Apparent in the stop/start rush hour traffic, I should put my hand brake on each time the vehicle came to a halt.
I assured him that it was no problem, I was just coming up to a roundabout so I could turn round, come back with my load, hand in the keys and go home. Luckily I was not short of work offers at the time.
He sounded in a bit of a panic and asked me not to do that, and said he had arranged for the assessor to come out with me for a whole day and that should sort it.
Not gonna happen I replied, I’ve worked for you 8 months with no problems. If you insist, here’s yer keys.
Never heard another word, worked for them for another 5 months.
Gembo:
Uncle Albie:
RACHACE:
Failed a driving assessment this morning for a car transporter company and I’m quite annoyed with myself about it.Clipped a curb on an awful 1st exit on a mini roundabout but the worst bit was when I got back into the yard and I was asked to reverse into a bay. I forgot that I wasn’t driving a standard unit and trailer and I put too much lock on the steering wheel looking to get myself in position for an easy reverse into the bay which nearly resulted in the trailer and the unit colliding. On a normal unit you can easily just screw it round into position in a tight space but on a car transporter it’s a little different.
Quite gutted. Has anybody else failed a driving assessment and felt like a bot of a tool afterwards?
Also the Scania I drove was so uncomfortable. Felt like I was pressed right against the steering wheel despite the seat being as far back as I could get it and the steering wheel being as close to the dash as could get it.
Never failed one myself but as an employer have failed plenty.From what you say you sound like you have not had much experience.Nothing to be ashamed of.I get some real plonkers that think their driving is fine when in actual fact it is appalling and these are guys with years of experience.
Albie me ole mucker, you make an assumption that the guy’s “not had much experiance”. How TF do you come to that conclusion from him clipping a kerb and ballsing up a reverse with a crap ball ache car transporter trailer?
Sorry fella, but your talking bollox.
I clipped a kerb last week after having passed my class 1 in 1992. Am I inexperienced aswel?
crap ball ache trailer …thats the type of trailer he would expected to drive with cars on, clipping kerbs and unable to reverse on an assessment is not giving much confidence in his abilty to arrive and deliver without damage at a delivery point.
Re clipping the kerb.
On my test many years ago I put the trailer wheels up on the pavement at a T junction early in the run. I thought that’s me failed.
When we got back to the test station the examiner asked me how I thought I’d done. I said I think I failed for going on the pavement. He replied you’d have failed if someone had been standing there.
I don’t think clipping the pavement is a big deal. More import to know you’re doing it and are prepared to stop or manouver to avoid actually hitting something.
puggy:
Been driving as a subbie for one company for 8 months when I was called in to be told that I had never had a driving assessment with them and I needed to go out the next morning for “a quick drive round”.All seemed to go ok, no comment from the assessor, dropped him off, hooked up me trailer and started out for Norfolk. 2 hours in and cab phone rings, TM telling me there’s a problem as I had failed my assessment!
I think he was a bit affronted when I burst out laughing, then realised he was being serious. Apparent in the stop/start rush hour traffic, I should put my hand brake on each time the vehicle came to a halt.
I assured him that it was no problem, I was just coming up to a roundabout so I could turn round, come back with my load, hand in the keys and go home. Luckily I was not short of work offers at the time.
He sounded in a bit of a panic and asked me not to do that, and said he had arranged for the assessor to come out with me for a whole day and that should sort it.
Not gonna happen I replied, I’ve worked for you 8 months with no problems. If you insist, here’s yer keys.
Never heard another word, worked for them for another 5 months.
He’s right though. You should put your hand brake on…
Yusen logistics 4 years ago,i made the cardinal sin of not checking the trailer brake when hitching up to the trailer,i was supposed to check before the fifth wheel connected but carried on till both connected,i was told straight away the assessment was over before we even got out the yard,they were so strict on that,when I asked for another assessment I was told 3 months,couldn’t wait that long so thought bxxxxxxs to them,went to another agency,i can understand the need for assesments but a few years ago it was just a road test to see if you could handle the vehicle because prospective employers assumed you knew the rest[although in this instance I did ■■■■ up]but now its questions on the highway code,different forms to fill in driving like a learner again[not allowed to cross your arms]etc,ridiculous
truckman020:
Yusen logistics 4 years ago,i made the cardinal sin of not checking the trailer brake when hitching up to the trailer,i was supposed to check before the fifth wheel connected but carried on till both connected,i was told straight away the assessment was over before we even got out the yard,they were so strict on that,when I asked for another assessment I was told 3 months,couldn’t wait that long so thought bxxxxxxs to them,went to another agency,i can understand the need for assesments but a few years ago it was just a road test to see if you could handle the vehicle because prospective employers assumed you knew the rest[although in this instance I did ■■■■ up]but now its questions on the highway code,different forms to fill in driving like a learner again[not allowed to cross your arms]etc,ridiculous
Why is that ridiculous?
On the one hand drivers insist that they are supposedly professional, and complain that they are treated like [zb], and then when asked to show that they indeed are professional, complain when they ■■■■ up, or complain that they have to show how professional they are…
I for one am glad that companies are getting a bit more discerning when selecting new drivers.
Censor dodge removed. Colingl
the nodding donkey:
truckman020:
Yusen logistics 4 years ago,i made the cardinal sin of not checking the trailer brake when hitching up to the trailer,i was supposed to check before the fifth wheel connected but carried on till both connected,i was told straight away the assessment was over before we even got out the yard,they were so strict on that,when I asked for another assessment I was told 3 months,couldn’t wait that long so thought bxxxxxxs to them,went to another agency,i can understand the need for assesments but a few years ago it was just a road test to see if you could handle the vehicle because prospective employers assumed you knew the rest[although in this instance I did ■■■■ up]but now its questions on the highway code,different forms to fill in driving like a learner again[not allowed to cross your arms]etc,ridiculousWhy is that ridiculous?
On the one hand drivers insist that they are supposedly professional, and complain that they are treated like [zb], and then when asked to show that they indeed are professional, complain when they [zb] up, or complain that they have to show how professional they are…
I for one am glad that companies are getting a bit more discerning when selecting new drivers.
+1. Luckily for me though, my reputation precedes me and the companies know I will be gone after a few months anyway 
the nodding donkey:
truckman020:
Yusen logistics 4 years ago,i made the cardinal sin of not checking the trailer brake when hitching up to the trailer,i was supposed to check before the fifth wheel connected but carried on till both connected,i was told straight away the assessment was over before we even got out the yard,they were so strict on that,when I asked for another assessment I was told 3 months,couldn’t wait that long so thought bxxxxxxs to them,went to another agency,i can understand the need for assesments but a few years ago it was just a road test to see if you could handle the vehicle because prospective employers assumed you knew the rest[although in this instance I did ■■■■ up]but now its questions on the highway code,different forms to fill in driving like a learner again[not allowed to cross your arms]etc,ridiculousWhy is that ridiculous?
On the one hand drivers insist that they are supposedly professional, and complain that they are treated like [zb], and then when asked to show that they indeed are professional, complain when they [zb] up, or complain that they have to show how professional they are…
I for one am glad that companies are getting a bit more discerning when selecting new drivers.
Can we hang fire on that until I get a new gig!
P.S. Nice auto-censor dodge… 
the nodding donkey:
puggy:
Been driving as a subbie for one company for 8 months when I was called in to be told that I had never had a driving assessment with them and I needed to go out the next morning for “a quick drive round”.All seemed to go ok, no comment from the assessor, dropped him off, hooked up me trailer and started out for Norfolk. 2 hours in and cab phone rings, TM telling me there’s a problem as I had failed my assessment!
I think he was a bit affronted when I burst out laughing, then realised he was being serious. Apparent in the stop/start rush hour traffic, I should put my hand brake on each time the vehicle came to a halt.
I assured him that it was no problem, I was just coming up to a roundabout so I could turn round, come back with my load, hand in the keys and go home. Luckily I was not short of work offers at the time.
He sounded in a bit of a panic and asked me not to do that, and said he had arranged for the assessor to come out with me for a whole day and that should sort it.
Not gonna happen I replied, I’ve worked for you 8 months with no problems. If you insist, here’s yer keys.
Never heard another word, worked for them for another 5 months.
He’s right though. You should put your hand brake on…
You are quite correct, I agree. However, I believe there are two types of driving, the first you do to pass your test and the second you do in the real world.
In this line of traffic, I could see that it was all stop start and I would have been taking the handbrake off nearly as soon as putting it on.
Of course, had I realised he wanted driving test driving, I would have obliged, including keeping my hands at the ten to two position and feeding the wheel through, but that didn’t seem to be a problem.
Mind you I should have realised there was going to be difficulties when I spotted the three differently coloured biros arranged neatly in his shirt breast pocket…
Evil8Beezle:
the nodding donkey:
truckman020:
Yusen logistics 4 years ago,i made the cardinal sin of not checking the trailer brake when hitching up to the trailer,i was supposed to check before the fifth wheel connected but carried on till both connected,i was told straight away the assessment was over before we even got out the yard,they were so strict on that,when I asked for another assessment I was told 3 months,couldn’t wait that long so thought bxxxxxxs to them,went to another agency,i can understand the need for assesments but a few years ago it was just a road test to see if you could handle the vehicle because prospective employers assumed you knew the rest[although in this instance I did ■■■■ up]but now its questions on the highway code,different forms to fill in driving like a learner again[not allowed to cross your arms]etc,ridiculousWhy is that ridiculous?
On the one hand drivers insist that they are supposedly professional, and complain that they are treated like [zb], and then when asked to show that they indeed are professional, complain when they [zb] up, or complain that they have to show how professional they are…
I for one am glad that companies are getting a bit more discerning when selecting new drivers.Can we hang fire on that until I get a new gig!
P.S. Nice auto-censor dodge…
Use it wisely…
Lesson learnt either way.
Next interview/assessment I’ll be assuming that it’s under test conditions and I’ll also brush up on my Highway Code knowledge.
Not convinced car transporters are the way forward for me though. Money might be good but the responsibility you have with regards the load your carrying seems a lot of potential aggro. I’ll leave it for a few months and look at it again later in the year.
Socketset:
The crowd I drive for have an all-Merc fleet and someone made a comment on here a while back about cabs being designed for lefthand drive.
I had a left ■■■■■■ Scania Topliner and loved it.
Tried a right hand drive identical motor on next job, my back was killing me after first week, I was walking down the yard like Quasimodo.
As for car trans work, never done it, never fancied doing it.