I passed my category C four days ago and now I’m looking for a job. I passed everything first time and was pretty comfortable in the lorry from day one of the training week. Now I’ve got the hard bit behind me I can’t help but feel anxious about getting in a lorry again.
Chuff knows why, I’ve been excited about this career change for a long time but the thought of turning up to a new job, getting thrown the keys to a bloody great bungalow on wheels then getting told to get on with it sounds daunting. I passed the CPC fine but I don’t really have any previous experience loading/unloading lorries, or anything else to do with haulage for that matter, so while I know a bit about how it’s supposed to be done, practically speaking I haven’t got a clue.
Can anyone else relate to that or am I being a wet flannel? Just curious to see how those that have gone before me found their way in the beginning.
Here’s what’s helped me get back into lorry driving…Do not be afraid to ask! If you’re not sure/certain about something, anything, ASK.
Even if you have to walk 100m to the office…do it.
Especially if it’s about safety of you, your lorry, or your load.
BTW, I’m not a real lorry driver, just 7.5t, I just hang around here to annoy em
Torridon:
I passed my category C four days ago and now I’m looking for a job. I passed everything first time and was pretty comfortable in the lorry from day one of the training week. Now I’ve got the hard bit behind me I can’t help but feel anxious about getting in a lorry again.
Not being funny mate but you’ve now got the EASY bit behind you, so far you’ve learnt to pass a test, that’s it, now you start learning to be a lorry driver in one of the many varied and broad spectrums that job title entails, not trying to sound elitist or worry you but that’s the reality of it, you now start learning the job from today until the day you hang up the keys for good…
Don’t let that discourage you though, no matter what some people would try and have you believe lorry driving isn’t hard, it’s all about common sense, if you’ve got that then you’ve got no worries, just ask, ask, ask.
Remember the only dumb question is the question you should’ve asked… but didn’t
I passed my test and started driving last year. I agree with Reef the test was the easy bit.
Now the hard work starts as you are outside the controlled environment of training and test. I also found the cab seemed a lot larger my first time out on my own
Don’t be afraid to say to your manager, I’m a new pass, I don’t know how to do X. Sure you may get some idiot that will give you grief, but you may find that the boss will do the sensible thing and put you out with a regular driver for a couple of days or at least do the ring me if you have any queries thing.
I’d rather someone rang me 20 times a day and ask a ‘daft’ question than make a mistake.
Good luck and after a few weeks, you will be fine.
To feel anxious is normal,Take it steady and do not rush around for anyone .
Try to concentrate on the job in hand and make sure you check the destinations entrances etc twice ,Sadly you now have to do assessments for firms,Some do them ,Some just chuck you the keys and it is on you go .Being ready for the day is better than flapping around at the last minute .Most of all try to relax ,You can drive to a certain standard ,But now the real world driving starts
Any new place is scary at first and you will get that first day of school feeling again. But your only human so it’s very normal.
Like others have already said, ask, ask and if in doubt ask again. Your find most people are very helpful and once you get to know the faces at your place of work you will know who the more helpful ones are with good common sense, these are the ones to listen to And take on board what they say.
If there’s a button in your cab your not sure of, ask. If you are not sure how to load your card, stop the drivers seat from bouncing or simply don’t know how to open a curtain ask. Silly things that when told you can then get on with but all these things will feel overwhelming at first.
Best bit of advise I can give is whatever you do DON’T RUSH things, this is where it will all go wrong. Think about what you are doing and why you are doing it.
When starting out driving for the first time, do things nice and easy, don’t take any chances, don’t go for an uneasy overtake just because the vehicle behind is pushing you.
Better to get to a place a bit late than not at all (I don’t care what anyone says) life’s very fraile and I’ve seen to many drivers who have taken a chance only for it to go wrong and had to live with it for the rest of their lives.
But be happy with your new career choice, enjoy it. It’s what you make it at the end of the day so all the best.
I’ve been a self-employed tradesman for the past 7 years so I’m used to knowing my job well and not having to ask for help. I think that’s probably got as much to do with anything as being inexperienced with the vehicles. I totally recognise that I’ll have to change that attitude quickly though.
I’m looking at trunking jobs on the basis that I’ll be able to concentrate on driving the lorry while not having to think about unknown drops constantly. I figure that might be a sensible way to build my driving skills up.
Just got to find someone who is happy to take on a completely green rookie
I passed my category C four days ago and now I’m looking for a job. I passed everything first time and was pretty comfortable in the lorry from day one of the training week. Now I’ve got the hard bit behind me I can’t help but feel anxious about getting in a lorry again.
Chuff knows why, I’ve been excited about this career change for a long time but the thought of turning up to a new job, getting thrown the keys to a bloody great bungalow on wheels then getting told to get on with it sounds daunting. I passed the CPC fine but I don’t really have any previous experience loading/unloading lorries, or anything else to do with haulage for that matter, so while I know a bit about how it’s supposed to be done, practically speaking I haven’t got a clue.
Can anyone else relate to that or am I being a wet flannel? Just curious to see how those that have gone before me found their way in the beginning.
Cheers
Golden rule mate - If you ask a stupid question, you’ll be stupid for a minute. If you don’t ask you’ll be stupid forever.
Torridon:
I passed the CPC fine but I don’t really have any previous experience loading/unloading lorries, or anything else to do with haulage for that matter, so while I know a bit about how it’s supposed to be done, practically speaking I haven’t got a clue.
There are good videos on youtube about load strapping/securing. CPC is a joke. Often times when you turn up for an assignment there will be other drivers in the yard getting ready to start their own runs, ask them about whatever you don’t know. Most of them will be happy to help. When you get to a destination if it’s a warehouse you can ask forklift drivers for help/assistance, again most of them will happily help you out if you’re struggling with something (mainly because they want to see you gone asap but hey…)
Don’t leave without a contact number for the company you’re driving for and don’t forget any of your driving cards in their copier. Don’t forget to insert your tacho card as soon as you climb into the cab…I used to leave a note on top of my sat-nav to remind myself about it when I took out the satnav. Don’t forget to take out your tacho card at the end of the day, either…most companies will want to scan/download the info from it at the end of a shift so you will be reminded to go back to the truck and get it but others won’t so ultimately it’s on you.
Take your time, don’t rush, check everything twice, don’t take any risks; if a load seems insecure like a pallet stacked sideways ask them to fix it or refuse to take it (phone office as well of course) If you get to a place with a tight reverse-in, ask someone who works there to watch your tail, if you have to do it alone - get out and check as many times as needed and try not to worry about the held-up traffic I’m sure they’ll understand …Oh and don’t trust your sat nav 100% - when in doubt, slow down and use your eyes/head
Can anyone else relate to that or am I being a wet flannel? Just curious to see how those that have gone before me found their way in the beginning.
Cheers
Yes mate. In fact - look at a my post from January and you are me.
To summarise I passed (Yay! The hard part was done). Then I signed up for an agency. Green and keen as mustard. About two hours later a call comes in - can you work tomorrow at 4am. So I said yes… And then I realised I had no idea how I’d coped. So I asked on here.
I got a few blokes telling me I wasn’t capable and should call in sick. A few giving good advice. And a few even PM me their numbers if I needed some help.
In the end I crashed - but since then I started picking bits up. When I first passed it was ‘here’s the keys, heres the paperwork - we need you gone 5 mins ago’. The current place I’m working has a 8 hour (paid) shift going over the basics and making you sign about a million forms. Still the same though - I am given an address and need to get there. Any problems on the way are my problem - which I really enjoy. Some cretins will call the transport office if there is a road closure. But I like to be left alone.
What you are feeling is totally normal. You will look back in a year and wonder why you ever worried. If I was going to give you one bit of advice is as soon as you start to feel stress or pressure stop and take 5 mins. In the grand scheme of things this job is meant to be easy. So don’t let it stress you out. Experienced hands work at their own pace and don’t worry - so copy them.
If you’re not sure about curtains, they all work in a similar way, ie. a ratchet handle to tighten it and a lever to release it. If it’s been done up very tight you can usually pull on the ratchet handle slightly to take the pressure off the release mechanism. Just mind your fingers!
Be extra careful if moving the roof support bars, they will happily have the tips of your fingers off and can be under a lot of pressure sometimes, especially if they’re rusty or bent.
If you need to tie the rear doors open and there is no sprung lever or chain etc then undo a ■■■■■■■■ the curtain close to the door handle when it’s fully open and use that. Remember you can pull the strap through so have more to play with.
Even a length of old banding from a skip can do the job!
If the worst comes to it and the door swings open and you don’t realise, it doesn’t take much to bend the hinges when reversing onto a bay.
I’ve seen it happen loads of times over the years and helped many a distraught driver who couldn’t shut the doors to get home! Half open the door, then get a length of wood and put it between the door edge and the trailer, where the hinges are. Depending on which way the hinges are bent you can open or shut the door against the bit of wood and it will straighten them to shut the doors and not leave you stranded.
Obviously report it when you return to the yard!
Torridon:
.Can anyone else relate to that or am I being a wet flannel?
Oh god no, you’re one of the sensible ones who doesn’t assume they are a driving god from day 1 (it takes until at least day 6).
As you can see theres loads of advice snd loads of things you’ll learn, but if you’ve been a tradesman all this time you’ve already got the learning skills a sorted. Its like any job, a lot of assessing the situation and figuring the best plan.
I’ll let you into a little secret - most tasks are basically the same as all the previous tasks so once you figure it once, you’ll begin to see a pattern. Ok theres the odd curve ball of course, but the more you do the more you’ll have under your belt for yhe next job.
A few things to remember:
Rushing causes accidents so dont rush.
Forklift drivers like their breaks which is why they are grumpy when you arrive.
I’m new to this generally gets you a lot of slack and often people suddenly become helpful, even grumpy drivers.
If unsure, get out 20x amd look as its so much quicker than filling in the accident forms.
No one was born a driving god, and some of us are still in driving nappies 3 years later. Actually some never leave nursery from what I’ve seen!
Audi drivers are generally a-holes so should be treated with contempt.
Oh and dont hit any bridges. Bosses like the truck to look roughly looking the same as it went out, although have driven some which would look better if they hit a bridge!
I disagree with the above statement, it’s not just Audi drivers, it’s drivers of all makes!
Another golden rule is always be nice to warehouse staff, they have a lot of power to spoil your day by making you wait
Seriously thanks guys, some really useful stuff here. I can already tell I’ll be asking more questions on here when I get my first job.
trevHCS:
Audi drivers are generally a-holes so should be treated with contempt.
Oh don’t worry, I know. I had a baptism of fire on my training week, I got a real insight into the plight of the lorry driver.
Day 1 - Audi A3 undertook me half on the pavement in a busy town centre while I was doing 20 in a 20 zone.
Day 2 - Taxi overtook me on a narrow one way street and nearly got himself crushed in the process. It was an Audi.
Day 3 - Cyclist leaned against my lorry in slow moving traffic as he squeezed between me and another car.
Day 3 - Mother and toddler crossed the road in front of my lorry as I was waiting to pull onto a roundabout. Neither me or my instructor saw them approach, they just snuck under the cab and out into the road. If I hadn’t glanced in that top mirror that looks down the cab front I’d have flattened them. I genuinely think my heart stopped beating for a few seconds on that one.
I am amazed at the suicidal ignorance of the general public, and how skilled lorry drivers must be to deal with them on a daily basis.
I’m sure they’ll understand …Oh and don’t trust your sat nav 100% - when in doubt, slow down and use your eyes/head