Every little helps!
Pete 
Dunno how true this is but my dad said its harder to reserve a small trailer. Can’t see it as easily in the mirror and steering movements have a greater impact on the direction of the reverse.
adam277:
Dunno how true this is but my dad said its harder to reserve a small trailer. Can’t see it as easily in the mirror and steering movements have a greater impact on the direction of the reverse.
Very true
Very true
+1
A very small trailer is possibly the most difficult thing to reverse as you cant see it’s getting a life of it’s own until it’s too late.
Pete
kcrussell25:
Final point is that I now understand why Pete does make a big deal of his reverse area as doing it with a proper marked area made the world of difference in terms of reference points and where to turn. Trying that on a plain yard would have been far harder than was needed. I see posts on here worrying about the reverse and will admit it was on my mind, but with proper markings and training I don’t see the need to be worried about it.Thanks Kev
So it was my turn to be Trucknet reversing guinea pig number 2 a few days ago…
Despite arriving a little later than agreed I was able to get straight on to the reversing area after the initial meet and greet and licence check. I had already had the benefit of a properly marked reversing area with my Class 2 trainer (with whom I secured a first time pass) I really don’t like the sound of an unmarked yard !
You might think that one properly marked out reversing area is pretty much as good as another, however I reckon that Pete’s area could hold a significant psychological advantage for at least some test candidates (particularly anyone who tends to suffer from nerves). That advantage is that the area you train on is the exact same area you take your test on - the examiner comes to PSTT and you do your test reverse at PSTT.
My class 2 experience was that the area at the test centre LOOKS (a bit) smaller than the one I trained on, this is because of the fairly close proximity of buildings and fences that made it look different to the more open area I had got used to. Obviously I knew it couldn’t actually be smaller, so I’m not sure it made much difference for me, but then I’m from an engineering background so I’m used to thinking rationally and I also don’t tend to get nervous under test conditions. Even so, i’m sure I would have felt a bit happier doing my test reverse on the same area I’d trained on - so if you are more ruled by your emotions and you suffer from test nerves i reckon you’d definitely be happier.
Anyway back to my reversing practice.
I know it’s not about the truck but couldn’t help but be impressed by the Iveco Stralis Hi way (I think I got that right erm, it was orange and looking on google alot of them are ) . 5mph off road was hardly a comprehensive road test but I did find the gearbox simplicity itself - huge D N and R buttons on the dash together with the LCD gear indicator on the dash made it as simple to operate as a kid’s toy - pressing D or R for 2 secs selecting a SLOW setting which is the only one I used in both directions.
Once on board and briefed on said gearbox etc. Pete got me to first just do a couple of simple reversing exercises to get the feel of it (straight back, then a little snake side to side) before tackling the test exercise. Naturally Pete coached me fully through each stage of my test exercise attempts at first, but then would just describe the full procedure at the start and leave me to make my mistakes which of course I did -before then patiently explaining what I needed to do to correct of course. As if there wasn’t already enough for my poor brain to take in (still recovering from the 6am start and crappy 2 hour motorway drive) Pete can be a hard taskmaster as he kept asking me to smile as well 
Anyway long story short after 6 test reverses (i think) I was able to do it to test standard on my own - using a shunt. Not bad after about 2 hours in the cab which I would put more down to the quality of Pete’s training and setup than any ability I may or may not have arrived with. One thing I will say though is that compared to the Class 2 reverse you’ve alot more room to use if you need it to make corrections, so overall it should be no harder to do IMHO (with the right training).
Pete then made me an offer too good to pass up (Class 1 artic training + free accomodation + free retest if needed + 14 hours DCPC) all for a quite reasonable sum - that was made significantly more reasonable thanks to the Trucknet discount - so erm, I’ll be back there next month to find out how much I’ve forgotten in the month between.
Thanks for the comments. I always contend that, taught properly on a correctly surfaced and marked area, the reverse is nothing to worry about.
The hard fact is that some instructors seem clueless when it comes to teaching it (and many other topics for that matter) and, coupled with a makeshift area, this will now become hard work.
You clearly wont have any problems when it comes to your course and I’m sure you wont have forgotten very much. So all the best with it.
Pete
Peter Smythe:
You clearly wont have any problems when it comes to your course and I’m sure you wont have forgotten very much. So all the best with it.Pete
.
Hi Pete, have sent you a PM regarding my training next month .
Thanks
I found the drawbar easier to drive forward but you have to be more on the ball going backwards. The pivot point is in the middle of the unit and if you aren’t paying attention it will come round on you and you’ll be all over the shop. Took me quite a few attempts to stop that. For the coupling exercise, again its harder on drawbar because you don’t have that much room to mistakes. Get the angle off slightly on a artic and as long as you’ve raised the back end of the unit up so the legs are off the deck you won’t have a problem. You can’t do that with a drawbar.
Without a doubt the coupling on artic is easier (also possibly more energetic!). But I see no difference in the difficulty in the reversing. The drawbar does come round quicker - but will also straighten out more quickly. Whilst the artic responds more slowly so may be easier to judge where it’s going - but wont co-operate if it’s left too late if it goes wrong!
In my view, they both take practice.
Pete
Partly as a result of this exercise, we now offer a 2.5hr session devoted to reversing (and coupling/uncoupling if time allows). This will normally be booked within a few days of the start of the full course. The thinking behind this is that the topics that are normally thought of as most difficult will be dealt with, certainly to a point, before the main course starts. This leaves more time on the road though the reversing and coupling/uncoupling will be regularly practiced of course.
This additional training will benefit most candidates but is certainly not obligatory. The cost is a modest £99 and this is already proving popular.
For those on residential courses the additional time can be built into the course if desired.
This is available at both Sutton in Ashfield and Lincoln.
Pete