Batesy, don’t work yourself up about any of it and take your time, as has been said jump out and have a look before you do any reversing and have a look for any obstacles you need to avoid. If your still in doubt, ask someone to watch you back, but if someone is watching you back, that doesn’t mean you just watch them for their movements, you still need to keep checking your mirrors and just go slow until you get some confidence in yourself.
Goodluck with it and don’t give in and don’t worry about people watching you or you being in people’s way when your reversing, they can wait
I could get out 2 or 3 times a maneuver just after I had passed. Made me fit at least… stops the drivers gut from appearing too quickly. Chin up and keep trying. Don’t do anything quickly. Smile a bit bashfully, and say you’re “a virgin at this”, they will cut you a bit of slack every time.
waynedl:
I’ve seen professional footballers make a ■■■■-up, does that mean they’re not professional footballers?
You can be a right dumbass sometimes Pimpdaddy
I know I can, sorry…
Pro footballers are paid accordingly & their level of skill reflects that compared to the wannabes playing local league on a Sunday in the park or whatever.
In the US the same licence you & I have is called a CDL is it not?
! tip i was told on a blind side reverse, have a mirror on the passenger sun visor. If possible an old wing mirror, when going for the reverse, pull the visor down, you got an extra set of “eyes” to use!
You will learn mate, It may look good to back into a space in one go , you may think it means others think you can drive well, in reality those that can back it in - in one go, and have been for many years will get so far and get out for a look- that’s what made them confident and taught them how to manoeuvre in tight spaces - not by just knowing, but getting out and checking.
Theres only one wrong way to drive a truck, that’s to drive to live up to what you perceive as other peoples expectations - the only right way to drive a truck is at the point you are comfortable with and sod everyone ese
Nobodys perfect mate its a learning curve as has been said if your not sure check if your still unsure check again just take your time , there are or course plenty of perfect drivers on these forums and the rest of us can only hope to reach there dizzy heights of skill and judgment
Rikki-UK:
You will learn mate, It may look good to back into a space in one go , you may think it means others think you can drive well, in reality those that can back it in - in one go, and have been for many years will get so far and get out for a look- that’s what made them confident and taught them how to manoeuvre in tight spaces - not by just knowing, but getting out and checking.
Theres only one wrong way to drive a truck, that’s to drive to live up to what you perceive as other peoples expectations - the only right way to drive a truck is at the point you are comfortable with and sod everyone ese
@ Pimpdaddy, yes you are right it is a CDL over here in the US and the truckers lot is not a good one, as they say here if the wheels aint turning you aint earning. Check out this website for the good and bad( horror) stories…TruckersReport.com. Also there,s some ex pats on here who will give you the info on trucking here and in Canada.
if its any consolation I’ve been driving for donkeys years and today turned up at a beet heap to collect and was first there. Made a complete pigs ear of turning it round in the confined space had to jump out and shunted about a million times. Got it turned round eventually. Asked one of the regular guys how he did it and it was simple. You never stop learning - experience is king.
The day you think you have cracked it and know it all- is the day you should hang up your keys forever, - you never stop learning on this job- and if you think you know it all your a danger to yourself and anyone around you
There is only one person who knows their skill set and that’s you, drive to that and stuff what anyone else thinks- that will make you a better driver than most of the steering wheel attendants out there
Dont worry about rushing around , take your time , just after i started i was called Jonny 5, because thats how many shunts it took me to get the trailer onto the bay at the depot , now i can do it with my eyes shut. Just take your time and keep plugging away , we all have to start somewhere.
Batesy2014:
this is my 2nd week driving professionally on my own, ive had a few little knock already, and I feel my confidence is being dented already… anyone else had this feeling or problem
I think it really has to be par for the course. It’s a whole different ball game passing a test in an empty truck to actually driving a loaded vehicle in a working situation. I remember when I got my class1, passed test on the Tuesday, Friday evening I was out doing it for real. The learning curve was almost perpendicular. Nine years on, I can still honestly say that it’s a very rare day or two that experience doesn’t teach me yet another little gem to be squirrelled away for later use. I’m pretty convinced that no one knows it all, and as we go through our driving careers, we have to call ourselves a ‘work-in-progress’. I for one would hate to get blase` about driving, as it’s then you become cocky and careless. As proffessional drivers we can’t really afford that ‘luxury’.
So, don’t be too discouraged. Take it easy, get out and look as many times as you feel you have to. Don’t be ashamed to accept help. Remember that every one you see has been there at some point. Keep firmly in mind that it is the work of a fraction of a second to cause damage.
SWEDISH BLUE:
Was told by my instructor maaaany years ago.
Don’t be a C**t
Take the shunt.
Haha, thats what mine told me! He also said to me when I’d got my pass slip in my hot sticky fingers, ‘you’ve learnt how to pass a test. Now you’ve to get out there and learn how to drive a lorry’ . That little gem has never left me.
We all make mistakes dont worry as other have said take your time if in doubt get out & look dont be frightenes to take a shunt as how many shunt can you take as many as you like you have passed
You learn to drive to pass now learn to drive ( as my instructor said )
One of our drivers has a little scrape he only been driving 40+ years btw put a scratch on the side skirts of the trailer both sides at that another driver again 40+ years experience damaged the front right hand side bumper just approx. 2" x3" chunk out of it
So dont beat your self up it happens or before you reverse in stop go have a look or if driving in stop walk up have a look run through it in head stop get out & look again or just start again
Blindside is easier these days with motorised mirrors, but is always approximate (for me), I doubt many drivers could accurately do a 90degree blindside onto a bay between two trucks. Either that or I am just a ■■■■■ driver!
098Joe:
Blindside is easier these days with motorised mirrors, but is always approximate (for me), I doubt many drivers could accurately do a 90degree blindside onto a bay between two trucks. Either that or I am just a [zb] driver!
as many as you like you have passed