Having failed twice at getting my C category (first test knocked over a cone whilst reversing & second test got 15 minors & 3 serious ), I was seriously beginning to doubt myself. However, had my 3rd test today & yaaahhh passed with only 2 minors
So, a big thanks to Steve, Billy & Carl at East Coast Training in Norwich for not giving up on me (Hell, I’ll even thank Phil from East Coast for his 35 hour bottom-numbing classroom CPC course), the Gods in Norwich for clearing the roundabouts as I approached, keeping the junctions clear and the traffic minimal as well as any suicidal cyclists/pedestrians away from my test route.
Thanks also to my wife for bearing with me, my parents for having me & my friends for not mocking when I said I wanted to be a truck driver at the grand old age of 57.
Now all I’ve got to find is some carefree soul who would be will be willing to let me drive their trucks…any suggestions?
p.s. thx as well to the nice Glaswegian examiner who proved that not all examiners in Norwich are bad guys (moderated by my wife)
Zeethron:
Having failed twice at getting my C category (first test knocked over a cone whilst reversing & second test got 15 minors & 3 serious ), I was seriously beginning to doubt myself. However, had my 3rd test today & yaaahhh passed with only 2 minors
Well done, and that sends a message to anyone thinking about giving up after a bad test.
There were a couple of key differences that helped with this test. First, I used a MAN 18t auto rather than the 22t DAF manual that I used on the first 2 tests. Whilst I’m happy to use the manual range change in everyday driving, for the test it seemed logical to take out the gears element - and it worked a treat. However, I’m grateful that I had experience of a manual as this will undoubtably help in the real world.
Two other factors helped - 1) genuinely helpful & friendly examiner & 2) lots of luck at junctions & esp. roundabouts during the test. In fact, I was able to cruise through all but 2 roundabouts on the test without stopping and the other two only had a short break before they cleared completely - phew!!
My test was at 1015 which seemed like a good time - the last test had been at 0800 on a Saturday which I thought would be fine but instead seemed to have every Sunday driver out on the roads lol
So thanks for all the comments and please, if you are having a hard time passing then do consider an auto for the test & good luck
Well done Zeethron, sounds like a frustrating but worthwhile experience. I just wonder if;
The autogearbox made you look further ahead and plan better at roundabouts which enabled you to maintain progress compared to manual truck, where you might have arrived poorly prepared for roundabout traffic.
Not having gears to worry about you could relax and drive to a better standard?
We have only one manual truck left, the rest are auto - just kept one for post test experience, and I’ve seen the pass rate improve on auto’s.
Well done Zee, like me I had a bit of fortune on the roundabouts, it does help lol. And the instructor was a gent. Are you going for class 1? Most of them will probably be autos too
Well done Zeethron, sounds like a frustrating but worthwhile experience. I just wonder if;
The autogearbox made you look further ahead and plan better at roundabouts which enabled you to maintain progress compared to manual truck, where you might have arrived poorly prepared for roundabout traffic.
Not having gears to worry about you could relax and drive to a better standard?
Basically, yes to both points. I was much more relaxed and could plan ahead with confidence. Taking the gears out of the equation meant that I was not fretting about being in the right range/gear and pulling away at roundabouts seemed easier - even on inclines. The sun was shining, the traffic was light and apart from overtaking parked cars on narrow stretches of road with oncoming traffic, there were no real dramas. In fact, the examiner said at the end that he had had a very relaxing ride and gave me two minors because “he had to put something on the sheet to justify his existence in the cab” lol (they were justified though). It also helped that he came across as human (the engine management light came on after the first few hundred metres of the test, I pointed it out, he said stop, I turned off the engine, restarted & we were fine). It helped to break the ice…
Now to get some rigid experience under my belt then up for my C+E next year
& second test got 15 minors & 3 serious 
), I was seriously beginning to doubt myself. However, had my 3rd test today & yaaahhh passed with only 2 minors 
