A great day out at PDA training day

[bloodoodle]

PDA Training & Awareness Day
Saturday 30th July 2011 10am
Brett’s Transport Ltd Guyhirn Cambs PE13 4AG

Once again, the Professional Drivers Association will be holding their annual Training & Awareness day from 10 am on Saturday July 30th 2011

You will get the opportunity to practice reversing in an artic, to try a variation of auto, semi auto and manual gearboxes, to drive Scania, Volvo and Mercedes lorries within the confines of the yard.

A vintage Bedford will be available for those who fancy trying a crash box at the end of the afternoon!

There will be roping and sheeting going on, and tuition on how to do all the old knots, with many tips and tricks available.

You can practise hooking up & dropping off trailers and find how to open and close a wide variation of taut liners.

There will be ‘old hands’ available to answer your questions and remember, we’re happy to do so, however trivial they may seem to you.

Advice will be available on tachograph & WTD regulations on the day.

This year, you will have the opportunity to mee Harry Hi-Viz we have also decided to open this up again to any adult who would like to ‘sit’ in a lorry to experience the blind spots and the danger areas. We may even allow you to drive it up the yard!

High Viz jackets, safety boots and gloves should be brought with you, and we cannot allow children to be in the yard during the day.

This event is in support of the Professional Drivers Foundation and although there is no charge whatsoever, a donation to the PDF would be appreciated

It is essential however, to email me at pat.nicholson@tiscali.co.uk if you would like to attend, so I have some idea of how many to cater for.

Pat

Made sticky to give everybody a good chance to see this great offer. dd

[animal]

For those unaware the PDF is a charity who offers help & support to drivers & there family with & for many different things

A well worth charity as you never know when you might need there assistance

[animal]

This may be of some use to all new / wannabe if you can make it as I understand it is a good day out ( not been so cant comment ) but I do know some of the people involved & are very professional

ps can this be made a sticky for now please

[mrhappy]

Sounds like a great idea/good day out with a chance to learn something too. I’m disappointed I won’t be able to make it, shame you can’t take it round the country like a roadshow. Not just for newbie’s either, there’s plenty of old un’s who can pick up tips too probably!

[animal]

MrHappy:
Sounds like a great idea/good day out with a chance to learn something too. I’m disappointed I won’t be able to make it, shame you can’t take it round the country like a roadshow. Not just for newbie’s either, there’s plenty of old un’s who can pick up tips too probably!

Or pass on info & experience

[etnocity]

animal:
For those unaware the PDF is a charity who offers help & support to drivers & there family with & for many different things

A well worth charity as you never know when you might need there assistance

I admire the folks from PDF for doing what they do. I support charity.

[andydan]

Hey all.

Sounds a great day. I’d go for sure, would be great to have a look around. Just a quick question about the day.

Is the event open to newbies who haven’t got there licence yet, would be nice to have a look around etc. Even a go would be nice.

[bloodoodle]

The Training Day is now fully booked I’m afraid Andy.

We shall be doing it again next year theough so watch out for the post to go up around May 2012.

It is open to anyone who hasn’t got their licence and we do get them driving but we can’t allow casual spectators to be around a yard full of novice drivers

That’s why it’s by booking only

Pat

[andydan]

Thanks Pat

Yeah I’ll keep look out for the next one. My fault I didn’t relise it was booking only, thought it was like a drop in event lol

[animal]

Well I did attend this & many thanks to all who gave up there saturday to allow this event to go ahead also a big thanks to Bretts transport for the use of there yard & vehicles

Well had to be up early for the drive down did allow plenty of time so took it nice & steady I still arrived early met up with Pat ( bloodoodle ) Ian ( Bigger Birdie ) Chas Malthouse John Bramwell Jenni as well as a few others was told where the coffee etc was several others then started to arrive

We started the day off with a simple road sign questionnaire then onto the rest there were several non HGV drivers there these were asked to sit in a car that was parked in the middle of the yard 1 of the drivers drove up behind this car at a set distance & they had to guess how far from the back using the rear view mirror

Then the next thing was for to sit in the lorry that was lined up with “Harry” in front I volunteered to go 1st & sit in the lorry to say how much I could see out of the windscreen followed by the rest

Then onto the driving I was giving a Volvo fully auto after adjusting the seat & doing the daily checks I drove the unit around the yard then connected upto a empty skelly done checks just to make sure all the suzies were connected correctly drove that around the yard a couple of times then done some reversing after doing this a couple of times we had a break for lunch

After lunch it was time to move on there was a demonstration on sheeting & roping we also had a go at doing the dolly knots ( useful as I had forgot this as not don in a long time too many years ) then into another Volvo fully auto again collected a skelly this time with a loaded 20ft box on drove this around the yard then some reversing then dropped that trailer ready for collection then repeated this a couple of times

Then it was time to finnish as was approx. 17.00

Many thanks to all involved & all that did turn up hope you raised some money for the PDF

ang

[andydan]

Yeah I agree, was a great day. Everyone was so helpful, would highly recommend it for someone who’s new to trucking.

[bloodoodle]

So glad you two enjoyed it and I know Jennie did too
On a unhappier note, there was 11 people who booked a place on the Training Day and didn’t turn up, or indeed let me know they wouldn’t be coming.
There was a waiting list of people wanting to come who we couldn’t fit in and therefore didn’t get the opportunity to come.

There has been an email sent to them all today as follows.

Quote:
This is an open email from me personally to all those who emailed and phoned me to book a place on the Training Day last Saturday, and then didn’t bother to turn up, or even to let me know.

I had a waiting list of people wanting to attend as this had been fully booked for at least three weeks.

On the day, there was eleven places that could have been filled if any of you had bothered to let me know you wouldn’t be coming.

I had cajoled an extra two drivers to help this year due to the high number, who had been away tramping all week, but wasn’t needed on the day.

There was a long discussion on Saturday night that almost resulted in us deciding NOT to hold a Training Day ever again, after the work that had been put into this.
However, it was finally decided to charge a £10 donation (non-refundable) to the PDF Charity upon booking before a place can be reserved.

At least if people don’t bother to turn up the PDF will benefit.

To the one person who did let me know, I thank you as your place was filled on Friday afternoon.

Regards

Pat Nicholson
PDA

I feel sure that all those who lost out will approve of this action

Thank you so much to all who donated as we managed to raise £135 for the PDF Charity Fund

Pat

[animal]

Think that is quite a reasonable request Pat as it would be a shame not to hold another as they are of most use & enjoyable

Even if some of the way in which I was shown were emm unethical but thanks to ( Chris or phantom )

Pleased it did raise that amount of money for the amount of us that were there

[jennie]

The PDA training day on Sat for me was a great success , as Bloodoodle had kindly organised a very , very patient man called Brian to go Backwards all day in his truck to get my confidence up on the reversing , heres the veh in question :

Thats Brian just at the back dont worry he knew he was safe i was takin a pic

The morning was spent parking inbetween the other lorries all loaded and ready to go out and to be honest I was all over the place almost allways jack knifing the veh pulling forward to straighten up again and then wiggle and i will not understate that its was all over the place so head in hands round the yard again to position for another and another and another go at getting into the space , (gotta admit so glad had two spaces to practice with !!, then nearing lunch a lorry comes round the corner theres Pat a huge smile and she backs the veh right next to mine first time an as straight as a die!! (Thats how it was supposed to be done , one day eh !!!)

So after lunch back to this backwards game while everyone else was roping and sheeting and my god it got better and better the brain was actually starting to compute this back to front wheel turning and the veh was going where i wanted it too well until I lost concentration and would revert back to rigid mode ,

Brian taught me the uncoupling and coupling proceedure no probs and a lot easier to reverse just the cab back to trailer the cab on its own does what i tell it too mind you its a bit un nerving when the bang comes to connect trailer thought id done some real damage that will take some getting used to as if I heard a bang like that in my rigid would be filling out an accident form !!!

So whats the upshot then well have decided to go ahead and book my class 1 training its given me the confidence to think I might actualluy be able to do this ,

Pat it was a wonderful day a big thank q for organising this for me it was above and beond everyone there was lovely and i hope you raised a good amount for the pda mabe a bit more if thepeople who never bothered turning up had come also they might of let you know so you could of opened it up to the people you had to refuse as was full eh

anyway a brill day for me and any newbies on here look out for next year and get in quick you will have a very invaluable day learning a few things

jen x

[wheel_nut]

bloodoodle:
It is open to anyone who hasn’t got their licence and we do get them driving but we can’t allow casual spectators to be around a yard full of novice drivers

That’s why it’s by booking only

Pat

Well done to Pat for putting something back into the industry. It is a great idea and was the way us young uns were taught, or taught ourselves, driving round a yard, dropping and picking up trailers and learning basic maintenance.

H&S & high insurance premiums has killed that dead, so Pat and Crew are about teaching the interested and uninitiated some good lessons.

Keep the charity donations up folks, you never know when I may need it

[animal]

Think it is all here

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=70726

But totally agree it was a good day

Pleased you are now going to book your CE this is what the day is about & yep I feel a bit more confident at reversing think it is starting to come together but due to other commitments I cant book my Ce as yet but will do soon

Dont leave it too long or wait till next year due to weather as I have been there

Was nice to meet you

[jennie]

animal:
Was nice to meet you

You too always nice to put a face to a name
jen x

[dieseldave]

animal:
Think it is all here

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=70726

I’ve merged the two topics now, cos it made sense to me to keep them together.

[dieseldave]

bloodoodle:
On a unhappier note, there was 11 people who booked a place on the Training Day and didn’t turn up, or indeed let me know they wouldn’t be coming.

Hi Pat,

I am much saddened to hear this news.

It happens only very seldomly, but this has put me into rant mode.

Do these 11 <insert word of choice> realise to what extent their selfishness has impacted on others?
I doubt it, otherwise they’d have had the common decency to make a 2mins phone-call just to let you know that they couldn’t make it. THOUGHTLESS and SELFISH!!

Of course, everybody realises that things change, and sometimes changes happen from minute to minute in people’s busy lives. However, there DID come a point when each of those 11 people realised they weren’t going to be able to make it.
There may well be a perfectly good reason for any person’s non-attendance, but surely there can be NO EXCUSE for not making a simple phone-call. RIDICULOUS!!
Genuine people were turned away, and all because of the lack of a simple phone-call.

Here’s the effect of thoughtless selfishness:

bloodoodle:
There was a waiting list of people wanting to come who we couldn’t fit in and therefore didn’t get the opportunity to come.

You respected their booking, yet they failed to respect you. SHAMEFUL!!

The PDA and Brett’s- whose generosity cannot be understated, together with all the people who voluntarily gave up their free time for the benefit of others, and in particular yourself were all inconvenienced and had your time thoroughly wasted, plus a number of innocent people who will probably have to wait a fair while for such an opportunity to come around again.

The ones who are most likely to mess you around will be the ones who scream the loudest when you ask for the up-front donation.
At least now you’ll probably spot the time-wasters next time.

If anybody recognises themselves in my post, then be very ashamed (please,) but to put matters right, you could always do the right thing and MAKE A DONATION TO THE PDA.

Or, you could gutlessly slither away and simply HANG YOUR HEAD IN SHAME whilst relying on a pathetic excuse and continuing to hide. BENEATH CONTEMPT!!

There we go, points made, rant over and not a single ZB’ed word in sight.

[wheel_nut]

Jennie:
The PDA training day on Sat for me was a great success , as Bloodoodle had kindly organised a very , very patient man called Brian to go Backwards all day in his truck to get my confidence up on the reversing , heres the veh in question :
0
Thats Brian just at the back dont worry he knew he was safe i was takin a pic

The morning was spent parking inbetween the other lorries all loaded and ready to go out and to be honest I was all over the place almost allways jack knifing the veh pulling forward to straighten up again and then wiggle and i will not understate that its was all over the place so head in hands round the yard again to position for another and another and another go at getting into the space , (gotta admit so glad had two spaces to practice with !!, then nearing lunch a lorry comes round the corner theres Pat a huge smile and she backs the veh right next to mine first time an as straight as a die!! (Thats how it was supposed to be done , one day eh !!!)

So after lunch back to this backwards game while everyone else was roping and sheeting and my god it got better and better the brain was actually starting to compute this back to front wheel turning and the veh was going where i wanted it too well until I lost concentration and would revert back to rigid mode ,

Brian taught me the uncoupling and coupling proceedure no probs and a lot easier to reverse just the cab back to trailer the cab on its own does what i tell it too mind you its a bit un nerving when the bang comes to connect trailer thought id done some real damage that will take some getting used to as if I heard a bang like that in my rigid would be filling out an accident form !!!

So whats the upshot then well have decided to go ahead and book my class 1 training its given me the confidence to think I might actualluy be able to do this ,

Pat it was a wonderful day a big thank q for organising this for me it was above and beond everyone there was lovely and i hope you raised a good amount for the pda mabe a bit more if thepeople who never bothered turning up had come also they might of let you know so you could of opened it up to the people you had to refuse as was full eh

anyway a brill day for me and any newbies on here look out for next year and get in quick you will have a very invaluable day learning a few things

jen x

Great story Jen.
Are you aware how much more difficult it is to reverse a short trailer? You are using a 30’ skelly which are much less forgiving then a normal 45’ trailer, hence the zig zagging and wiggles.

The next time you try it with a full length outfit, you are guaranteed to nail it in one.

As for coupling, if you can use the air suspension, it is much easier to couple without the sudden bang if the trailer height and turntable is at the right height.