A little advice please

UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS THE UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUM (INTERACTIVE)
21

all you gota rember is use a map book and plan your route… dont use a ■■■■ nav… and if your not sure about the turning straddle the lanes ■■■■ the other drivers and take your time… if they get ■■■■■■ with you so what… let them. nobody will get out and kick ten barrels of ■■■■ outa you because then they cant get the truck out the way… but like the others said get your class 1 get on the agency take your time get some experiance and then keep an eye out for the job you like… also agencys help you find the perfect jobs… as you know you get a good selection of jobs through them.

Good luck.

22

I did my C&E through Ritchies a couple of years ago, the route wasn’t bad, a few narrow roads to negotiate, so if you can pass on that route there is nothing to worry about for city centre driving.

You just have to plan ahead and get in the right road position, but not massively more so than on rigids (with my limited rigid experience)

23

If your scared of the vehicle you drive and where your driving your a danger to yourself and others be it a motorbike car or a lorry. After a couple of months driving round a city especaly one you know you should be fairly confident in your abbility.
its like them storys you hear of people driving in the motorway at 30 mph as they have never been out of town and causing absolute choas.

24

Big Al the frying scotsman:
i am at my wits end parkin a ridged 18 ton ridged never mind trying that in a artic and thats my prob. How do you make the leap and not kill someone or crush a car in the prosess

Look mate, I’m not having a pop at you because at least you are being honest on here.
It sounds to me like you would be better remaining in your comfort zone, and keep on the rigids. The fact that you are bottling it about driving an artic in a city is telling you that you are not cut out for it. When I was on rigids for the first few months after getting my then Class 3, I could not wait to get behind the wheel of an artic… that is the difference, which should maybe tell you something.
Wait until your confidence builds, this will be achieved when driving your rigid in cities, parking and reversing into near impossible spaces becomes second nature to you, ie. you do it virtually without thinking or worrying about it.
I am the other way to you now I have been on artics so bloody long that I would now find it difficult driving a rigid in a city centre, as I would tend to manouver round corners and bends as I would in an artic …like I said second nature.
So basically I would say wait a bit then have a go. Good luck mate.

Edit: If it makes you feel any better I did not really learn how to properly reverse an artic until after I passed my test, and regularly made a complete ■■■■ of myself trying to back on to tight bays in front of many different audiences, but the more I done it the better I got.
In fact up to the Driving God standard I am at today :laughing: :unamused: … So just keep at it and one day you may be as good as me :wink: :laughing: and modest.

25

It will be obvious to those that have done it but when you are learning to drive C&E they tend to take you down some tight places as a matter of course. It’s how you learn about the length & width of the vehicle you’re driving. How you shouldn’t block junctions, not going into a box junction until your exit is clear, hill starts, up & down, and a load of other things that, with time, will become normal. It’s called experience. If you’re not sure about it then try asking some training schools if they do assessment drives. They will take you out for a drive to see how you get on, usually it’s free as they want your business. I did it with a company in Gateshead after a spell away from driving class 1.
You will also find that the vast majority of class 1 work, while going through towns & cities, tends to avoid the smaller roads & locations.

26

BillyHunt:
You will also find that the vast majority of class 1 work, while going through towns & cities, tends to avoid the smaller roads & locations.

That’s maybe so, but then you get the stars that don’t know what a map is for, or are too godamm thick to read one, and rely 100% on a ■■■■■■ sat nav :unamused: (not meaning the o/p by the way) and that is when the panic sets in and the problems, …and sometimes the disasters occur, at least in a rigid it is easier for the less experienced, or in this case unsure and nervous, to reverse back in a straight line out of trouble, and also learn the roads to avoid.

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Big Al the frying scotsman:
Hi all i have been a delivery driver all my driving days however i only passed my class 2 about 6 months ago my plan was get my hiab ticket and deliver sand and block ect how ever i am thinking about class 1 but tue thought of driving a artic in glasgow or edinburgh city center scares the life out of me. I want to know what the real deal is after you pass your test will i be stuck in the agency rut getting the jobs no other driver wants (like i am just now) or will there be light at the end of the tunnel if i go class 1

Hi, the real deal is going to be the same for you as most others when it comes to work. You only get out of life what you put in …unless you win the lottery !!, How you push yourself to find work will pave your way to the future wether its with a company or with an agency, & how does this all fit in with your home life , working long hours, maybe away from home a few nights ,& how will this effect your relationship with family , not so brilliant wages more so as your just starting out again, will it all leave you enough money to live on?? All these type of questions are important to help you decide which path to choose.
As for actually going for c+e that is your choice too , it isn’t for everyone, but a good trainer is worth their salt! , if you are scared of a large vehicle …well only you really know the answer to that, your confidence should build with a good trainer, maybe ask for an assessment drive and see how you feel then. If you don’t feel comfortable maybe stay in your comfort zone on class 2 & improve your skills there .

28

Some sound advice here i think i will just get some more experiance out on the road with the ridged and as someone said once backin into impossable spaces ect is second nature then its time to move up. I will go for the assesment drive soon though and see how i go. Cheers for the upfront and honest advice and cheers for not rippin me a new one :smiley:

29

As someone said earlier, you are unlikely to be sent right into the heart of the city in an artic.

When I passed my class 1over 12yrs ago, it was on a Thursday afternoon. Phoned my boss and told him the good news and he asked if I wanted to go out in an artic on Monday and do 3 drops in Edinburgh. All shopping centers of retail park drops. I was a little apprehensive but said yes as I had done the drops in an 18t before, so I at least knew where i was going. Managed it OK and without any problems.

Maybe you are just worrying too much about it. Remember that you only properly learn how to drive after you pass your test. You are not going to be perfect to begin with, but practice makes perfect.

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Hi Al - Your post struck a powerful chord with me, as i only started full time C+E driving 10 weeks ago. Its really a "baptism of fire" sketch, cos you can only learn this stuff by jumping in at the deep end and toughing it out. Ive got myself into some epic squeezes and honestly thought that the only way out was to be airlifted by a Chinook! Shunting back and forth, and extracting myself, i couldnt believe on some occasions that id managed to do it. The key (im learning) is to look early (and in great detail) at everything around you that could cause problems, and make time for yourself to decide on the best option. Screw the car drivers - they are blissfully ignorant as to your situation. Try your utmost to get in the zone and not be distracted by morons who think that theyre the only ones using the road who matter. If you dont like what you see, then drive on and approach differently a second time. Making hasty, ill-advised decisions and getting flustered are all the kiss of death! I have learned so much through my own ■■■■-ups, and have so much more to learn. As long as you are aware that you dont know it all, you can become better and more relaxed as time goes by.

It is stressful at the very outset, but i don`t regret going for my class1. Good luck with whatever you decide to do mate.

31

Cheers that rings true with me too ■■■■■■■. I am way more confedent now with the ridged but thats where the fear comes from for the artics some of the wee lanes i have backed in to and somehow got back out of i still dont know how i made it in to the princess square loading bay. I know its trial by fire but i just think it will be way more so in the class ones.

32

hard to believe what im reading here…I passed with richies/Livingston at 10-30 in the morning…at 2 pm I was loading for 5 drops England south coast,…guy j4 180 gardner,5 gears,no power steering,no heating,no, alternator,i went away with 5 big batteries in the pit and had to use the lights as a last resort,passenger door welded shut to pass the mot,and mirrors like a packet of ■■■■.thats the job when you just pass your test and your mad for tar.,6 months later I was doing European work,and a year after that I was doing 3 trips to Saudi and that was back in 1978. trucks are a doddle now ffs. just do it. if you’ve no bottle,then wreck a few agency trucks before you get a decent job…you will never know till you try,so geton with it and just do it. id rather be trying to squeeze in somewhere in an artic than a big rigid…pass your test…come over to Ireland and work for a month ■■■■■■■■ bricks.then the uk will feel like its all motorway right up the a82 and beyond.you cant imagine the roads over here compared to the uk…jump right in at the deep end,and get on with it,then wonder later why you fannied around on a rigid…simple as that.

33

dieseldog999:
you cant imagine the roads over here compared to the uk

Of course, the Norfolk backroads and the Cambridge fen roads are a pure joy to trampoline and tramline around on. Barely a trucks width, with 12 foot ditches on either side. You dont have the monopoly on crap roads dude.

34

Some of what I’m going to say will contradict what other contributors have said but it is true for me. There will be artics going into city centres on a regular and frequent basis, look at the number of supermarkets for a start, and most of the companies that go to these places will have approved routes into and out again. That is not to say that they are the only routes and there will be times when road closures will force you away from the approved route. In my experience most city centre destinations will have someone who will have the “knowledge” about the best way to get onto the unloading point be it a bay or dock, other drivers and transport offices are a useful source of helpful information - just beware of the malevolent halfwits who will not quite give you the full story. If in doubt stop early and walk in first to assess the approach. Don’t be afraid to admit to being new, nothing worse IMHO than a cocky know all who doesn’t.

Again, if not sure, stop where you can get away, don’t commit if you can’t complete. Try and avoid blind-siding if you can, turn and reverse on your good side. Finally you only get good at something if you do it regularly. Stay in your comfort zone if you wish but the longer you let the dread build the harder it gets to face, and ultimately beat your demons.

35

Well if you remember when you passed your test back in the days of yonder there was a lot less cars on the road and no muppets with ipods stuck in there ears walkin behind you as you are tryin to get backed into a lane.

36

Big Al the frying scotsman:
Well if you remember when you passed your test back in the days of yonder there was a lot less cars on the road and no muppets with ipods stuck in there ears walkin behind you as you are tryin to get backed into a lane.

if that’s your logic,your as well playing with your class 2 or 3 and only driving where you don’t get scared with all the people and traffic ffs…there may not have been as much traffic on the a82 but there was a slight difference in most European cities on the wrong side of the road…doing the job now is a complete piece of ■■■■ compared to years ago with the way the trucks are built.the fact theres so many fannies and women doing the job now is testemant to that.

37

I think its time to crawl back in to your cave wee man. If you think you are the dogs bawz fair play to you but exuse me for looking for some insight into what might be geting my self into and having the balls to be honest about it and wanting to do the best i can by asking questions first.

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Big Al the frying scotsman:
Well if you remember when you passed your test back in the days of yonder there was a lot less cars on the road and no muppets with ipods stuck in there ears walkin behind you as you are tryin to get backed into a lane.

Is this directed at my post? If so then you have really missed the point that I was making. I gave an alternative view to most of the previous posters based on my own experience. You may not find it useful, if not fine, don’t use it.

It does you no credit to make assumptions about what my credentials are without knowing what my work history entails. I have done high street shop deliveries for over 14 years and things are as challenging today as they were when I first started, admittedly the challenges have changed some but they still exist. More cars, bicycles, and same number of pushchairs. Didn’t have ipods but did have walkmans and a total lack of self preservation instinct in many people we share the roads with. Didn’t have electric mirrors to follow the back of the trailer when blind side reversing tight and no rear windows.

For your information I have delivered in many city centres during day time due in part to the restrictions placed on access times, through in use car parks, and those cities include Bristol, Portsmouth, Cardiff, Salisbury, Southampton, London, Leicester, Birmingham, Oxford and quite a few more. They are nothing very special nor, I suspect, any less challenging than Glasgow and Edinburgh. As for narrow roads well I collected from suppliers accessed by single tracks and been diverted along the same as well. All these things make the job what it is and add to the interest, frustration and enjoyment when you overcome those challenges.

You give the impression of not really being confident about upgrading to artics, most will have had some anxieties but faced them and overcome with experience and practice. I hope you can see, and accept, that and if/when you do get an artic license the learning starts after the test is passed and with the added joy of having to deliver product for customers who are paying for you to do so.

Finally I think that artics, in some cases, are easier to get into some places than rigids because of the better turning circle and trailers that have rear steer axles.

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Big Al the frying scotsman:
I think its time to crawl back in to your cave wee man. If you think you are the dogs bawz fair play to you but exuse me for looking for some insight into what might be geting my self into and having the balls to be honest about it and wanting to do the best i can by asking questions first.

I just think im normal,what insight can you get to the question of,im scared to drive a big nasty lorry in a big nasty city,and even more scared to drive one where ive never been before?.grow a pair ffs.go and do it,and either like it,and keep doing it,or go back to rigids in Glasgow or wherever you know if that’s all you can do.the worst you can do is keep getting fired for wrecking whatever trucks the agencies put you into.who cares anyway…

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No wiretwister it was the one b4 what you said made a lot of sense it was mr caveman how just was trying to give me a bashing for askin for advice rather than just going out on my own and bulling my way through things.