JaxDemon:
Not many training places have the land for something like that from what I can gather then add in every day is different.
You should not be worried about reversing if you take it slow and get out if needed then you’ll be fine. Even better if you get some help.
The main issue is people rush because you’re holding up cars ect… and for that your just best to ignore them and take your time. Never feel pressured cause some mongol has no patience to wait.
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Thanks, and yes youre right, its all added pressure. I dont and wont rush, that is for sure, but its the actual mechanics of where I need to be/what I need to do that baffles me if Im making sense? Ive had other drivers give me a clue by saying swing hard left here, or stick it in to that corner first then try and back up, I suppose thats the lack of knowledge that worries me? How to set myself up for how the trailer reacts? Maybe Im over thinking it, Im just worried I`m going to get myself stuck 
ako444:
I was of the same opinion as you when I passed mt Class 1 a couple of years ago and went off on my own for the first time. After a few weeks you soon realise that you’re 10 times better than you were and you start setting yourself up for the simple reverses without that feeling of dread and panic. I genuinely don’t think reversing can be taught using markers and turning points, it’s down to experience and instinct (of which I still have neither) 
For now, it’s just a case of doing what you’re doing and not causing any damage. As Jax just said, forget about holding people up, they’re not important.
As for other wagon drivers…I guarantee you the only drivers watching you reverse onto a bay will be the ones either side of you who are mildly concerned for their mirrors…if you’re struggling, they’ll help, if you’re looking good, they’ll look back at their phone / newspaper and leave you to it. Nobody is judging you as EVERYBODY has been where you are.
I promise in a few weeks you’ll be glad you never forked out on any reversing course!!!
Thanks for that, good to know you get where Im coming from, youre my neck of the woods anyway, so youll know what its like on Riverside??, and that was my first trailer drop on my own 
Shunters flying round beeping at me and getting cross, other drivers on a mission to get theirs picked up and gone, and all the bays are on the pish I didn`t stand a chance … I did have a poilsh lad helped me out thank fully and yeah with his help got in the bay, but I would have struggled sussing it out on my own.
It`s good to know others have been there before me, but everyone seems to be really good at it, and I just feel like a muppet 
Héraultais:
You can ask a school to do this and most would gladly take the money off you, but personally I would never have paid for this and as almost every situation is unique, it would ultimately be a waste of money.
I know every situation is different, but surely some points of reversing are the same?
alamcculloch:
I rememberstrugglingto get a skip motor onto a building site ,passed that way a month later and there was an artic sitting where I couldnt put a 4 wheeler.
But you did get the 4 wheeler in there, so that`s a good thing
ROG:
Virtually the same can be said for car drivers - pass a test then … nothing
Yeah I agree, but when you pass its usually your own car you start to drive (or your parents), so not your job riding on it, and if you bump it, its only your pride thats dented (and maybe a bumber lol), but it wont cost you your livelyhood.
hamster-whisperer:
I’m shocked I passed my car test going by the mistakes I made.
But when I went out in driving job (only a van) a few years later I found not having an instructor breathing down my neck resulted in less nerves and found it easy enough (going forwards anyway ). My gear changes were more natural. Surprising what you can learn on you own but obviously an LGV would be more daunting.
I’m not loaded by any means but was always my intention on getting cat C to do a day (at least) with the instructor taking me out and giving me some really nasty reverses just to gain the confidence with someone in the cab with me. Even though all reverses are going to be different, I figure if you’ve had instruction in doing some nasty ones then nothing really should faze you. I know it’s not in the same league as reversing in a C+E but looking at all the car drivers trying to get into a space I can only I imagine the added difficulty of doing it in a rigid LGV.
Let’s not forget that if you can do a 7 hour that should be towards your cpc hours so not really money thrown away as you’ve got to do something over the 5 years. Maybe the employer would even pay for it.
Aye, I agree with pretty much all of what you said there, my second C+E test was shocking (but I passed), and I`m much more happy and confident out driving on my own as opposed to having a clipboard sat at the side of me. But like you, for some of the more technical reverses, I just feel it would help to have some tuition to start with.
ROG:
What is missing is a compulsory system that makes all driver think about their driving every so often
Yes!!
hamster-whisperer:
Couple of hours CPD with an instructor every couple of years would work wonders. Probably only workable option would be an overhaul of the entire driver training system. I’m sure there are countries out there that do it better than us. Compulsory classroom hours. Minimum number of lessons with car instructor before test would be allowed. Minimum number of hours of post-test training (maybe Pass Plus compulsory).
With regards to LGV I’ve heard that you wouldn’t want to go through the LGV training system in France. Not sure newbies in this country will tolerate such a system here, even if it does( 
) improve standards.
Yes, though I don`t think that will ever happen, but surely there has to be an opportunity out there for training companies to offer courses for people who want to learn a bit more?
xichrisxi:
There’s no call for it that’s why…
So you pass your test are you going to willing to pay say £500 for a weeks training or get paid to practice whilst in a job?
99.9% of people would go for the latter.
No, not £500 !!!. But, if it was say £80 - £100 for an 8 hour day, shared with 1 maybe 2 other drivers, to practice in a “training vehicle” under supervision of an instructor, on a private bit of land, set up with a number of different bay/parking variations, then yes, I`d pay it in a heartbeat to have that kind of practice/training.
robroy:
I made a complete balls of reversing on my test, but still managed to pass.I did not learn how to do it properly until weeks after, and that was bloody years ago, so this is nothing new.
The problem lies (and more so today) in the fact that you are not taught to ‘drive’ you are taught to pass a driving test. 
I couldn`t agree more, you are taught to “tick boxes” not drive to “real life scenarios”. This is a bit part of the problem.
