peter s:
Don’t worry about it. Get into Wincanton or DHL and you’ll see more ex army who can’t drive either.
worked with both in the past both good drivers/bad drivers and a lot ex Forces drivers amongst them never a problem
Left hand down!:
carryfast-yeti:
after just a few minutes today at our place.the agy Class 1 driver who turned up had NEVER coupled or uncoupled a trailer! he’d just come out the Army,and said he’d only drove trucks that were already coupled!No surprises here then. All the ex forces lot can’t drive for toffee. There’s an ex army examiner and assessor at the place I’m at who is always suggesting to the office that they should use him to vet the agency drivers before being let out, yet he can’t reverse for toffee himself and if it’s a tight spot will get someone else (often an agency driver
) to back it in for him because he can’t do it.
Theres a lot of ex forces drivers out there me being one and i aint bad…“All” sweeping statement!
trux:
Juddian:
Winseer:
Juddian:
Clot,0
Wasn’t this army guy was it?That’s going back a bit, Beano or Dandy?
Dandy .
Corporal Clott & Colonel Grumbly, Sir !
Private 90210 reporting for duty Siiiiiiir
Juddian:
Clot, why didn’t he go on youtube to get the basics and/or grab half a days refresher, including coupling up, before putting himself in the firing line.He could instead have had a poke nose round a truckstop and if he’d asked politely most of us would have given him a run through procedures even if we didn’t actually demonstrate it, stay there an hour and you’ll find somebody doing a changeover, again a chat with the blokes and most of 'em would have gone through it with him in slow motion.
I don’t blame the trainer stopping the assessment, bloke needs to sort himself out a bit.
Because the majority of squaddies wouldn’t know what to do unless someone told them to do it.
They don’t understand common sense or initiative.
NewLad:
Juddian:
Clot, why didn’t he go on youtube to get the basics and/or grab half a days refresher, including coupling up, before putting himself in the firing line.He could instead have had a poke nose round a truckstop and if he’d asked politely most of us would have given him a run through procedures even if we didn’t actually demonstrate it, stay there an hour and you’ll find somebody doing a changeover, again a chat with the blokes and most of 'em would have gone through it with him in slow motion.
I don’t blame the trainer stopping the assessment, bloke needs to sort himself out a bit.
Because the majority of squaddies wouldn’t know what to do unless someone told them to do it.
They don’t understand common sense or initiative.
I’d say more squaddies have common sense than initative that civvies ,who seem to have the attitude of " I just do as i’m told ,i’m not paid to think "
A guy at our place recently dropped a trailer smashing a customers wheel arches ,he’s 100% civvy ,been driving 30 odd years
5RRF:
Left hand down!:
carryfast-yeti:
after just a few minutes today at our place.the agy Class 1 driver who turned up had NEVER coupled or uncoupled a trailer! he’d just come out the Army,and said he’d only drove trucks that were already coupled!No surprises here then. All the ex forces lot can’t drive for toffee. There’s an ex army examiner and assessor at the place I’m at who is always suggesting to the office that they should use him to vet the agency drivers before being let out, yet he can’t reverse for toffee himself and if it’s a tight spot will get someone else (often an agency driver
Theres a lot of ex forces drivers out there me being one and i aint bad…“All” sweeping statement!
Have to agree with RRF (Royal Regiment of Fusilers I guess) there are idiots in the army ,but they also exist in civvy street…I see a lot of damaged vehicles in our workshop ,damaged by drivers who have never been in the forces
I too am exforces and I also have not hitched or unhitched a unit yet, I was driving a FH16 660 with a 20.5m lowloader the past 3 months but never unhitched the trailer as I never neeeded too, I asked the boss to show me how and he said “You dont need to worry about that” so I didnt.
As for the civvy vs squaddies… some civvys I have come across are mince as fick, same as some squaddies but you just take them in your stride. Squaddies also tend to respect things more as we were charged for damages caused by neglect, unlike in civvy street…
I had an asessment drive for Keedwells in Hull a few years ago. Having backed under the trailer, the safety clip was missing. The ■■■-essor walked off muttering, looking for a fitter. By the time he came back, I’d refitted it after finding it on the floor. During the drive, I mentioned that I wasn’t impressed with a company that operated such poorly maintained vehicles. Strangely, he went rather quiet 
When subsequently offered a job, I told them to give it to someone with lower standards than me. 
Juddian:
trux:
Juddian:
Winseer:
Juddian:
Clot,Wasn’t this army guy was it?
That’s going back a bit, Beano or Dandy?
Dandy .
Corporal Clott & Colonel Grumbly, Sir !
Waves…i’ve got a Desperate Dan pint mug of steaming hot tea in me mitt at this very moment.
Happy memories both comics, and Tiger/Valliant, featuring every boys hero Captain Hurricane, a non PC commando…
…personally, I prefered “Victor” - where the bad guys go “Aeiiiieee!” when they get killed off…
Wanna see my squirt ring? - Just great for getting rid of lickcocks on my tail Sir!
threewheelsonmywagon:
I had an asessment drive for Keedwells in Hull a few years ago. Having backed under the trailer, the safety clip was missing. The ■■■-essor walked off muttering, looking for a fitter. By the time he came back, I’d refitted it after finding it on the floor. During the drive, I mentioned that I wasn’t impressed with a company that operated such poorly maintained vehicles. Strangely, he went rather quietWhen subsequently offered a job, I told them to give it to someone with lower standards than me.
Drama queen.
Blimey ,I was lucky enough to learn all these things at father s modern day slavery camp ,looking back iam now glad I didn’t call Esta Ransom on him !
Contraflow:
Drama queen.
More queen than drama, sweetie 
Everyone has had too learn in some shape or form,years ago the new starters were always put with me or 1/2 of the other lads as they would get shown the correct way of doing the job ( t.ombods words not mine) ,I was always happy too do this if the new driver wanted too learn and not just waste mine and there’s time ,great to see a new lad who always wanted to be a truck driver all his life progress to eventually become one ,and to fulfill his dream .
I found that most of the chivvy ones who came with me had scrimped and saved,dad was a truck driver so really wanted too learn,I always felt that most of the forces lads were in it as it was just a job and most had aspirations to do other things ,better themselves ( as was proved by most leaving in a shortish time ).
Didn’t see much of ,or no difference in standards of driving ,just took longer for some than others to grasp it be it chivvy or forces drivers.
Left hand down I am ex forces and was taught how to couple and uncouple and have shown civvies how to do it. And yes I can drive and better then some civvies. Dont tar everyone with the same brush.
degsy4wheels:
Left hand down I am ex forces and was taught how to couple and uncouple and have shown civvies how to do it. And yes I can drive and better then some civvies. Dont tar everyone with the same brush.
+1!
Surely this is a wind up… I mean someone who has passed there class one can’t couple or uncouple…where he get his licence from a crisp packet…
I mean I passed my test 5 year ago and haven’t really used it much due to personal circumstances … yet I still know the basics and should the opportunity arise in the coming months it wouldn’t be an issue…
I had to help a driver at amazon a few months ago. He couldnt figure out how to disconnect his airline…had never been shown and had only passed his class 1 a few weeks earlier…o and he was a civvy…
degsy4wheels:
I had to help a driver at amazon a few months ago. He couldnt figure out how to disconnect his airline…had never been shown and had only passed his class 1 a few weeks earlier…o and he was a civvy…
How could he have not been shown?
How did he pass his test?
Coupling and uncoupling is part of it!
No idea but he said he hadnt been
Assuming you took your test on something that didn’t require it you might end up in a job where it’s not required. I worked at Vantec Europe site running car parts from port of tyne to the Nissan plant in containers. If you work out of shed 5 you never drop your trailer, it’s all from bay to bay.