I firmly believe that it doesn’t matter what gearbox people take their test in. What really counts is how well they can adapt to whatever lorry they are placed in. My first experience in a manual truck on my own aside from one assessment drive was a 26T 4 over 4 where I had to take a full load of eggs to Asda in Erith from Lincoln on my own at 4am and this is before they took the toll booths out of Dartford which I hit at rush hour. It was tough at the start but I got the hang of it.
The actual test relies on a huge amount of luck so you can get a good run using a manual but still be pants at it when you’re placed in a wagon with a driver assessor. I drive an auto now and I passed in one but I won’t say no to a slapover box
Trainers won’t agree tht there is luck involved, as they (to a degree) want to instill in a candidate that it’s 100% in the candidates hands. That ACTUALLY is true, as if you do everything correctly, you can’t fail if you meet a bellend…
The luck part is not meeting a bellend, and therefore having an easy test!
Edit: Pete beat me to it, and I think says about the same!
I do agree with the sentiment about how the candidate reacts to the sitation is key to the outcome of the test but at that point in time the candidate is most likely a bag of nerves. The candidate is well aware of what he/she should do in that situation but they can come a cropper and mess it all up. Its very easy when you think about whats riding on the result of said test. Big life changing things can happen and it always costs a lot of money so that is playing on the candidates mind.
BUT even in some situations it can be totally out of your hands. It’s like when you book your training up here they ask what test time you would like and usually advise 9:50am test as the traffic has died down etc… Less “bell ends out in force”
wrighty1:
I think the tests should be free then there would be no nerves
Its bad enough when you have stumped up the cash but when your employer has
I remember speaking to a trainer (not sure if it was at PSTT or where I took my first test) but he said that those who get their tests and training paid for have a slightly higher pass rate because they don’t have to worry about the money.
wrighty1:
I think the tests should be free then there would be no nerves
Its bad enough when you have stumped up the cash but when your employer has
I remember speaking to a trainer (not sure if it was at PSTT or where I took my first test) but he said that those who get their tests and training paid for have a slightly higher pass rate because they don’t have to worry about the money.
The point I was making as I’m sure that must be the case.
BUT even in some situations it can be totally out of your hands.
Many folks categorise too many scenarios into this group. Such genuine situations are incredibly rare. We’re talking about an approaching vehicle having a tyre blowout and driving into your path. Or a vehicle loosing control on a bridge and falling onto the road in front of you. Highly unlikely.
The huge majority of incidents can be dealt with by an alert driver who has been correctly trained in the arts of forward planning and anticipation. eg, one of my favourite expressions on the approach to a bend is “there’s a broken down bus just round the bend”. If it’s not there, then look out for the truck driver coming towards you eating a sandwich, on the phone, with his girlfriend being “nice” to him at the same time.
When I was teaching car drivers and motorcyclists, I would always explain that they needed to learn an emergency stop. But that, if they ever needed it in the real world, they needed to ask themselves what THEY had done wrong. This simple analysis of the situation leads to more defensive driving in the future.
BTW, no examiner would ever fail anyone for the actions of another road user if there’s really nothing that can be done. They are not out there to get you.
A couple of years ago my truck came back from test with a smashed mirror when a bellend truck driver coming the other way and had drifted too far over and smashed his mirror in to my trucks mirror… Guess what? He passed as it wasn’t his fault.
totally disagree on that one chaps
