Day 3, and I’m already thinking what the hell have I let myself in for!
I’m learning in an 18tonne vehicle, 9mtrs long, 12’ high.
The first day was basics - uphill & downhill starts, couple of roundabouts etc. didn’t go great and there was a lot to take in. Struggled feeling the bite so rolled back a few inches on a couple of uphill starts!
Second day went really well and did about 50 miles around the area so got some decent speed going and learnt how to use the limiter (although I’ve developed a bad habit of setting it when I’m a few mph OVER the limit)! Clipped a couple of kerbs on roundabouts but otherwise pretty good.
Today however was back to my old self and got myself in a flap a couple of times - again struggled to feel or hear the bite on an uphill roundabout with cars behind. Overcompensated for this by revving too much and shot through the roundabout too fast! Also seemed to forget some procedures or the order to do them.
Overall, getting there and I’m sure it’ll come but today weren’t the best.
My main weaknesses are:
Too fast approaching junctions & roundabouts.
Clipping kerbs on offside i.e. the island.
Too aggressive with the gear stick.
Oh, and managing to do 45mph in a 30 which earnt me a right ticking off!
Got one full day left to get myself sorted then the test on Monday which I feel 50/50 about.
If nothing else, I’ve learnt to appreciate what goes in to being a lorry driver!
Lessons are the place to make your mistakes mate! Test day is a strange one, I found I had my best drives on test day, something switches on inside you and you just have to nail it.
Drive for you and don’t worry about cars behind, take as much time as you need at r’abouts and awkward junctions, it allows you to have a good look in each mirror. If you are rushing mirror checks then you are too fast.
The place for speed is on the nice long roads with good visibility. On my tests I drove really slowly and steady and built up the speed where safe
Slow it down for day four and you’ll have a better day.you want to build your skill towards test day not peak too early so have faith and you’ll be fine. I don’t bother saying good luck, it’s skill and concentration
Ps . When changing gear say “slowly and smoothly” and you’ll be good
Slowly and you come out of gear, and while you move through neutral to your next gear and smoothly and you ease the lever in to gear. Make up your own saying but this worked for me
Ps . When changing gear say “slowly and smoothly” and you’ll be good
“Slowly” as you come out of gear, “and” while you move through neutral to your next gear and “smoothly” as you ease the lever in to gear. Make up your own saying but this worked for me
Cheers for the advice, I’ll use that saying as it must’ve worked for you.
My main concern now is the bite as it can’t really be taught or learnt, you just have to get it right.
Was thinking about the speeding issue (doing 45 in a 30) - admittedly that’s quite a bit over the limit but I don’t agree that it should be a fail. People speed all the time and get a fine +/or points, they don’t lose their licence tho! I’m only (half) joking, I know it wasn’t the cleverest thing to do, I just completely missed the sign whilst looking out for a million & one other things! Trust me to learn somewhere I’m not even familiar with!
On a 5 day course it is quite normal for a dip to occur on day 3 but a good nights sleep will put that right for day 4
Day 3 is often the day when the instructor leaves it mainly up to you with little input from them because they need to know what you can do on your own
Speed limits can be a pain! Roads that look 40 or 50 are often 30■■?
Look in to side roads, if you see 30 sign on side roads then your on a 40 (or faster)
No speed limit in the side road then your still on a 30
Dereko:
Speed limits can be a pain! Roads that look 40 or 50 are often 30■■?
Look in to side roads, if you see 30 sign on side roads then your on a 40 (or faster)
No speed limit in the side road then your still on a 30
^^^ that’s a good one. I shall remember that for when I start learning
Failed - aargh!
Of all the things to mess up I screwed the reversing which I’d nailed 10+ times before! Just didn’t come in at the right position (too short and too far right) and clipped the cone.
Gutted cos other than that it went well - only 8 minors.
So the dilemma is whether or not to retry which ain’t cheap and there’s no guarantees second time round - or, quit now and find yet another career direction!
Commiserations mate. That will probably have been the famous test nerves that caused the reversing mess up as clearly you can normally do it.
Nerves can cause all sorts of crazy things to happen. On first test I floored it trying to get through a green light and avoid a hill start. Never done that before or since! On my second test for no reason I forgot to take the lock off and go straight, and ended up (just) getting into the garage on full opposite lock.
8 minors, no (other) majors, decent score, you should definitely have another go as you know what to expect now and that is more than half the battle. Hang in there! It’s easier 2nd time around by a long way.
Get straight back in there and book a retest, I flunked my class 1 on the reversing and the uncoupling/recoupling procedure due to nerves. The 2nd time round I used rescue remedy spray (gets rid of nerves and relaxes you) and nailed the lot with only 2 minors. . Your not the only one to fail on the 1st attempt and certainly not the last!
Little update…
I was all set to ditch the whole idea (having failed at the first attempt) but thought I’d have one more go so I booked 4hrs training on Wednesday then a pre-drive & test today and bloody passed!
Had 8 minor faults which I was quite chuffed with as I’m only a car driver so it’s still all relatively new to me.
So it’s now a question of where to go from here, any advice appreciated…
Most jobs seem to want 2yrs experience but I’ve heard from other people that that’s more the case if you’re under 25 which I’m not.
I also need to look in to the whole cpc thing which confuses me - I passed my car driving licence in 97 so I’m told I have acquired rights which should help towards the cpc?
The big dime a is whether to quit work as I need to be employable (possibly thru an agent) without having to tell them to wait for me to compete my 4wks notice. Tricky one!
Not anymore you’re not mate! Congratulations on passing and well done on trying again and not giving up.
Bert77:
I also need to look in to the whole cpc thing which confuses me - I passed my car driving licence in 97 so I’m told I have acquired rights which should help towards the cpc?
Yes, you have until September 2014 to have completed 35hours of DCPC training (which a lot of employers provide anyway as well as a few agencies if needed). Search the forum for more details, there’s quite a bit on here.
Bert77:
The big dime a is whether to quit work as I need to be employable (possibly thru an agent) without having to tell them to wait for me to compete my 4wks notice. Tricky one!
Personally, I wouldn’t quit your job yet mate. Just keep looking around and applying for jobs in the normal way, then put your notice in once you get an offer, even if that is only through an agency (as long as there is work there!) Ideally, if you can’t get an ouright driving job offer from a company, you could do some work through an agency on weekends/holidays etc. That way, you still have an income coming in and you get to know what’s available job wise and what’s expected of you. You will almost certainly get chatting to other drivers on the agency (or at firms you deliver to and collect from) and get ‘insider’ knowledge on jobs as soon as they become available, or sometimes even before they become available.
Cheers all.
Thanks for the advice too.
The plan is to get signed up with a couple of agencies and try my best to stick out my current job as long as poss until I get an opportunity. Just hope that I don’t forget how to drive a truck in the meantime!
been following your thread closely as your only over the water from me and around the same age, so been eager to see how you progress and how you find the whole process, im no where near your stage yet, only just had my medical and sent off for my provisional entitlement. but cant wait to get behind the wheel of a truck
good luck finding work though you will have to keep us posted
Cheers delta.
Hope things work out for you.
Sounds like your next step is to go for an assessment drive which was quite an eye opener for me-I thought they’d just have me doing basic stuff in a yard but I was out on major roads from the off and I wasn’t familiar with the area either but it was the best way to learn.
