Test Day Today August 25th 2004.
I didnt sleep to well, apparently I was driving in my sleep again LOL so the wife had an uncomfortable night too. I get to the yard in time for a coffee in the canteen and meet Paul & John just before 8am. The plan for today is a few reverses just to make sure then out onto the road. First thing needed is to move a couple of trailers that have appeared overnight blocking part of the course. I can hardly contain my joy when out of the Blue Paul hands me the keys for the 03 plate DAF that is blocking our way and asks me if I want to move it and the trailer attached to a more suitable place. I climbed aboard and took it in, its posher than my car LOL and the gear box is a hell of a lot nicer than the one were training in too. For one brief moment I felt like a proper trucker.
That set me up for the day really, the reverses went fine for both of us and we headed off at 9.30ish to get some last minute practice in on the road. Johns test is at 1pm so he goās First and drives for about an hour followed by me for another hour. No problems really despite the nerves so at 11.30 we gets to the cafĆĀ©, I donāt think I have the stomach for a full English this morning but as Paul orders his I think what the hell and order the same. I didnt quite finish it but made a good effort.
Its getting close to test time for John so he drives from the cafĆĀ© up to the test center and we get ther at 12.45pm. I didnt fancy waiting twiddling my thumbs and getting worked up until my turn at 2.30pm so I hatched a cunning plan last night whereby my wife would get to the test center (which is about 15 mins from our house) at 1pm and we would then go to the local ASDA the get some supplys and kill an hour or so for me. She arrived with kids in tow (mine and her friend) and after wishing John good luck I drive off to the supermarket in her Fiesta, after stalling it in the car park first LOL (I hadnāt driven it for ages).
Shopping done I get back to the test center about 2pm to await Johns return, Paul tells me that he did the reverse OK but needed 2 shunts. John pulls back into the test center at around 2.10pm and as he has already done the uncoupling he just needs the debrief and result. It seems to take an age and me and Paul cant tell whether hes passed or not. Eventually John gets out and just the look on his face tells us the bad news. He failed with 2 serious faults, Gears and planning / observation. I was gutted for him but theres not much else to say to him really, I know the feeling failing gives you and itās not nice.
It was then my turn, I was nervous as hell by this point and it had just started raining again (typical). There are 3 guys on test at 2.30pm including me and as the reverse is set up for an Artic we guess that I will be reversing first. The other 2 on test are both rigids. Here we go then - The reverse went perfectly with no shunts which really eased the nerves, the emergency stop next no probs there and we head off out of the test center. At this point Iām thinking all I have to do is put a nice drive in and that it cracked which was a nice feeling to have I can tell you. After only 10 mins were pulled up to do the gear change exercise and that goās fine too. We set off again and almost instantly he asks me to pull over again! Weird I thought but I comply, āmove off when you are readyā? and suddenly Iām not sure which gear Iām in after the gear change exercise, and I fluff the gears and make a bit of a hash of setting off. DOH! I cant believe it, al sorts of things are going through my mind now, have I failed? Has he marked me for it? Aaaaargggg. I turn to him and utter " I do apologise, I think that was my nerves" Iām not sure whether that makes a difference to him as he isnt saying anything at all apart from telling me which route to take.
I seem to calm down ok but still in the back of my mind is a niggle about the incident. After a while driving I look at the clock on the dash and realize that we must be getting close to the time to head back, sure enough were soon heading for Sheffield Parkway and Its almost over. We get back to the test center, do the uncoupling and then get back in the cab for the result. I could have kissed him when he said Iād passed, miserable old git that he was.
So thats it, its done and boy does it feel good.
Thanks all for listening and anyone on training or with a test coming up I wish you the best of luck.
Cheers,
Paul (New Improved Bendy Version - Itās Official)
( counting pennies in jar)
. Welcome to the real world