Hi all
Well, had my first go in an artic today on a assessment drive. Found it really enjoyable right up to the point where it broke down on a major roundabout and wouldn’t restart! Police and recovery in attendance. lol
The Daf was quite nice to drive, but i can understand why some love the auto and some hate them!
If anybody is considering C+E but a bit nervous, my advice is go for it! Great experience which has convinced me i have made the right career decision.
How did you find dealing with the trailer swing on roundabouts/turnings?
That’s the only thing I think I might struggle with when I get round to doing my C+E after I hopefully pass my Cat C this month. I do a bit of shunting so reveresing isn’t an issue, just worry about the trailer swing especially when cars get tight to me in the other lane while I am turning. Especially if they are tight to me on my blind side.
What school are you with?
adam277:
How did you find dealing with the trailer swing on roundabouts/turnings?
That’s the only thing I think I might struggle with when I get round to doing my C+E after I hopefully pass my Cat C this month. I do a bit of shunting so reveresing isn’t an issue, just worry about the trailer swing especially when cars get tight to me in the other lane while I am turning.What school are you with?
Not as bad as i thought i would. Just got to remember the size of it and use common sense. I was automatically getting into position at junctions and roundabouts after a few minutes. It felt more comfortable driving the artic than the 18t rigid i was in yesterday!
Training with Kent Metro in Kent, great bunch and obviously not there fault it broke down, and they couldn’t have been any more apologetic. Offered to get me back to do some reversing on a Saturday as it’s the only thing i missed out on.
neil2402:
adam277:
How did you find dealing with the trailer swing on roundabouts/turnings?
That’s the only thing I think I might struggle with when I get round to doing my C+E after I hopefully pass my Cat C this month. I do a bit of shunting so reveresing isn’t an issue, just worry about the trailer swing especially when cars get tight to me in the other lane while I am turning.What school are you with?
Not as bad as i thought i would. Just got to remember the size of it and use common sense. I was automatically getting into position at junctions and roundabouts after a few minutes. It felt more comfortable driving the artic than the 18t rigid i was in yesterday!
Training with Kent Metro in Kent, great bunch and obviously not there fault it broke down, and they couldn’t have been any more apologetic. Offered to get me back to do some reversing on a Saturday as it’s the only thing i missed out on.
I was also concerned about tailswing after coming off rigid’s (26t MAN’s), but unless you are putting on lots of lock and getting close to spinning on the spot, I find it’s a lot less than i expected.
i suppose when you get used to the cut in its no more difficult than driving a rigid. I think with an artic people tend to click that you’re bigger and need more room. They won’t often give it to you but they might do every now and again
NickW88:
i suppose when you get used to the cut in its no more difficult than driving a rigid. I think with an artic people tend to click that you’re bigger and need more room. They won’t often give it to you but they might do every now and again
It differs from a rigid is that reversing is an exercise for the mind, as opposed to the mirrors. In a rigid bodies vehicle, you can always see all of it your mirrors, but in an artic, they become useless! You can just see headboard on one side, and whatever livery on the other!
Thats certainly true. Even easier with a reversing camera on a rigid too.
I always think it would be nice to get real world reversing practise, a yard with different bays and Soft obstacles if you will, just to spend an hour or 2 getting to grips with it all.
I find the tail swing in a rigid worse than an artic. Just remember to watch the header. [THUMBS UP SIGN]