I passed in December and have just completed my first two weeks on my own. Having passed in a w&d I wasn’t trained to drive an artic so really struggled at first, but I’m getting there now and can reverse into bays even if it takes a few minor shunts. The best advice I had was to take it slow, make small adjustments, try and get your lorry straight, and the best advice was to look out the window and judge it using the trailer wheels NOT the back of the trailer.
3stepsaheaduk:
Failed on pulling out on a rounder bout makong a car slow down in my openion there was plenty of room and anyone would of pulled out there trying to get a clear patch big enough in birmingham is hard, apart from that two minora one on reverse one on the road
Next time mate my advice would be to slow down and get round the assault course safely. You might pick up a few minors for hesitation, but so what. It’s those serious ticks you’ve got to watch for I.e making another vehicle slow down, missing a signal especially easy coming off a roundabout, and mounting a kerb etc. I think I passed class 1 with about 6 minors. Once you get on the open road you can demonstrate you’re not really hesitant, but in clogged up city centres be patient at roundabouts.
SWEDISH BLUE:
Long time age, my trainer said…
Don’t be a C***
Take the shunt.
They will not fail you for shunting forwards ONCE
We must have had the same trainer 
truck-n-me:
‘…Any hints n tips would be appreciated…’
With all the frantic too-ing and fro-ing of the steering wheel in your early days, it’s easy to get confused
1. So try to keep aware of where the centered (as in steering the unit straight) position is by the wheel spokes: I find that taking a shunt forward from this position can help undo a foul-up.
2. Mentally note how many turns of the steering wheel it takes from full left to full right
3. Every ‘put-on’ of the wheel will require a ‘take-off’
Edited to add:
4. I don’t think examiners take too kindly to ‘dry-steering’ either, so perhaps avoid that habit when flustered
5. When it gets tight at the back, the space in front is available to help make corrections too
I was carp for years, but only a little better now 
There are plenty of artic drivers that don’t half make it look difficult, I watched one yesterday in some services in wales pull into the lorry park with an active rear steer trailer and even how he placed himself to begin the reverse was ■■■■■■■■ let alone the act itself.
I cannae reverse very well. Had my C+E over 2 years and never once reversed onto a bay, never mind one with trailers either side.
ROG:
They stopped doing it because it is reasonable to expect a driver to drive anywhere if they are competent
Of cource it dose not stop you asking your driving instructor who is going to assess you (and then give you a quote) to scrible in high light pen all the routes that are used on test on you A-Z map
Because the test routes remain the same anyway
Tris:
Next time mate my advice would be to slow down and get round the assault course safely. You might pick up a few minors for hesitation, but so what. It’s those serious ticks you’ve got to watch for I.e making another vehicle slow down,
I think that is a rely good train of thought
take the chance of a few minors or the chance of a complete fail
just by slowing down and taking it steady
slowing down and taking it steady is what I thing any employer assessor would like to see as apposed to rushing it with little or no experance
Happy Keith:
truck-n-me:
‘…Any hints n tips would be appreciated…’With all the frantic too-ing and fro-ing of the steering wheel in your early days, it’s easy to get confused
1. So try to keep aware of where the centered (as in steering the unit straight) position is by the wheel spokes: I find that taking a shunt forward from this position can help undo a foul-up.
2. Mentally note how many turns of the steering wheel it takes from full left to full right
3. Every ‘put-on’ of the wheel will require a ‘take-off’
Edited to add:
4. I don’t think examiners take too kindly to ‘dry-steering’ either, so perhaps avoid that habit when flustered
5. When it gets tight at the back, the space in front is available to help make corrections too
I was carp for years, but only a little better now
Thanks pal! Advice taken Note of.