C+E Training Not Needed Anymore

[dieseldave]

Giblsa:
<---------- is that better DD?

dieseldave:
Would you mind if I suggest a new avatar?

Hi Giblsa, I was only joking after your comment yesterday, but you’re welcome to it mate.
BTW, that gearshift pattern is from the Volvo FL10 in my gearbox topic.

Having read day #2 of your C+E efforts, I’d say that, during slow-speed manoeuvres, you might need to look in your mirrors even more often than normal.
Of course, ‘slow-speed’ means exactly that… so another tip is to double check before pressing the ‘loud’ pedal.

IMHO, the training school would be quite happy for you to wear out the mirrors from over-use rather than settle claims for trashed vehicles and roadside furniture.

I still reckon you’re doing OK mate, so, steady as she goes eh??

[lee_g]

dieseldave:
[
BTW, that gearshift pattern is from the Volvo FL10 in my gearbox topic.

Having read day #2 of your C+E efforts, I’d say that, during slow-speed manoeuvres, you might need to look in your mirrors even more often than normal.
Of course, ‘slow-speed’ means exactly that… so another tip is to double check before pressing the ‘loud’ pedal.

IMHO, the training school would be quite happy for you to wear out the mirrors from over-use rather than settle claims for trashed vehicles and roadside furniture.

I still reckon you’re doing OK mate, so, steady as she goes eh??

that gearshit pattern is exactly the same as the one i am using in the DAF.

cheers for the pointers regarding mirrors, i know that now

not to worry, its better to get these BIG mistakes out the way now rather than on the test, i suppose thats why we do it

[ronaldo]

Fascinating read Giblsa, brings back memories when I did it 20 years ago. Good luck to you!
I’m also thinking the same as everyone else at this point, show me a driver who hasn’t taken car door mirrors off and I’ll show you a liar!! I do it regularly, whenever there is a something on at Old Trafford, they always park half on the kerb without folding the mirrors in. Nice Range Rover without a door mirror now after last week’s Springsteen gig there…
Don’t worry about it, we don’t, just don’t do it on your test!!
I also can’t remember the last time I drove a manual, all our lorries 05 onwards are autos or pre-select (Actros you know the one - Warning the handbrake is not applied… warning the handbrake is not applied!!) Again, don’t bother with that for now, they won’t be putting you in a £60K 08 Actros just after passing your test. Another thing I forgot on my list is a torch. For finding the trailer brake in the dark!!

I’m looking forward to reading your installment tomorrow about coupling/uncoupling. I bet none of us do it in the correct sequence, we all do it the quickest way!!

[rog]

ARTIC UN/COUPLE

[lee_g]

ROG:
ARTIC UN/COUPLE

cheers rog.

i have already got that and printed it off. no offence to dave but it is by the side of the lav at the minute and everytime i go to drop the kids off at the pool i have a read through it. i think it is going in but we will see tomorrow hopefully!

cheers for all the support guys and gals.

if you are thinking of doing your c+e but dont know all i can say is do it! it might be a bit daunting with the size of it but once you look at it through the mirrors (im sure i used mine at least twice today ) it doesnt look half as big but it is worth doing.

[ronaldo]

I’ve just clicked the link above and surprised myself, that is the order I do it. First thing I do is take trailer plate off, then through that BLACK routine.

[lee_g]

so i should be ok then?

as long as i pay attention and remember what i have read

[rog]

it is by the side of the lav at the minute

When finished with it - remember to recycle - bog paper

[dieseldave]

Giblsa:
… no offence to dave but it is by the side of the lav at the minute.

Hi Giblsa, No offence taken mate.

I’m honoured in that it has ben put by the lav, rather than down the lav.

[rog]

This thread is in danger of ‘going down the pan’

I’m feeling a bit ‘FLUSH’ now

I know - who pulled my CHAIN…

[darkseeker]

just a quick tip for your reversing mate (it took me ages to realise this):

you get the trailer out of the starting area and passing the cone then swing the unit around the kingpin so as to get the whole lot straight (ish) Now, when I first started, I thought I needed to get the trailer’s wheels over the far side of the area then swing the front of the trailer arround (pivoting on the wheels and pushing with the unit) but that doesn’t work well, not for me anyway.

How I found worked;

You’ll’ve done your rigid test, iirc what I’m about to say is similar;

in a rigid, you head across the area at an angle (or a slight curve) and aim the offside rear wheel to go around the first cone on the garage… hold that thought!

ok, you’ve got the trailer out of the starting bit and you’re getting the unit straight with the trailer, keep half an eye on the steering wheel, and watch what the unit’s doing in relation to the trailer - the two will come straight (you’ll probably be turning the steering wheel at this point) they’re straight, you’re moving back slowly, the steering wheel’s straight NOW before you go back more than a couple of feet. turn the wheel a little bit past straight (to the left) only quater of a turn or so) and take the whole lot towards the garage in a long curve, adjusting as you go so the offside wheel of the trailer misses that first cone by a few inches and goes round it in a curve, you’ll need to turn left a bit more now to start shoving the front of the trailer over to the other side of the area but GENTLY - if you get the unit at much of an angle to the trailer at this point you’ll find it difficult to correct and you’ll probably over-cook it.

Hope that makes sense, what I’m trying to say is you can’t get the trailer over the other side of the area then push the front of it round with the unit, you’re trying to do too much in the space allowed, you need that bit of a curveas you go across, it does most of the job as you go. Saying that, I’m no expert - just don’t forget once you’re out of the starting area, you don’t need to move the steering wheel very far at a time. turn the steering wheel a little bit and give the trailer time to react, it doesn’t straight away

my 2p, best of luck mate.

[rog]

darkseeker, trying to explain the artic test reverse in words ain’t easy - is it
I KNOW

[lee_g]

cheers darkseeker, i will try to remember that but im guessing i wont tomorrow when i am doing it and trying to remember everything else.

so once youre past/not going to hit the marker in the middle you just seem to ‘curve’ it in to the box (like beckham) then straighten up as the wheels reach the cones and do it all very slowly with slight turns!

is that right? oh my head hurts already!

[jojo]

going quite well then eh . somehow…i kerbed the little truck n not the big truck…maybe the little one just feels smaller than it is?! 2day a double decker bus nearly took my mirror off squeezin past, i’m proud to say i aint touched my mirrors… yet. cant wait to do c+e when i’m well practised on c, its just gotta be done

[8wheels]

Having recently added C+E to the list I’m now doing the real learning bit, flying solo on the road, 2 days in now and so far going OK. I think that getting your head down and listening properly to your instructor pays dividend, and yes keep looking in the mirrors.

I just need to crack the turning round bit now.

[lee_g]

JOJO:
going quite well then eh . somehow…i kerbed the little truck n not the big truck…maybe the little one just feels smaller than it is?! 2day a double decker bus nearly took my mirror off squeezin past, i’m proud to say i aint touched my mirrors… yet. cant wait to do c+e when i’m well practised on c, its just gotta be done

from my vast experience (2 days training ) i would try to do it as soon as you can really.

even though i have only been driving rigids for 6 months the hardest part so far, apart from the length of the ■■■■ thing, is getting rid of the bad habits,
holding the steering wheel with one hand and the other on the gear stick, told once slapped for it three times,
crossing the hands/arms - but to get out of that just drive slower, it is easier to pass through your hands instead of spinning it then (two more slaps for that), oh and resting your arm on the window and blind spot checks!

i would recommend anyone to do it.

[rog]

8wheels:
I just need to crack the turning round bit now.

Why does the song ‘Give me forty acres’ come to mind

[darkseeker]

ROG:
darkseeker, trying to explain the artic test reverse in words ain’t easy - is it
I KNOW

lol, you’re not kidding - and I’ve no place to be giving advise really, all I wanted to do was try to get it across that you can’t do it how I first tried to and that it needs to (as giblsa said) kind of curve across the area and in doing so you’re getting both the unit and trailer across without getting yourself into trouble. and I ended up writing a bloody essay!!

[lee_g]

Thank god day three is over with. What a nightmare. I know said I needed another rat poop day and I got it just after the mid drive break.

We started at 1100, took me through the trailer checks, showed where the trailer brake was and the plate (mot and so on) and then we set off around Gosport and Lee-on-Solent then up to Botley and then up to the best part of the day, the butty van at about 1230ish. The drive before the butty van was quite good, only a few times was I reminded about the mirrors and positioning. I was quite chuffed, pulling in to the lay-by was quite tight as the police were doing some sort of training exercise about how to drink tea and eat bacon butties I think. I was a bit nervous with an audience like plod but managed it ok so sorted.

Had a nice cup of tea and a couple of smokes and it was time to set off again. What a difference a tea makes. I couldn’t find the gears, my positioning entering, and leaving, roundabouts was terrible. I’m surprised I didn’t kill someone. It was a shambles and I was quite ashamed of the way I was driving. I did better on the first minutes of the first day. I was glad when we got back to the yard and Roy, my instructor (sorry I couldn’t remember your name yesterday Roy!) started setting up the cones for the reverse exercise.

He took me through it and said he would show me once, in stages, and to be honest when it was broken down into stages it made it seem so much easier than I thought. How wrong can you be? I got to the starting point all well and good, not surprising really; it’s just driving in a straight line and stopping by a cone. I selected reverse and promptly turned the wheel to the left, noticed I was going wrong and tried to correct it but it all went like a snake having an epileptic fit on acid. Not good.

Drove round to start again with Roy sat in the cab with me and I managed it, it was a struggle but I got there in the end. “have another go on your own” said Roy, “ok” said I. Set off, turned the wheel to the left again but corrected it a lot quicker and at a lot lower speed got it sorted, got the rear wheels of the tractor about 18inches to 2 foot away from the kerb and started to straighten the wheels, parallel to the kerb, to push the trailer round. Got it, nice one Lee, keep going! The garage disappeared from the near side mirror so I turned the wheel to the left and straightened up with the trailer, brilliant its working, then Roy shouted out “Beckham” (bend it into the box to score), and the tip from Darkseeker sprung to mind, so I just kept a little angle on it so it went, sorry that should be glided, into the garage but I went to far and touched the back of the garage but I was well happy with my first proper go at it. Third attempt and it went beautifully; I even stopped about 2 inches away from the back of the garage. I was made up. Then to top it all off I managed it a further 5 times with only 1 bodge job. On one I had to take one shunt and then on the next I had to take 2 shunts but apart from that it was good.

Just tomorrow to go now really. We will be doing un/coupling but should be pretty ok with that as I am quite a methodical person and

B-brake
L-legs
A-air lines
N-number plate
K-kingpin/clip

I’m looking forward to even more now, just starting to get a bit nervous about the test though on Friday. Start there at 0700 for the 0815 test on Friday. Should be ok but have taken the re-test insurance out just in case. Better to spend £350 and get 2 free re-tests than have to fork out of your own pocket.

Happy driving people

[rog]

Set off, turned the wheel to the left again but corrected it a lot quicker and at a lot lower speed got it sorted, got the rear wheels of the tractor about 18inches to 2 foot away from the kerb and started to straighten the wheels, parallel to the kerb, to push the trailer round. Got it, nice one Lee, keep going! The garage disappeared from the near side mirror so I turned the wheel to the left and straightened up with the trailer, brilliant its working, then Roy shouted out “Beckham” (bend it into the box to score), and the tip from Darkseeker sprung to mind, so I just kept a little angle on it so it went, sorry that should be glided, into the garage but I went to far and touched the back of the garage but I was well happy with my first proper go at it. Third attempt and it went beautifully; I even stopped about 2 inches away from the back of the garage. I was made up. Then to top it all off I managed it a further 5 times with only 1 bodge job. On one I had to take one shunt and then on the next I had to take 2 shunts but apart from that it was good.

YES YES YES