Harry Monk:
Now, if you drag your cursor over the link so it turns blue, and then click on “Img” above the box where you type your message, it will appear like this…
I think he clicked the URL instead of the Img tab - I could see that when quoting the post
LJA could edit the tags in that post if he wanted to … 
LJA - nice diary 
LJA:
A D$ LGV medical for £40 !! - I wonder if they offer that to everyone or only those training with them ■■
Hey guys/gals,
First of all, thanks for the tips on inserting photos into the post! I did in fact leave them as links on purpose, so as to not make the posts long-winded. I just think it’s easier to be able to read all the post in one go and then select each photo in turn to look at. If I was onlt going to show one photo then I might have inserted it. Oh and I don’t know about the £40 medical btw. But I presume that is what you pay if you book through them, but I think that is actually steep. The doctor I used when I had to get one done earlier this year after turning 45 charges just £18.50p (Mind you, that is out of hours in his own time at his house!)
Right, off we go…
Sorry I didn’t get round to entering an update for yesterday. I was going to leave it until later on in the evening, but got sidetracked with the tv then went to bed simply forgetting! 
So here, just for you, is an update for yesterday as well as today… 
Yesterday:
December 6th. I arrived at the same time I did on Monday (06:45am) and was once again the first to arrive, but was followed almost immediatly by another chap on a quite impressive looking motorbike. I got chatting with him later, and it turns out he is currently doing his Cat C training and will then go on to do the C+E after that. He left his last job some time ago through stress and the pressure of the job, so had been out of work for a while but he also said that his old company actually had to pay him off, so he was using this money to pay for his new career as a truck driver! I didn’t ask why they paid him off, but I gathered from what he said the company did admit responsibility for him having to leave on health grounds. Fair play I say! My trainer didn’t arrive until 07:15am, but at least that gave me time for a quick coffee with another trainer and the chap on the motorbike.
I started off practicing the reversing into a bay manoeuvre. Although I didn’t successfully complete the manoeuvre in one go every time, I did manage to complete it using a shunt or two and I fully intend to use those shunts if needed on my test (no, I ain’t no hero! 
) So, I really don’t look forward to this on my test (in fact I don’t look forward to the test full stop) but as long as I keep my head I don’t forsee too many problems with that reversing manoeuvre. After about an hour of that my instructor then jumped in the cab and we went for another short drive out on a test route. I must say that the gears on this particular truck are not the easiest to get used to and I am finding that when trying to select an appropriate gear on the approach to a roundabout or turning, I am struggling a bit. I either select one too high or too low! 
But that’s not every time and when I don’t get it right I am still fully in control, but I just hope I don’t end up doing that on the day. We end up coming back to the yard via a very nasty roundabout near to the industrial estate where you have to go onto the other side of the road to proceed. If you don’t do this you will not make it and will definitely mount the kerb, so I have made a good mental note of that one. (Knowing my flaming luck I will get took that way! ) So, by 10:30am I was back in the yard and done for the day. Here are a few more photos I took this morning:
Today:
Well, I arrived at my usual time of 6:45am and to my surprise my trainer was already there! (Probably wet the bed! ) So, no coffee for me this morning! It was straight onto a bit more of the reversing manoeuvre. During this time I noticed that chap from yesterday (the one on the motorbike) and he was arriving back from doing his Cat C test. I didn’t get a chance to chat with him, but from what I could see across the yard the outcome wasn’t a positive one I don’t think (unless he always looks that miserable! 
) I only done the reversing for about an hour before my trainer jumped into the cab and we went off out driving more of the test routes. No major problems, but I am still struggling with getting the right gear selected for the speed I am doing.
After getting back to the yard I parked the truck up and went into the office for a quick coffee while another learner was about to leave the yard on his test. After my coffee I was shown the uncoupling & recoupling procedure. I was then asked to do this myself, which I did…without missing anything out! 
So that seems ok. That was it for the day for me then and I was told to be in a bit earlier tomorrow as it was my test at 0800am. So it will be an 06:30am start in the morning this time.
I only took the one photo this morning (just after I arrived) and here it is…
I did try to capture some video of my reversing manoeuvres but they didn’t come out very well as I hadn’t set the camera up in the right position in the cab.
Oh well, roll on the big day tomorrow…good night all!
LJA:
So, I really don’t look forward to this on my test (in fact I don’t look forward to the test full stop)
You may not be looking forward to it now, but believe me you’ll be ■■■■■■■■ yourself when you are sat in that waiting room at the test centre! 
All seems to be going steadily for you so far though, nobody gets the reversing right every time, I passed my Class 1 in 1986 and I still get it wrong at least once a day to this day.
Will be keeping fingers crossed for you tomorrow.
Good luck for today hope you get that pass
jen x
Thanks for the good luck messages, but they failed to have any influence on proceedings. I have just arrived back home after my test I am GUTTED! Absolutely gutted! 
I started the test with the uncoupling followed by the coupling, then I went on to do the reversing manoeuvre. I was really chuffed after this point as I had managed to get it all spot on (although I did take one shunt just to line the trailer up nice and straight before completing the manoeuvre into the ‘garage’ space). Then it was out on the road and I was only taken on one road that I hadn’t covered in my training, but it was short enough and no great shakes. After getting back into the yard and parking up I couldn’t believe it when he said those dreaded words, “I’m sorry, but you have failed!” 
Apparently he said I had missed checking if the parking brake was still applied on the trailer before I coupled back up. Everything else was fine and he quite enjoyed the drive. Grrr. So, I have just booked myself in for another test next Friday at 09:45am. Guess what I am definitely NOT going to forget on that test?
Sorry to hear that mate, just pick your self up, dust yourself down and give it another go…
Sorry to read that i know from bitter experience how much it smarts, i was taught to check the shunt button as well as the trailer brake, “The examiner likes to see it”, so made sure he saw me check it on my test, you will get it next time chin -up. !
Absolutly gutted for u but u know what u did and will defo remember for next time so sure u will pass next time
Chin up
Jenx
Sorry about the fail mate, it’s usually the simplest things that can catch us out, very annoying i agree but you won’t have any problems next time so good luck
Thanks for the comments guys/gals.
Yeah, I was really gutted yesterday for failing in such a stupid way, but I’ve now accepted it and am looking forward to proving I have what it takes next Friday on my re-test.
Sorry to hear but sounds like you had a good drive otherwise - you are not the first and will not be the last to make that simple mistake - I did the check but in the wrong order and was marked down as a potentially dangerous fault - Good luck in the resit - we all make mistakes
sorry about the fail mate sure yul pass next time
You gave him a good drive out on the road. It does seem that this was a very minor mistake to cause a fail but these minor mistakes are obviously what they are looking for nowadays. Like you say, you won’t make that mistake again so just focus on giving The Man another good drive out on the road.
It was all so much easier in my day, they virtually gave HGV licences away in Jamboree bags.
Sorry to hear that you failed your test. Fingers crossed you get it on Friday.
Thanks again guys/gals!
Harry Monk:
You gave him a good drive out on the road. It does seem that this was a very minor mistake to cause a fail but these minor mistakes are obviously what they are looking for nowadays. Like you say, you won’t make that mistake again so just focus on giving The Man another good drive out on the road.
Yeah, it was a stupid error Harry, but I fully understand why I failed because of it. I can imagine that if I was in the real world and backed onto a trailer without checking the brake was on, then I could end up pushing that trailer backwards into anything or anyone unfortunate enough to be behind it at the time!
Harry Monk:
It was all so much easier in my day, they virtually gave HGV licences away in Jamboree bags.
LOL. Yes. I did read one of your early posts when you passed your C+E despite trying to throw your examiner out of the cab without the aid of an ejector seat!!
My Dad also done truck driving in the early 70’s after coming out of the Royal Navy and he too never had to take a test. Lucky sod! 
But quite obviously with the amount of traffic on the roads these days it makes sense to make sure each person is up to a certain standard.
I must say that I feel more confident about going for the test next Friday after failing on Thursday, but that is definitely NOT saying I know I will pass or anything like that (we all suffer from a certain amount of nerves when being tested) but I do feel better for having been there and done it once before.
Cheers!
LJA:
Yeah, it was a stupid error Harry, but I fully understand why I failed because of it. I can imagine that if I was in the real world and backed onto a trailer without checking the brake was on, then I could end up pushing that trailer backwards into anything or anyone unfortunate enough to be behind it at the time!
It’s a bit petty really, because in the real world, probably the majority of trailers are dropped without having the trailer brakes applied.
It used to be the case that attempting to couple up to a trailer which didn’t have the brake applied would push it backwards, but for many years now it has been mandatory for manufacturers to fit trailer brakes which do not rely on “stored energy” for them to work. In other words, a trailer has to keep its brakes fully applied even if there is no air pressure, and they do this by using a system called “spring brakes”, whereby the default position for the brakes is “fully on”, held on by powerful steel springs, and they can only be released when the red airline is connected.
But the driving test is not about driving, it’s about spending an hour or so in “Driving test land” so you just have to do what they want you to do. Here’s hoping you do well on Friday, for a change I’m doing a spot of work next week so I won’t be here to egg you on as the day approaches, but I’ll look out for your posts next weekend.
Sorry to hear you failed on such a mistake, as you say not one you’ll ever do again. Thank you lucky stars that ■■■■■■ nasty round about never came up on your test, unlike it did on mine 
and yes i was up on the pavement by a good foot. I’d not t even seen it till then as its not on the test root. you’d stuggle in a class 2 to get round let alone class 1. better luck next time mate
Harry Monk:
LJA:
But the driving test is not about driving, it’s about spending an hour or so in “Driving test land” so you just have to do what they want you to do. Here’s hoping you do well on Friday, for a change I’m doing a spot of work next week so I won’t be here to egg you on as the day approaches, but I’ll look out for your posts next weekend.
Interesting info there Harry and Thanks for the nice comments. I will indeed be trying my best to bring a positive outcome on Friday morning, but positivity doesn’t guarantee anything! Anyway, have a nice, enjoyable & productive few days of work next week matey. Catch you later!
crazyhorse260:
Sorry to hear you failed on such a mistake, as you say not one you’ll ever do again. Thank you lucky stars that [zb] nasty round about never came up on your test, unlike it did on mine
Thanks for the comments crazyhorse260. Yeah, too right I ain’t gonna make the same mistake again!! But, just you watch me go and fluff the reversing manoeuvre this time or drive right up the pavement or summat! 
Are you on about the same roundabout in Droitwich btw?
