Hi all,
Ive been knocking about this forum for a while now and not posted very much but i wanted to give you all a run down on my training for C+E including my eventual test. First a bit of back ground on me.
I got my class C licence back in 92 courtesy of the British army, i left the services in 97 with only my Cat C , a rough terrain FLT ticket , a nearly out of date Hazmat ticket for ammo and a DROPS ticket. I’ve only driven commercially on cat C for a couple of years and not since 2003/04.
I was allways a little miffed that i never had the opportunity to do my C+E in the army especially seing as though i was in the Royal corps of Transport, now RLC. Its something ive wanted to do for a number of years now and finally decided i was going to do it 2 years ago. Fast forward 2 years and still no C+E. A few months ago i was told that my current employer is going to lose its main contract in september 2013 so it became the perfect oppurtunity to do what i really wanted.
As i lived in Weymouth on the south coast i had the choice of going to Exeter, Taunton or Bournemouth as the nearest training providers. After a couple of assesment drives i chose my training provider mainly because of the reviews they had, the fact they called me back when they said they would, the instructor also had bags and bags of experience in the industry and finally the fact i would train in an artic as opossed to a W&D.
So Finally after nearly 16 years of deliberation i began my training last Monday. The first day was a 7 am start and the training was on a 2:1 basis and i was praying that the other trainee would have less experience than me and be really rubbish. No such luck!!! The other trainee had been driving cat c commercially for 20 odd years and also had C+E experience off road.
To say i was nervous was an understatment. The first day the instructor was continually pointing out where we were going wrong in a very vocal manner. The main points for me were gear changing, forgetting the length of the trailer, blind spot checking, signalling off roundabouts,over steering, understeering not winding off the steering when turning and on roundabouts, positioning so pretty much everything…
On day 2 the instructor told us that he was going to be quiet to see if we had picked up on what he was telling us throughout day 1.
Oh no he didnt and the progrees i had seemed to make on day 1 completely went out the window all the same mistakes were being made continually. I have to admit that my confidence was taking a real battering and i was getting even more nervous and i felt as though i had made a massive mistake and wasted over a grand!!! The day finished as it had begun oversteering, understeering, up on the curbs etc etc etc. Oh well back to my digs and regroup.
Day 3 was meant to be reversing day but my instructor decided that we would brush up on going forward before we attempted to go backwards. Day 3 was much better experiencing the test routes making the same mistakes just less often. I’d nailed my observation but still forgetting signals off some roundabouts, still not winding off the steering quickly enough, positioning was better. I seemed to drive badly get a bollocking, drive better get a pat on the back , drive badly again. At the end of day 3 i would of said i had a 30% chance of passing my test which was booked for 8.45 Friday morning. With only 1 day left and half of that lost to practising reversing and the trailer drop/pick up i was not confident. I was even trying to sort my days off ready for retest.
Day 4 we went off road to practise reversing. The instructor told me what to do , right lock on when you see the number on the traler lock off and left lock on keep moving, when you see the cone straighten the wheels then adjust steering to get the thing in the bay. Here goes attempt 1 hand brake off and steered left!!! attempt 2 full lock on then took the lock off too slowly. an hour later i had it nailed. Spot on. Trailer drop and pick up practised a couple of times all ok there. After lunch i had my best drive of the week the instructor also took me on a probable test route and i was feeling better. I still made a few mistakes though again mainly not signalling off each and every roundabout. The other big issue was not unwinding the steering enough when turning so i was dragging the trailer over the the curb the other was anticipation at roundabouts. I found it really hard to trust other drivers signalling. By this time i was a lot more relaxed about the test the following day. Im not sure whether that was because i didnt think id pass or i had a ’ whatever will be will be feeling '.
On test day were having a 7am start so we could both get a drive in prior to my test. The alarm was set for 6. I, However was awake at 3.45am and by 5.30 am had showered and had visited the loo on several occasions. How nervous was i.
My co trainee drove first and had a perfect drive i then drove and had a good drive. On to the test centre, via the trainers office for another loo stop.
On the test itself it began with the reverse exercise which when i unwound the first lock and put on the left lock i couldnt see the cone. At that point i didnt panic i just thought its not worth ballsing it right up and possibly failing for the sake of a shunt. Took my shunt and theres the cone, as i come back im turning the trailer into the bay but i felt a long way from cone b and was worried id go into the fence on the other side of the bay so i took shunt 2 just to be safe. Back in to the bay and stopped in the zone all ok.
The trailer drop/pick up went ok aprt from stopping to far away from the trailer and having to get back in to bring it back a bit further before checking a second time.
As for the drive when we came out the centre up to the first round about a car transporter had stopped near the roundabout leaving me less than a foot either side to get through between him and a traffic island and then to get the trailer pasthim and turning right at the round about… nightmare. The examiner said “Oh hes left you tight hasnt he, Dont worry about the curb i’ll edge you through” . I wasnt sure whether he was gonna mark me down for this or not, would he deem it a serious fault or not? After the third roundabout i didnt think it mattered as i thought i had failed due to a car coming on the round about to my right. A i went around the roundabout looked in my mirror to see hime slow down abit at the back of my trailer… The rest of the drive was good apart from a gear change balls up and back to the test centre.
As we pulled i felt so sick. I stopped the truck and braced for the decision…
" well im pleased to tell you thats a pass. Thankyou a very nice drive ,well done"
YESSSSSSSSSSS i jumped around that cab as 16 years worth of dreaming and frustration came flooding out. Unbelievable emmotions. So pleased its unreal. I passed with only 3 minors. 1 for control on the reverse, 1 for the gear change flap i had and 1 for positioning on a roundabout. I dont care i PASSED!!!
Now the hard work starts trying to get work…
I hope i havent bored you all too much with my experience here and if anyone in the weymouth area know of a decent agency or employer willing to give a newbie a go please let me know.
Finally a big thankyou to my training provider and especially my instructor who i can still hear in my head!!!
. Did an assessment with SRTS but found Brian an easier person to work with.