C Training - day by day

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

Had my first day of one-to-one training today for my C licence with East Coast Training in Norwich. Cup of coffee then down to work. Walk round vehicle doing driver checks and general familiarisation. 10 min drive by instructor to show me the ropes then we’re off with me in charge - gearbox took a bit of getting used to in the Daf (range change 4 over 4) and wrestled with that most of the morning before it clicked in my head. Was also offset slightly so 6 had to be nudged slightly left before it took.

Out to part of a disused airfield for reversing practise (“hard left on the wheel - full lock follow the line until you see both posts, straighten up then opposite lock - do it slowly”) - getting the hang of that - more tomorrow. Quick cuppa in a laybay (sod it - why did I leave my packed lunch back at the training centre) then back towards Norwich and roundabout after roundabout - some fast some slow, some almost blooming impossible. :imp:

Bit of curb mounting and the odd roll-back - anticipate, observe, plan ahead - watch for the HGV coming the other way on the roundabout to give you a gap to get out at busy ones. Then lots of sharp left & right turns, MSM get the line right and hey presto it’s almost 4pm and back to the training depot. Phew - instructor did’nt jump out during day, no innocent pedestrians suffered :open_mouth: , no cyclists squashed.

Learning points from today:

  1. Plan where you are going to be for any left, right hand turn or roundabout - decide what gear would be ideal & have secondary backup gear in head (i.e. 5th for clear roundabout, ready to drop to 3rd if congested or need to stop)
  2. Keep it slow & steady
  3. expect the unexpected (car overtaking you at worst possible time, pedestrian on crutches crossing road without looking - wonder why you were on crutches in the first place? :smiling_imp: v.wobbly cyclists - must be something about Norwich)
  4. Lights been green for a long time whilst you were approaching - likely to change - be prepared
  5. MSM before change of direction, check blind spot then mirrors again afterwards.

Good day all round - do my homework on getting the correct line before any change of direction, bath & early night. :stuck_out_tongue:

2

Dan’s burger bar after your reversing is a nice break :smiley:
Sounds like you are going well , my brain had a melt down after my first day of class C but my second day it all started to click together .

3

I think i may have seen you a couple of times today, you looked to be doing ok :smiley:

4

angof1497:
I think i may have seen you a couple of times today, you looked to be doing ok :smiley:

Likewise mate :wink: - saw parts of Norwich I’d never seen before and a strange feeling of deja vu when another East Coast truck passed by… :unamused:

p.s. how did you find the reversing exercise - got the first bit of full left lock & follow the yellow line but shaky on when to straighten up and apply opposite lock?

5

was quite comfortable with the cat c reverse, ce ok but sometimes need a shunt :blush:

6

angof1497:
was quite comfortable with the cat c reverse, ce ok but sometimes need a shunt :blush:

My 3 practises before the test were good ,needed a shunt on the test but it’s better to shunt rather than go completely wrong .

7

Second and last full day of training. Some drama when Andy (my instructor from East Coast) was saying keep left, keep left round a roundabout but I took it too much to heart and went off down the exit before! Hmm - red face and backup in the industrial estate. Other major ■■■■-up - was coming up behind a line of cars which I thought were parked but no, they were waiting for the lights to change. Pulled over to the right hand lane to pass them & realised that there were not stationary. Doh - luckily artic coming the other way was sympathetic but felt like such a fool. Clipped a couple of kerbs but man, these were tight junctions - got to get that right on the day. :frowning:

Plus side - reversing was better (needed a shunt on one practise but still fine), gear selection went well but got cut-up on roundabout by non-signalling muppet (grrr). had a good couple of hours where virtually everything went well then bang, traffic lights caught me out and it was a dodgy amber. Then forgot to select low-range at the next junction so had tiniest rollback. It seems that it I get spooked by sometime unexpected, there is a kind of ripple effect for my driving for next minute or so. I know you should expect the unexpected but it throws you off your rhythm.

couple more hours tomorrow morning then test at 12:15 - reckon my chances are not better than 50:50 atm :unamused:

8

good luck for tomorrow mate, you’ll be fine :sunglasses:

9

Good luck with your test :smiley: