Hi everyone, it’s a big week for me. I’ve got CPC practical exam tomorrow morning followed by cat c training in the afternoon, also Tues, Weds and test Thursday.
Really looking forward to it which is natural, and trying not to let the nerves set in! 
Just wanted to let you all know, I’ll write a blog tomorrow night, coz there’s been a few blogs written on here lately. Makes for a good read, Eagerbeaver would be one example 
Cheers all
D 'Bear
Good luck for the both of them mate. Mod 4 is a doddle, you’ll be fine 
Cheers Paul,
I hope it’s a doddle, and then it’s done with. Then onto the good part, gettin behind the wheel 
Good luck with everything
CPC: don’t mention the dolly knot just say ratchet instead of it. I did my Mod 4 test on Thursday and they never even asked me to demonstrate any of the restraining devices. On the daily vehicle check part I done under the bonnet first, switched on the lights, walk round the vehicle mentioning everything as I passed it (repeated myself at every wheel and light) and finish off in the cab not forgetting the brake test and the horn like I nearly did.
Driving test: mirrors mirrors and even more mirrors. Keep everything smooth and nice and slow round turns is what I learnt from my experience. Best bit advice is tho on ur test never give up. I thought I failed on 3 things but luckerly kept going. Turned out I had passed. So just keep ploughing through.
ok so here goes,
Started the day at bp with a latte and bacon baguette (very nice). Got to training company at 6am, early start had to meet the instructor at 6.15 for CPC training, got on ok with it - the instructor Alan was a nice guy and helped a lot. The questions are much easier to revise when you’ve got a lorry in front of you, instead of just reading it at home!
He showed me the loading trolley and the devices, and the dreaded dolly knot. He said ropes are hardly used now and shouldn’t be on the test . Anyway CPC test was at half ten am, I got the fussy examiner according to my trainer! But all went ok I passed 90% which will do me just fine . I did get one part of a question wrong about walk round safety checks, so I asked him afterwards what it was and he couldn’t tell me because their not allowed or something. How annoying is that, I passed the exam and just wanted to know what I did wrong !■■!?!!■■.
Anyway after that it was back to company depot to wait for cat c training to start at 12.15. Met my driving instructor Shane, another nice guy and he’s an ex- examiner so no pressure there 
! Then introduced me to the truck, a V’reg Renault premium with a nice rear overhang (Look on totaldriving.net and you’ll see). It’s an 8 gear manual 'slapover gearbox, which took a couple of attempts hehe. Drove it round the Ipswich area and a nice run on A14, lovely wide roads better than town centre. We navigated some really tight junctions and left/right turns to highlight the rear swing, you can’t miss it!! Did an uphill and downhill start, made lots of faults of course being first day. Including slight roll back a couple of times which is a fail I believe, but this truck has a really high biting point, you’d think you’re gonna stall the bloody thing! Also indication coming off roundabouts, and keeping both hands on the wheel, doing the push-pull steering technique. That was probably the one I kept doing, or rather not doing properly We had a break at the Orwell crossing truck stop, if anyone’s familiar you’ll know that it has a really small slip road when you rejoin the A14, so you need to make a run at it, safely if course. I think we stopped there on purpose so he could test me on it! But I did well for a first day. Just got a few warnings for the steering, and trying to change gear too early when approaching junctions. And gearbox wise we were pulling away in 3rd mostly, didn’t even use first gear so it’s nothing like a car. The instructor also told me that the last two trainees he had, couldn’t get the hang of the gearbox so they had to retake training in the opticruise Scania that the company have instead. Which is the easy way by the sound of it, if you can’t even get used to a manual. But I’m loving the experience and it will all count in my favour, and it’s got an air horn which I’m very happy about! 
Sorry if it’s rambling on a bit, but that was it in a nutshell. Let me know what you think,
Cheers all
D 'Bear
Congratulations on the cpc pass mate, told you how easy it was!
And glad to hear you enjoyed your first day of training too.
As somebody has said above when it comes to test day don’t give up just keep your head and plod on no matter what. I thought I’d failed so was amazed when we got back to actually be told I’d passed!
Keep us posted with how the rest of your training goes
Cheers Paul, yeah it was a doddle in the end. I’ll be practising the reversing manoeuvre tomorrow so will have something different so write about.
Regards
Firstly, congratulations on the Mod 4 pass. The examiner should have explained the shortfall to you when you asked. But that’s history.
Just a point on your “pull push” steering. Times have moved on. Nobody’s really interested in how you operate the steering wheel - provided you have control. It has to be said that best practice is push pull and there can be no question as to control. I always encourage candidates to adopt this method without making hard work out of it. But you can palm it, cross your hands etc on test and it’s no problem - provided you have full control.
I’ve mentioned before that the vehicle you are using is somewhat strange for training. Having said that, if you can master it, well done.
All the best with it, Pete 
Cheers for that Pete, I remember your comment from before about said truck, saying that if I pass in that, I’ll be ready for anything unfortunately I didn’t get to choose which vehicle to train in so I’ll do my best.
Day two not good start, got a nice headache which will ease off hopefully by 11.45 when I’m back in the truck.
Cheers to Paul and JayD too,
Will report back later.
D 'Bear
Drink plenty of water and do some gardening or wash the car to take your mind off it.
Enjoy, Pete
Right so here goes, day two…
Started again with the bp latte and bacon roll, with a headache thrown in this time to wash it down! Practised the push-pull method in the car and it really paid off today, only got 3 warnings about it, also clipped a couple of kerbs again which I need to sort out as its a serious fault straightaway 
. So tomorrow I’m going for a ‘no kerbs day’ lol, see how it goes. As well as doing mirror, signal manoeuvre in the right order. Got on well with the manual gears again today, I haven’t stalled it which is good. Also today did the reversing into bay, done it first time well happy. It helps to have a marker on the rear mudguard to help you judge. Did three of them perfectly and that was that. A couple of near misses as well, goin up a steep hill about 25mph, car behind decides he’s had enough so pulls out on the curve straight into path of oncoming car, so I had to brake to let him back in basically, but it was close 
. And another car pulled straight out from a side road while we’re doing 40, so more hard braking. But controlled so instructor was happy with it, not so happy with the other road user lol . And going through Ipswich we were in stop start traffic for 45mins coz of a broken down bus, but what can you do?
Anyway thoroughly enjoyed my day, leaps and bounds better than yesterday. And reversing spot on .
Cheers all, have a nice evening
D 'Bear
Sounds as though it’s going to plan. Keep it up!
Pete
Day three, some lovely weather for training down south. Will be gettin the shades out
Hi all, well day three was a bit touch and go tbh. Failed in my attempts to not touch any kerbs, just schoolboy errors not taking it wide enough to get back end round, incorrect block gear changing, and I got a neutral - wouldn’t select a gear, so had to knock the range over then back again. But the push pull I got spot on, and better msm today. Went for a couple of gaps that I should of waited for, but what can you do lol! Everything else is ok, my instructor said I’ve got enough knowledge to pass but it’s just a case of putting it all together on the day .
Hopefully that’s what will happen.
… and the wellies for tomorrow if the forecast is right!
Pete
Oh god, I hadn’t even thought of the weather! Cheers Pete.
On your test day you will behave slightly different and wont take any risks. If in doubt, don’t pull out. One of the instructors told me I had to act like a confident trainee. Not the over confident van driver I was. They just basicly want to see u drive safely. Your training sounds similar to my learning experience and I passed
Cheers jay, I used to be a van driver myself. Drove for DPD for two years, we all used to drive like nutters coz so under pressure to deliver, had to get out of there. It was an accident waiting to happen.
Yeah I’ll report back tomorrow with a pass or fail
Lol I was few years for Yodel I know exactly what you mean. Keep focus and deal with the situations as they arise. Do what u have been taught and you will be fine good luck and let us all know how u get on
and I got a neutral - wouldn’t select a gear, so had to knock the range over then back again.
Perfectly normal if you rush the range change. So it’s easy enough to avoid. Just a bit of advice though: if it happens on test, simply correct it and don’t start flapping. The absolute worst is a minor driving fault provided you sort it out properly.
All the best with it, Pete