Anton1878:
Tell me if I’m wrong, I’m looking out for cone B before I apply slight, left hand down steering so unit and trailer and running together straight towards ‘Garage’. Then more left hand down as I straighten up towards finish?
It’s been a while since mine but I question the bits in bold. Basically in my opinion I would not be waiting until you see it before your left hand down starts as the trailer angle might be a bit big by then.
You said you are fine as far as unit parallel with line and trailer shooting off left at an angle. That is actually most of the battle won, providing you have a bit of space on your right to straighten up in a moment.
From that point, I was taught a pretty decent method which certainly served me well: Check that the trailer is pointing towards the far left garage cone (use left mirror) , this is making sure the angle is big enough and you then cannot possibly hit cone B. (If the trailer is still pointing between the garage cones, drive back straight until it points to the LH cone.) Then I immediately started the LH down to straighten up, and the aim is to get the truck straight as quick as possible so you can see everything again out of your window, and plan the final bend in (as Pete said). The only limit on how quickly you can straighten up is the yellow line on your right, so lean out and follow it.
Main thing is to stay calm and do each stage at a time. From what you have posted I’m sure you will get there with a bit more practise. All the best for your retest.
Where I learnt, there were cracks in the Tarmac and grids all over the place, used all those as reference points, other than lining up the back end of the trailer, could have probably done it without mirrors. Was a bloody rudor wakening when I got out in the real world
Have they given you marker points to work on?? Its alot easier that way… If needs be take a shunt, that’s what it is there for! Obviously just don’t drive past the front cones where you started… lol
I failed this week on the reversing
Been fine all week and also did the coupling and re coupling fine, then drive with 3 minors even tho I knew I’d failed.
My training company doesn’t have a reverse park depot near by and the day of both my class 2 and 1, all I got was a drive around lesson.
Does anyone find this unacceptable considering reversing is the one exercise you can’t get a minor for? So surely you should get adequate practice/refresher the day of your test, not just the day you did of training.
Thoughts?
This was brought to my attention as a work colleague also passed his class one at the same centre but different training company, however was given an hour (or as much as he wanted) the day of his test, because they had parking facilities close by
PT14:
I failed this week on the reversing
Been fine all week and also did the coupling and re coupling fine, then drive with 3 minors even tho I knew I’d failed.
My training company doesn’t have a reverse park depot near by and the day of both my class 2 and 1, all I got was a drive around lesson.
Does anyone find this unacceptable considering reversing is the one exercise you can’t get a minor for? So surely you should get adequate practice/refresher the day of your test, not just the day you did of training.
Thoughts?
This was brought to my attention as a work colleague also passed his class one at the same centre but different training company, however was given an hour (or as much as he wanted) the day of his test, because they had parking facilities close by
There must be a quiet wide road nearby where you can pull up on the right about 3 feet from the kerb then reverse as tightly as possible to the left kerb then reverse in a straight line along the left kerb for a couple of artic lengths
PT14:
I failed this week on the reversing
Been fine all week and also did the coupling and re coupling fine, then drive with 3 minors even tho I knew I’d failed.
My training company doesn’t have a reverse park depot near by and the day of both my class 2 and 1, all I got was a drive around lesson.
Does anyone find this unacceptable considering reversing is the one exercise you can’t get a minor for? So surely you should get adequate practice/refresher the day of your test, not just the day you did of training.
Thoughts?
This was brought to my attention as a work colleague also passed his class one at the same centre but different training company, however was given an hour (or as much as he wanted) the day of his test, because they had parking facilities close by
This is just one of the reasons it’s important to do the research before booking.
Bear in mind that the training industry is totally unregulated so it’s fine for someone who’s had a licence for 3 years to get hold of an old truck, stick L plates on it and call themselves a driving school. Apparently. Some “schools” have very limited reversing facilities (that’s putting it nicely).
Or you could choose a NVDIR approved school which, by definition, will have all the correct facilities together with trained, qualified and registered instructors.
Passed my Class 1 almost 2 years ago now over in Ireland where it is reverse around a corner choice of which reverse which is left to the discretion of the tester .
Anyway where the reverses were usually done on a quiet enough public road ,residents complained and started objecting to the RSA(road safety authority ).
so what they did was decide to was to construct a new place for the reverse exercise which consisted of speedily using waste ground and tarmacked it and put down plastic kerbs .
My instructor told me he tried reversing around this newly formed corner and informed me it is almost impossible without taking a few shunts ,went there with him before they closed it off with a barrier my attempts were terrible it was a case of having to jack knife and get around .
Instructors complained to the testers and were told they realise the problem it is set out wrong and will be rectified soon in the meantime they agreed that as many shunts as needed are allowed without faults .
so on my test dreaded this new compound had myself convinced no wont be passing because of it ,it was a blindside reverse anyway drove in and stopped past the corner went reversing full lock rear axle trailer wheels which was rear steer were too close to the nearside kerb to recover so shunted and made another attempt anyway after about 2 attempts or 3 attempts I was getting really stressed the tester came straight up to the windscreen and eye balled me ,sheer fear and panic stricken across my face ,inner thoughts were oh I cant be here for the day just to tell him to cancel the test ,
knew I had to do something so decided oh what the hell this is a fail and drove the cab over the plastic kerb and out into the rough got trailer and cab in line to reverse straight back in,had to rev a bit extra to get out of the rough and over the hump put the unit where it should be ,that’s me failed I thought and relieved at least I didn’t tell him to cancel the test .
Remembered my instructor saying whatever happens even if you think you have failed keep going like it hasn’t ,so that’s what I did felt relaxed as I had nothing to loose now just did the rest of the route like I was shown.Got back to the test centre and walking in I didn’t expect to be disappointed or didn’t feel any apprehension as I was convinced I would hear the words sorry on this occasion you haven’t passed ,so sat down and the tester said im pleased to say you have passed ,I had to hide my sheer surprise and delight he then just said the reverse was a bit iffy thought I would be there for the day .
I thought the same that’s why I took drastic action of going off road I didn’t tell him that he knew .
Anyway the reverse worked to my advantage in the end as I drove with no pressure the rest of the route as I was convinced I had failed ,I thought no reason to get annoyed or drive the rest like I don’t care now ,I did the opposite well then at least it would be only fail for reverse and not a string of other faults .Anyway got no other faults just minors for reverse ,so advice being never give up
just to tell him to cancel the test ,
he then just said the reverse was a bit iffy thought I would be there for the day