As posted earlier , passed my Class 2 nearly two weeks ago .Got my licence back.All booked up for my Class 1 starting Mon 24th July .Looking forward to it ,but must admit to being a bit nervous . Was not worried about the Class 2 at all , but an artic!! thats a different beast altogether.
Glad I chose a Class 2 vehicle with a Range Change though, at least thats one less thing to worry about.
Hope that you enjoy the training, you will be glad you are already familiar with the range change !!!
G
SalTheWop:
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Glad I chose a Class 2 vehicle with a Range Change though, at least thats one less thing to worry about.
That would have definatley benefited me!!!
You’ll love it SalTheWop, & when your not in it you’ll miss it !!! I’ll garauntee you that. Thats whats keeping me going.
Good Luck
wills
Good luck with the training and test 
Good Luck and all the best!!
When’s the test?
Good luck mate
Cheers guys .Dont know when the test is yet .
Had the first days training in an artic today 
.As mentioned previously , was a bit nervous this time.When I walked up to the lorry , I was thinking “Jesus, I gotta drive THAT” . Suddenly it seemed a lot bigger now it was actually time to drive it myself . Instructor took the wheel for 15 minutes or so, telling me what he wanted ,what gear to pull off in, road positioning etc .
Then it was my turn.
Luckily it was exactly the same gear box as on the class 2 I had driven a few weeks earlier ,only difference being that he said to pull away in 2nd,then 4th,then flick the switch and go to 5th.
Handling wise I found it to be a very similar experience to the Class 2 ,just needed to account for the extra length when turning .Felt strange when I had to do a very tight lefthander.Seemed as though I would never get round it, but I did .First time ,mounting the kerb, second time was perfect
On the whole , a decent drive .I was happy, instructor was happy, so roll on tomorrow.
Going round some narrow country roads tomorrow 
.But hopefully will do OK .Going to do some reversing training, and uncoupling exercise .
Now I’ve started, really looking forward to getting back behind the wheel again.
Its official . Im crap at reversing!! bloody nightmare.Still! 3 days till test, plenty of time to learn.I need it 
SalTheWop:
Its official . Im crap at reversing!! bloody nightmare.Still! 3 days till test, plenty of time to learn.I need it
Right, my opinion it’s not “real world” reversing, just learn that particular manoeuvre parrot fashion and you should get there. Use a shunt if you have to…
Its official . Im crap at reversing!! bloody nightmare.Still! 3 days till test, plenty of time to learn.I need it Embarassed
Don’t worry - everyone is to start with, just a case of learning that manouver for the test. Gets much more interesting once you pass… … …
G
So when is your test?
Don’t desert us now!!!
Guys, I am struggling BIG TIME with reversing . I am literally all over the place .Have been practising on a Playstation game (18 Wheeler) , and I still mess it up in that!!!
Can you tell me if this sounds right?
Lined up at the cones. Into gear , right lock ,then left lock and get the cab paralell to the line (couple of feet aways),left to get the front wheel onto the line .Then it goes pear shaped .
Is it then left lock,until the trailer is lined up straight,then right lock to get the cab in line with the trailer.
If it wasnt for the reversing I would be feeling pretty good about my test on Friday. At the moment though , Im dreading it.Will be gutted if I dont even get out of the Test Centre.
Dont panic SalTheWop, my reversing was a total nightmare until my very last hour before test ( which never happened!!) Then everything just came together.
Once your following your wheel parallel down the yellow line just keep it there, you’ll start to move away from the line & you’ll eventually see the B cone in your offside mirror, now to get the cab lined up with the trailer - if the trailer is showing in your Nearside mirror Steer into it ( left hand down - It shouldnt need full lock just gentle movements)
If the trailer then comes to far the other way and is in your offside mirror, again steer into it (right hand down ) you should @ this point be going back towards the Garage @ a nice angle and straight!!!
@ this point I put my right hand on the bottom of the steering wheel and move it to the direction i want the trailer to go… I’m looking for the 1st cone on the offside of the garage so I start to move my hand to the right ( just a little movements ) you’ll see the trailer start to come into your offside mirror Just keep them trailer wheels heading for the garage - Little movements ( remember its not a Race take your time )
Hope this helps Good Luck For Friday
Cheers Wills, I Finally think I am getting there, which is quite ridiculous when almost half of the last 3 days training has been trying to sort out the reversing.Going up for another couple of hours practice tomorrow before the test. Fingers crossed.
Went for my test today .Failed it 
. Failed it before I got out of the test centre. The dreaded reverse exercise . I dont know what it is , I just cant seem to get it, even after almost three hours this morning spent on it . I can do it 3 times on the spin, the next 10 times I am all over the place.
Still went out on the drive .
5 minors , 2 of which were for awareness/planning , 1 for use of speed ,1 for control/footbrake and 1 for junctions/approach speed .
Came back and he gave me the option of doing the uncoupling exercise.I thought I may as well.Could I get the kingpin out? Got back in cab and backed it up,still wouldnt come out. Did that 3 times, and still it wouldnt release.At that point I said “Thats it,I give in”
I dont know if examiners differ in their opinions, this time it was the same guy that failed me on my Class 2 recently, again for awareness and planning.
Sorry to hear about the test mate.
I failed my class 1 first time round on the rev exercise…The second time around i was taking no chances and had a 2nd plan if it was going all wrong.
On the second attempt i did this:
Get the truck clear of cone b…went back as far as i dare…then snaked forward to get the thing nice and straight with the box…then just came back straight.
Got 2 minors for it but it got me through it.
Good luck for the next one !
SalTheWop:
Lined up at the cones. Into gear , right lock ,then left lock and get the cab paralell to the line (couple of feet aways),left to get the front wheel onto the line .Then it goes pear shaped .
Sorry to read of the failure.
I would suggest that the trouble lies in you not concentrating on the trailer in the n/s mirror. As soon as the trailer starts to/obscures the view of the entrance cones to the box, HARD left up to the line and bleed off the steering as you reach it. Watch both mirrors and as the vehicle begins to come straight, off with any steering and push back.
This sort of problem normally arises when people have found that they can do it correctly a few times and they then get complacent (a polite term for idle ) and start to just let the front wheel ‘drift’ towards the line, and then wonder what is going wrong. 
Effectively, everything up to crossing the centre line is pure ‘drill’. ‘Reference point - action’ ‘Reference point - action’. You could almost train a monkey to do it. It is only after approaching/crossing the centre line that skill and judgement comes into play, and, if you’ve got the first bit wrong, then it is very diffcult to recover for the second part.
Better luck next time.
Sorry to hear about your test Sal The Wop. I passed my c+e last monday but the guy who reversed after me nearly hit the perimeter fence on his reverse and the examiner refused to take him any further. I’m lucky because I don’t have a problem reversing but it must be really nerve racking to have to do your weakest exercise at the start of the test when you’re at your worst. I presume you can do the drill at the beginning of the exercise to get past the first cone. If you’re struggling with the rest why don’t you get your instructor to just let you practice reversing in a straight line, or into a quiet sideroad on an industrial estate somewhere?If you’re just learning the exercise “parrot fashion” and you get it a bit wrong on the test you don’t have the basic skills to rectify it to get you back on the right line.
Don’t give up, it will come and everything will click into place.
Good luck for the next one.
C
Sorry to hear about the test result .
Good luck with the retest