just got confirmation of test at simondswood in manchester,training at a place called container base in trafford park has anybody heard of them and got any advice,im from stoke and never driven round there 
Simonswood is the hardest test in the country centre and its in kirby liverpool behind knowsley Ind estate.
I passed first time( with 5 minors) but the fella i had was mustard on mirrors. They trick you though. Pull out of the test centre dont turn right as is a 7.5 limit, about a mile down the road You MUST turn LEFT he wont tell you to but ahead is a 7.5ton limit again
They take you onto the A580 towards liverpool and through Norris Green and onto the M57 then back through knowsley.
They tend to do the gear change test (just after you turned left and over the railway bridge or on the way back to the test centre).
If you fail the reversing or em stop then they with give you the chance of not going out,
i was lucky as my instructor gave me all the correct pointers.
Watch out for the white haired bearded man hes Mustard on mirrors
Good luck
They tend to do the gear change test (just after you turned left and over the railway bridge or on the way back to the test centre).
The DSA have scrapped the gear exercise as of 1st Jan this year. 
dirty hands:
just got confirmation of test at simondswood in manchester,training at a place called container base in trafford park has anybody heard of them and got any advice,im from stoke and never driven round there
Hi dirty hands, Iām not sure whether you mean Simonswood, which is on Stopgate Lane, Kirkby, Liverpool.
CLICK THIS FOR A MAP TO SIMONSWOOD
The test station that most of the Manchester training schools use is called Bredbury, and is on Lingard Lane. HEREāS A MAP FOR BREDBURY
If you can check the details and post them up, Iāll be able to help.
I hope this helps.
its strange it says simonswood on my comfirmation but my lessons will be at container base trafford park,barton dock road manchester,but then do my test in liverpoolā ā ? sterling training at its best 
dirty hands:
its strange it says simonswood on my comfirmation but my lessons will be at container base trafford park,barton dock road manchester,but then do my test in liverpoolā ā ? sterling training at its best
Hi dirty hands, OK letās take this step by step.
The fact that youāre training around Manchester, but testing in Liverpool is nothing sinister TBH mate.
Many providers will take the most available test location, because some locations are less heavily booked than others.
A while ago when I did LGV instruction, we either tested at Simonswood, Bredbury or Kirkham, depending on the availability of test slots.
Please bear in mind that the provider has to book these in advance.
BTW, youāll probably be doing your lessons out of the containerbase, but youāll probably be doing the Simonswood test routes for practice, so youāll get used to travelling the A580 a bit.
(You tend to do LGV tuition much differently to car tuition. 
)
It wouldnāt be fair to comment as to the efficiency of your training/test arrangements, since thereās a lack of info at this point in time.
Are you training directly with Sterling, or have you been subbed-out to another provider. 
Either way up, Iād suggest that you give it chance, and approach with an open mind, because TBH your test result is far more likely to depend on that individual instructorās ability, rather than the name of the training company.
Another factor that will influence your chances of success is your own willingness/ability to take notice of instructions and carry them out correctly.
So, given that youāre at this stage, Iād suggest that you just go for it, cos you just never know.
Good luck mate.
thanks dave jumping to silly conclusions because of all the bad things said about the training company im with,just going give it my best shot and get on with it,nice one mate if ok will ask for your advice if anything else happens along the way 
dirty hands:
thanks dave jumping to silly conclusions because of all the bad things said about the training company im with,just going give it my best shot and get on with it,nice one mate if ok will ask for your advice if anything else happens along the way
Many make the assumption that because the management of a company are, shall we say, less than desirable, it must follow therfore, that the ethos runs through the whole organisation. In the majority of cases, where LGV training is concerned, this is not true. The LGV instructors of such companies are no different than those who are not employed or used by them. There are many posts on this site that are testament to that.
dirty hands:
thanks dave jumping to silly conclusions because of all the bad things said about the training company im with,just going give it my best shot and get on with it,nice one mate if ok will ask for your advice if anything else happens along the way
Hi dirty hands, yes mate, please feel free to ask.
TBF, there are a few (no adverts ) current LGV instructors on here too, whereas Iām slightly past my ābest beforeā date. 
BTW, I didnāt think youād jumped to a conclusion, but I thought you were maybe a little downhearted.
Thereās absolutely no reason that you shouldnāt pass first time mate, so my advice is that you should listen carefully and just go for it.
A lot of it is in the preparation and your own attitude, but a little luck is involved too. I hope the good lady smiles on you. 
i hope so too most of the time if i didnt have bad luck i wouldnt have any do you think it might be worth getting a dig tacho card if i can get one,anything to progress a bit 
dirty hands:
i hope so too most of the time if i didnt have bad luck i wouldnt have any
Thereās two schools of thought on that one dirty hands.
One says donāt bother cos you probably wonāt be given a new truck so soon after passing your testā¦
The other says that you should get one so that youāre ready to go with whatever truck youāre givenā¦
Iād say it depends on whether you intend to go straight out to work, or maybe whether cost is an issue at this timeā¦
Sorry I canāt give you a straight yes or noā¦ 
Hi dirty hands, if youāre doing your test at Simonswood you really need to get down there ASAP to learn the routes, donāt just turn up for the first time hoping for the best. Your instructor should know this anywayā¦I hope
As Mr Adams says there are a number of things that can catch you out such as the weight limit. The grey haired man with the beard is called Ted and is the worse examiner you can get, heās a stickler for everything.
There is also a long sweeping left hand bend further down the road after the weight limit (known as Tedās bend) and you need to use all the road to get round it so you have to check and make sure there is no traffic coming the other way before you attempt it
Best of luck
Big Roy:
Hi dirty hands, if youāre doing your test at Simonswood you really need to get down there ASAP to learn the routes, donāt just turn up for the first time hoping for the best. Your instructor should know this anywayā¦I hope
As Mr Adams says there are a number of things that can catch you out such as the weight limit. The grey haired man with the beard is called Ted and is the worse examiner you can get, heās a stickler for everything.
There is also a long sweeping left hand bend further down the road after the weight limit (known as Tedās bend) and you need to use all the road to get round it so you have to check and make sure there is no traffic coming the other way before you attempt it
Best of luck
Hi Big Roy, That sounds like the Simonswood we know and love.
I failed my own first attempt at a test there, and that was back in 1979.
Iām not sure that Iāve met Ted, but maybe he learned from Mr Mullholland, the resident stickler from back in my day.
Hi Dave, yep, not the best of places to take your test, Iām not sure but that could be him, Ted Mullholland rings a bell
Big Roy:
Hi Dave, yep, not the best of places to take your test, Iām not sure but that could be him, Ted Mullholland rings a bell
We might be stuck here Big Roy, cos I canāt remember Mr Mullhollandās first name
Iāll guess itās probably not the same person though, given that its almost 29 years ago.
Itās got me wondering now, so Iām going to phone an ex-colleague who is almost sure to know.
Iāll post up if I find out.
OK Dave, it will be interesting to see if itās the same bloke, I got him for my class 2 test and I never even made it out of the test centre. He abandoned the test because the truck was pulling slightly to the left on the controlled stop. 
bloody hell! someone doesnt like me by the sounds of it,il show them going pass first time at simonswood,hows that thanks for all the advice gents keep it comin,going need it by the sounds of it 
at simonswood be aware of the āred bendā on the perimeter road, you can look through the trees for anything coming, be aware of CCC tippers very few of them will give you any space.
make sure your instructor takes you round the industrial estate as this is included in some routes.
after the reversing excercise you will drive around the back of the MOT sheds where there is a stop sign, be sure to come to a complete standstill.
when you are pulling back into simonswood there is a speed limit sign, this is for the compound it is fastened to not the road.
hope some of the above helps, i passed my class 2 here first time, class 1 was a different tale.
chunky monkey:
at simonswood be aware of the āred bendā on the perimeter road, you can look through the trees for anything coming, be aware of CCC tippers very few of them will give you any space.
make sure your instructor takes you round the industrial estate as this is included in some routes.
after the reversing excercise you will drive around the back of the MOT sheds where there is a stop sign, be sure to come to a complete standstill.
when you are pulling back into simonswood there is a speed limit sign, this is for the compound it is fastened to not the road.
hope some of the above helps, i passed my class 2 here first time, class 1 was a different tale.
Hi chunky monkey, Thatās excellent advice for anybody taking their test at Simonswood.