So, four hours and 50 miles later, how was it? Exhausting! Felt like wet rag when finally climbed down from cab, even though I’d had a couple of short breaks en route. But pleased with progress. Managed to cope with 4 over 4 gear box without fluffing it too much, only real problem was just judging the size of the vehicle and giving myself enough time to do it. And getting used to indicating earlier/later to match the length of the truck. Drove down London Road into Leicester and back out, which I’ll count as an achievement given the sheer amount of ‘stuff’ happening along it. A lot to reflect on, but it’s starting to come together and I’m looking forward to next week [and feeling grateful for the practice of starting training on a Friday, so having the weekend to recover!
That lot from DATA are slave drivers 
Who you got … John, Darren … ?
Ermm…suspect I have Rog…
Great start and hope it continues in that way.
Don’t be too surprised if you get a bad day where nothing comes together.
Most of us had 1 in our training.
Best of luck and keep us posted 
ericonabike:
Ermm…suspect I have Rog…
Ah … roger … silly name
Sounds like you had a good day , by the end of the training you will feel shattered , but when you hold that blue certificate in your hands next week you will feel brilliant , as dar says dont get down if you have a bad day , it will come together just take it easy and do everything the instructor tells you and keep those mirrors busy 
Later start today, at 10.00 rather than 07.00 to allow for another trainee’s test. Shame, he failed - looking at Leicester’s stats it seems 52% of folk failed on their first attempt last year. Still, that leaves 48% who passed…
Consolidation day today, going over similar ground and routes, but with less and less verbal instruction until at the end it was more or less test conditions [straight on unless told different]. Made a couple of stupid mistakes - once when tried to start off in 7th rather than 3rd and stalled. Trying to get things together after that, managed to put parking brake on whilst still rolling slowly. Didn’t allow myself enough time to get things done in right sequence. Then on a roundabout with no lane markings, didn’t take it wide in order to go straight on, and almost cut a following car up. Shan’t do that again…
Time is the key thing, I think - taking it and allowing it. Still occasionally try to change gear like I’m in a car and fail. And SLOW DOWN when I’m unsure how much room I need to take a junction. But there were a lot of occasions when things began to flow, and I’m happy with the ‘go/don’t go’ decisions I made [as were Roger and the rest of Leicester’s drivers].
Biggest shock though was realising that failing to signal off a roundabout, even when going straight on, was an automatic test fail! Had assumed that was a minor, since I’m sure when I was learning in car and on bike I was taught no need to signal if continuing straight ahead. Still, that was probably because the man with the red flag would do it for me…
ericonabike:
Biggest shock though was realising that failing to signal off a roundabout, even when going straight on, was an automatic test fail! Had assumed that was a minor, since I’m sure when I was learning in car and on bike I was taught no need to signal if continuing straight ahead. Still, that was probably because the man with the red flag would do it for me…
On a car or bike you could choose to not give an exit signal if there were no other road users who would benefit from it BUT in a lorry with a huge rear blindspot can you be 100% certain that there is nobody hiding in it ■■?
ericonabike:
looking at Leicester’s stats it seems 52% of folk failed on their first attempt last year. Still, that leaves 48% who passed…
Do not go on those stats as they do not reflect 1st time passes but overall passes in all categories such as B+E C1 D1 C1+E D1+E C D DE CE
If 2 people take their first test and pass that would be 100% pass rate
Same 2 people but one passes 1st time and the other passes 3rd time then that would be 25% pass rate
Dopey me 
- that would be 50% pass rate in the second senario
ericonabike:
Consolidation day today, …
Hi ericonabike,
Agreed mate. 
I’ve consolidated (merged) your ‘day one’ and ‘day two’ posts into one topic in order to keep all the info together in one topic.
Fair 'nuff! Day three was a seven-o-clocker again, lights on and a bit of mist about. Reversing day, so after a run through town we were off the to airfield [disused thankfully]. Country drive along what suddenly seemed a narrow road, despite having driven and ridden it before many times. Oncoming trucks still seem mighty close - have to make sure I don’t blink or flinch as they pass. At the airfield, lay out cones and a barrier to replicate test conditions. So…drive forward, past middle cone, stop at end cones, reverse back in S shape to park in ‘loading bay’. Simples!
I wish - discovered my ‘spatial awareness’ isn’t what it should be. Finding it hard to visualise what’s happening with steering wheel input - and to judge end of truck. BUT - some cunning tips from trainer made all the difference. By the end of the session I’d managed to slot it into the bay 7 or 8 times without once hitting a cone. Although had a couple of shunts and sometimes the end result didn’t look pretty…
Back to town - better today than yesterday once more, but still made some silly errors - starting off in 6th anyone? Need to get the right balance between ‘relaxed’ and ‘casual’. Talking to myself helps a bit, as long as it won’t irritate the examiner. Let’s see how tomorrow goes, when it’s T-Day minus 1!
ericonabike:
Talking to myself helps a bit, as long as it won’t irritate the examiner
The examiner will say - more of that please
Examiners like it when they can get an insight into what the candidate is thinking - especially if they are mentioning a situation before they actually get to it
End of Day 4 - test at 8 am tomorrow. Hopefully I’ve got all the blonde moments out my system now, but feel it’s 50/50 tomorrow. Feel really tired, too, which doesn’t help. The last four days have been really intense - just wish I could take the truck out to practise for a few hours, like when we went out in dad’s car as well as taking driving lessons! Still, I’m confident I know what to do - will make a point of talking out loud to myself through the test, as that seems to have the right calming effect. Fingers crossed…
Best of luck for your test tomorrow.
Ignore the examiners paperwork and just imagine you are giving him a safe comfortable tour of the town.
Take the shunt if you are uncertain on the reverse. Before you know it he will be filling out your blue certificate.
good luck for today , deep breaths and keep as calm as you can and u will be fine
jx
Deep breaths, Mars bar beforehand, lucky cap on head, all came to nothing! Only got five minors, but made a right mollusc of the reversing exercise. Somehow managed to hit the first cone - looking at it afterwards, still can’t understand how. Have rebooked - intend making a ‘mock-up’ of the reversing layout to scale, as it were and keep doing it in the motorhome. Not exactly the same, but close enough to get some expertise in it. Heigh-ho…
Was it down to the initial set up perhaps? - too close to the right?
Maybe - all a bit of a blur now! But at least the test is now now a known quantity - should help with confidence next time.
I did the same on my first test, think nerves got the better of me, he said I was to far over to the right and didn’t stand a chance. 2nd one went like a dream as you say known quantity.
So sorry , but as you say , you now know what to expect and the outcome will be better next time
hope you get your retest soon
Jx