Class C+E passed - Peter smythe transport training

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

Hi all,

So I had my C+E test today and managed to squeeze a pass out of it.

Went back to PSTT due to getting on really well there for my Cat C. Again on this occasion the training did not disappoint. I drove the Auto artic and had Dave as my instructor.

Dave is bang on the money for me. He has the perfect mix of coaching skill and and friendly personality to put you right at ease. Driving errors are carefully explained and spoken about in a way you would talk to a mate. This coaching style for me works perfectly. You really do feel that he is giving you 100% effort all of the time. So cheers Dave for a spot on week.

So this morning I got in an hour before the test. Me and Dave decide to do a few reverses to get warmed up. As what seems to happen a fair bit on the day of the test it all started going wrong for me. Monday and Tuesday my reversing was a little ropey but improving. Wednesday I was actually feeling pretty ok about them. This Morning (Thursday) it was like I had never been in the lorry before. All over the place.

By the time it was my test my nerves were all over the place. I was thinking it’s gonna be one of those days. Dave gave me a reassuring talking to.

Before I knew it I was in front of the examiner. Off we went to the lorry. He asked me to demonstrate my reversing skills first so I jumped in and off I went. Heart rate was through the roof at this point. I had not made a perfect reverse this morning without Dave having to correct me. Began reversing like had I been all week but for one reason or another on the day I need it to come together would it hell!!! Was getting real close to the line on my left hand side so decided the only thing for it was to take a shunt. With a nice big shunt completed I reversed it into the box. Made it bloody hard work for myself and it seemed to go on forever.

Examiner then asks me to drop the trailer and Park alongside it. So this part actually went well. No real issues park up along side take deep breath.

You know what’s coming …He then asks me to couple back up with the trailer. So I set off then reverse back trying to line the trailer up with the unit. It looks reasonably lined up but not spot on, but at the time I thought was good enough. Do my trailer checks jump back in start backing the unit up 5th wheel underneath lift suspension a little so not to drag the legs at all. Continue back until I hear a clunk. Go to give it a tug forward to make sure I am attached and off I go a couple of feet forward obviously without the bloody trailer attached.

Really feeling the pressure now all of a sudden feels like it’s 35 degrees outside. I am dripping like a f***ed fridge.

Handbrake neutral. Couple of big deep breaths. At this point to be fair I am thinking it’s all over. But a tiny bit of me is thinking don’t give up. I have not done anything that’s not safe. Yeah I done a slow reverse and had to take a shunt and yeah the trailer is not attached yet but I feel I have done everything safely not endangering anyone or the kit.

So after I reset myself on she goes. I carry out the rest of the procedure with no further issues.

Out I go on the road. At this point all nerves are gone. I am thinking I have failed anyway so just used it as some extra driving time and an insight to what my re test will be like. After about 50 mins ish I am back at the yard. Didn’t feel like I had done anything majorly wrong. No kerbs hit, kept it nice and smooth and took my time at turns and roundabouts.

Examiner says he will be with me in a minute and begins to fill in the green test form. This minute felt like half hour. Then he says please to tell you it’s a pass.

He does say that the reverse could have been a bit more tidy and could have used near side mirror during the reverse a bit more. I got marked up for another couple of minors also. One for speed being a little slow when could have made a bit of progress. But all in all it added up to a pass.

Well was a blooming huge shock but I grabbed that pass cert with both hands and thanked him for his time.

In the end I suppose it’s just a little lesson to us newbies if you have tests booked etc. Never give up, its not you doing the marking. Even if it feels like it’s all going wrong keep applying everything you have learned over your course and you never know what can happen.

Well cheers people for reading this far. I thought it may help someone out there in tinternet land. Also cheers again to the staff at PSTT and Dave, had a superb week.

Thanks all.
Mark

2


3

Congratulations on the pass; thanks for the comments.

[/Never give up, its not you doing the marking. Even if it feels like it’s all going wrong keep applying everything you have learned over your course and you never know what can happen.
quote]

Some of the best advice for anyone coming up for test.

Well done again. Pete :laughing: :laughing:

4

Cheers Rog and Pete. Much appreciated.

5

Mark1203:
Hi all,

So I had my C+E test today and managed to squeeze a pass out of it.

Went back to PSTT due to getting on really well there for my Cat C. Again on this occasion the training did not disappoint. I drove the Auto artic and had Dave as my instructor.

Dave is bang on the money for me. He has the perfect mix of coaching skill and and friendly personality to put you right at ease. Driving errors are carefully explained and spoken about in a way you would talk to a mate. This coaching style for me works perfectly. You really do feel that he is giving you 100% effort all of the time. So cheers Dave for a spot on week.

So this morning I got in an hour before the test. Me and Dave decide to do a few reverses to get warmed up. As what seems to happen a fair bit on the day of the test it all started going wrong for me. Monday and Tuesday my reversing was a little ropey but improving. Wednesday I was actually feeling pretty ok about them. This Morning (Thursday) it was like I had never been in the lorry before. All over the place.

By the time it was my test my nerves were all over the place. I was thinking it’s gonna be one of those days. Dave gave me a reassuring talking to.

Before I knew it I was in front of the examiner. Off we went to the lorry. He asked me to demonstrate my reversing skills first so I jumped in and off I went. Heart rate was through the roof at this point. I had not made a perfect reverse this morning without Dave having to correct me. Began reversing like had I been all week but for one reason or another on the day I need it to come together would it hell!!! Was getting real close to the line on my left hand side so decided the only thing for it was to take a shunt. With a nice big shunt completed I reversed it into the box. Made it bloody hard work for myself and it seemed to go on forever.

Examiner then asks me to drop the trailer and Park alongside it. So this part actually went well. No real issues park up along side take deep breath.

You know what’s coming …He then asks me to couple back up with the trailer. So I set off then reverse back trying to line the trailer up with the unit. It looks reasonably lined up but not spot on, but at the time I thought was good enough. Do my trailer checks jump back in start backing the unit up 5th wheel underneath lift suspension a little so not to drag the legs at all. Continue back until I hear a clunk. Go to give it a tug forward to make sure I am attached and off I go a couple of feet forward obviously without the bloody trailer attached.

Really feeling the pressure now all of a sudden feels like it’s 35 degrees outside. I am dripping like a f***ed fridge.

Handbrake neutral. Couple of big deep breaths. At this point to be fair I am thinking it’s all over. But a tiny bit of me is thinking don’t give up. I have not done anything that’s not safe. Yeah I done a slow reverse and had to take a shunt and yeah the trailer is not attached yet but I feel I have done everything safely not endangering anyone or the kit.

So after I reset myself on she goes. I carry out the rest of the procedure with no further issues.

Out I go on the road. At this point all nerves are gone. I am thinking I have failed anyway so just used it as some extra driving time and an insight to what my re test will be like. After about 50 mins ish I am back at the yard. Didn’t feel like I had done anything majorly wrong. No kerbs hit, kept it nice and smooth and took my time at turns and roundabouts.

Examiner says he will be with me in a minute and begins to fill in the green test form. This minute felt like half hour. Then he says please to tell you it’s a pass.

He does say that the reverse could have been a bit more tidy and could have used near side mirror during the reverse a bit more. I got marked up for another couple of minors also. One for speed being a little slow when could have made a bit of progress. But all in all it added up to a pass.

Well was a blooming huge shock but I grabbed that pass cert with both hands and thanked him for his time.

In the end I suppose it’s just a little lesson to us newbies if you have tests booked etc. Never give up, its not you doing the marking. Even if it feels like it’s all going wrong keep applying everything you have learned over your course and you never know what can happen.

Well cheers people for reading this far. I thought it may help someone out there in tinternet land. Also cheers again to the staff at PSTT and Dave, had a superb week.

Thanks all.
Mark

Well done mark, I enjoyed you company and conversation for the time we were together, good luck in the future :smiley:
Dave

6

Do you get to see or say hello to the examiners during training time ?

I have heard others say that doing so can help on test day as they are not perfect strangers

7

I personally didn’t ROG but I suppose there could be occasion when you could see them around the site with other people on test.

8

Congrats pal, and that Dave/David is everywhere at the moment! :smiley:

9

Congratulations on the pass!

10

Cheers fellas … Yes Dave seems to be making an impact as they say! And rightly so top bloke.

11

Well done on passing C+E!

Also, thanks Mark for your comments on how it went. I’ve got my test in six days and I’m bricking it but your comments have added some perspective.

Dan.

12

Very well done, Mark! Congrats!

You did well not to let the nerves/panic get to you when the kingpin didn’t engage properly. As soon as something doesn’t go entirely to plan, you tend to think “Uh oh, so this is where I screw it up then…” but really you didn’t put a foot wrong, that’s the whole point of pulling forward twice, to check, and go again if it’s not connected.

I saw a guy on test go to pull away for his drive after coupling up and the truck wasn’t going anywhere. He realised he hadn’t released the trailer brakes, got out, sorted it, got back in and passed his test.

13

I think the thing with tests is 99% of the time the examiner realises you’re human, you will be really nervous and provided the mistakes are made in a safe manner then no harm done etc.

14

Cheers for the replies fellas.

Good luck for test day Dan156 I am sure it will all come together and you will be fine.

Thanks DAF MAN couple of deep breaths got me back in the zone and it all worked out in the end. I suppose everyone wishes for that perfectly smooth test but in reality it rarely happens.

I agree with that Nick the examiner knows the score, they see the sweaty brow and pale skin of the candidate. I was lucky really that I had a spot on examiner called Cliff at PSTT. Real nice fella who puts you at ease, also had a little bit of chatter on the drive as well, it all helps to calm the nerves.

15

Congratulations Mark !!

I thought I had messed up during my own test up on more than one occasion, including on the reverse, kept going anyway and got a pass with only 4 minors so I have to agree with what has already been said…don’t give up trying on the test even if you think it has gone wrong as you never know how the examiner is seeing things.