hi fellas.
i dont start lessons till end of april but i am getting butterflys already at the thought of it. there is not a minute that goes by without not thinking of the test
i am even driving my car now as if i have a 45ft trailer attached to it, the wife keeps shouting at me “JESUS WHY ARE YOU GOING SO WIDE ON THE CORNERS”. will be better nx week when i go back to work driving my 18.5 tonner rigid, will get some better practice in then.
any way can you tell me if this is the right procedure.
COUPLE UP TRAILER.
make sure trailer brake is applied.
make sure lever is pulled out on 5th wheel.
reverse onto trailer slow and smooth until fully engaged.
try to drive forward slowly to check.
switch off engine and apply handbrake on unit.
check 5th wheel properly engaged and connect safety chain.
connect all airlines in their proper fittings and also electrics.
raise trailer legs and stow away handle.
UNCOUPLE TRAILER.
flat level ground.
apply trailer handbrake.
raise trailer legs and stow away handle.,
disconnect air lines and electrics.
release safety chain.
release lever on 5th wheel.
drive away slowly checking trailer.
disconnect number plate.
always chock wheels on trailer if in doubt.
this is what i am getting me brain to remember, so if any of it is wrong
would rather know sooner than later.how many monors are you allowed is it 15? and if you take a shunt whilst on reverse xercise is that classed as i minor?right im off to take a drive up to the test centre to take a look and see if i can watch anyone doing the reverse bit. i will sit in me car thou as i dont want the xaminer to see me . lol.
all the best guys.
COUPLE UP TRAILER.
make sure trailer brake is applied.
make sure lever is pulled out on 5th wheel.
reverse onto trailer slow and smooth until fully engaged.
try to drive forward slowly to check.
switch off engine and apply handbrake on unit.
check 5th wheel properly engaged and connect safety chain.
connect all airlines in their proper fittings and also electrics.
raise trailer legs and stow away handle.
UNCOUPLE TRAILER.
flat level ground.
apply trailer handbrake.
raise trailer legs and stow away handle.,
disconnect air lines and electrics.
release safety chain.
release lever on 5th wheel.
drive away slowly checking trailer.
disconnect number plate.
always chock wheels on trailer if in doubt.
Looks about right. but dont forget to release the trailer brake on the couple last job and also number plate.
Also trailer lights test ,mot check on trailer etc.
One thing i was told to remember for the uncouple was
B Brake
L legs
A Airlines/electrics
C chain
K king pin.
For the test you will be expected to couple up as if you have never seen the trailer before, so prior to going under the trailer you will be expected to get out & check heights.
Also don’t forget trailer plate & light checks.
vigfanbke:
UNCOUPLE TRAILER.
flat level ground.
apply trailer handbrake. raise trailer legs and stow away handle.,
disconnect air lines and electrics.
release safety chain.
release lever on 5th wheel.
drive away slowly checking trailer.
disconnect number plate.
always chock wheels on trailer if in doubt.
Personally I’d lower the legs when uncoupling, it’s less messy,
Don’t know what the test requires, so won’t confuse you with what I do. but I follow a system that walks me round the truck. and if I get disstracted I start again and pay special attention to the tug test and the park brake on the Unit when hitching up.
But don’t worry to much it about, i’ts important to get it right for yours and others safety but it’s not flying the space shuttle , you just need to get into a routine and that should get you through your test and make you safe when you go to work.
I think you will find the trailer exercise will be easier in practice with your instructor guiding you than when you see it explained in writing as it does appear complicated. By the time you take your test you should be fine, one thing I will add is not to worry if the trailer pin doesn’t connect first time, it paniced me a little but was told you can take as long as you need.
Minors - yes it is 15 minors across the sheet - 3 in any area such as observation is the max, the fourth makes it a serious and a fail. You do get a minor if you take a shunt on the reverse, but better that than to fail on the reverse - you may not be allowed to proceed! (I trained with a guy who had failed three times on the reverse and had never got out onto the road).
I got a minor on reversing, and when I discussed it with the examiner I was puzzled as I hadn’t take a shunt - he said 'No, but you just took a bloody long time! I wasn’t worried, I got that pass.
Good luck, continue to drive BIG it does help, keep up the mirror checks etc and try not to use your rear view mirror. You will enjoy the training, and as others have said, the couple/uncouple thing is not as bad as you may be thinking right now, just be methodical and BEFORE you actually drive the tractor out from under the trailer, double check in your mind you have covered everything (plate, brake, legs, suzies, king pin).
Is it really only 3 minors in each area? , I had a feeling you were allowed up to 5. I got 3 for gears on my CE test so it looks like I was nearer to failing than I realised!
I failed my first class 2 test on gears. On aproach at a roundabout went down gear so that i could proceed as no traffic was coming round on the right, but rushed the gear change and couldnt get the darn thing into right gear again so ended up coasting round the whole roundabout in neutral, then when coming out of the roundabout ended up in 5th gear at about 5mph
Jaycool007:
I failed my first class 2 test on gears. On aproach at a roundabout went down gear so that i could proceed as no traffic was coming round on the right, but rushed the gear change and couldnt get the darn thing into right gear again so ended up coasting round the whole roundabout in neutral, then when coming out of the roundabout ended up in 5th gear at about 5mph
Always the same when you rush a gear change they just don’t seem to drop in. One of my minors on my CE test was due to rushing, I got in a mess with the range change switch but got away with it (just!)
Take your gloves off and place them on the fuel tank. More about this later.
Jump back into cab, start engine and pull forwards. Keep fingers crossed that you don’t hear a loud “crash”
Park unit alongside trailer
Final check of trailer parking brake
Coupling:
Three checks to do first - the three "H"s:
Handbrake - check trailer brake has been applied. Forgetting this check is an instant FAIL.
Height - check height of fifth wheel is compatible with height of trailer pin
Handle - Release fifth wheel handle - just a knock with the palm of your hand should do.
Then…1. Couple unit to trailer - reverse using the mirrors, making sure you can see an equal amount of the trailer in each mirror.
Once coupled, engage a forwards gear that’s impossible to confuse with reverse (3rd is a good choice), then give the trailer a good tug TWICE. Only one tug = FAIL.
Put unit handbrake on, and stop engine. Jump out of cab, and pick up gloves. They’re there to remind you to put the dogclip back on. If you forget the dogclip, you’ve failed.
Going front to back, engage suzies
Raise legs
Take trailer parking brake off
Replace numberplate (tell the examiner that you’re doing it)
Ask examiner to help you check the trailer lights
Let the examiner tell you that you’ve passed
Remember:
Don’t get out of the driving seat without switching off the engine and applying the unit parking brake.
Don’t forget the legs, and the extra trailer brake checks
JayHoe:
You do get a minor if you take a shunt on the reverse, but better that than to fail on the reverse - you may not be allowed to proceed!
Just to confuse you, I took a shunt on my reverse but didn’t get a minor for it!!
I was told it depends on how you use the shunt and how you continue the reverse afterwards. After the shunt I was making very small corrections on the wheel.
It didn’t matter though cos I still Failed
At least I’ll know where that bloody hidden speed sign is next time!!!
JayHoe:
You do get a minor if you take a shunt on the reverse, but better that than to fail on the reverse - you may not be allowed to proceed!
Just to confuse you, I took a shunt on my reverse but didn’t get a minor for it!!
I was told it depends on how you use the shunt and how you continue the reverse afterwards. After the shunt I was making very small corrections on the wheel.
It didn’t matter though cos I still Failed
At least I’ll know where that bloody hidden speed sign is next time!!!
sniper:
Just to confuse you, I took a shunt on my reverse but didn’t get a minor for it!!
Correct, and I will try and explain my understanding of it.
A shunt falls into the category of “Control”. Essentially, the trailer was not pointing in the right direction. However, if the trailer was in the right place, but the unit wasn’t. I.E. In a working environment, a shunt was desireable to preclude damage/danger to others, then a Driving Fault is not normally marked. To have a Test that penalised candidates for observing matters of safety would be a nonesense. It is meant to simulate a realistic working environment. (Some hopes, how often does anyone blindside reverse when they can help it), The DSA seem to accept that, providing the trailer is pointing in the right direction, any adjustment to improve visibility along both sides will not constitute a fault.
Of all their failings, this is probably one of their interpretations that I agree with.
You’ll only need to do this excersice once and its enough. That simple…harder going through it in your head. if you have the truck in front of you…its a doddle!
Good luck with the training…you’ll find it very simple you’ll be surprised if your already driving a Rigid!
this is the unwritten part of the test, yes you can take a shunt on the reverse and not fail, you can also not do the controlled stop perfect and again not fail but the thing is this, the examiner has never seen you drive before and he/she is about to ride with you as a passenger on the open road so a good reverse and controlled stop where it looks like your in control of what your doing will put the examiner at ease and put you along way to passing the test and in truth give you more of chance of the examiner turning a blind eye to the odd mistake out on the road. in reality your given a hell of a lot of room for the reverse manauver so really you should get it right first time, most important thing is to get as far to the left at the starting cones as you can then a nice quick steer will see you miss the post by plenty and then getting it in the box is easy.
as for couple, two things, you must do two tugs on the trailer to make sure you’ve got the pin and you must ask the examiner to check the brake lights on the trailer, miss either of these and it’s an automatic fail.
hope this helps
paul
I was told that the last thing is to ask for either…
a light check (which is lights, brake lights and indicators)
AND
a rolling brake check (basically drive forward a few feet and then brake - a test of the brakes on the trailer working as without them working, you would feel the trailer pushing you)
The examiner would then say do one or the other
I did this about a month ago so it is still engraved in the mind!!!
, you just need to get into a routine and that should get you through your test and make you safe when you go to work. 
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