Disappointed want to be

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

Hi all, newby to the site.
Had my class1 test today and completely bombed my reversing.
:cry: All was well on my lessons , but unfortunately I didn’t know how to correct my unit and get me out of the disaster I got myself into. Learned a lot from my lessons, unfortunately could put it into practice.

My current plan is to try and get a couple of extra lessons so I feel more comfortable on the roads. My main concern is knowing how much room I need for left turns.
Feel I spend more time focused on the 20 feet around my waggon and not enough focus on reading the environment or the hazards which may come up. If anyone has suggestions on this then please share.
My action plan is get some additional hours behind the wheel, get time to play with reversing and hopefully give it another go soon.

My worry is that I feel and obviously I am not competent enough to drive a class 1 safely. But I felt a bit like that after my class2 and that only changed with experience out there doing it for a living. How much driving experience am I going to need to be a compitant HGV Class’s 1 driver, as 4 days then a test was obviously to short. What has your experience been?
Great site, great information and numerous tips I am going to start applying.
Cheers
Rossco

2

What you need to remember is that your training only prepares you to a standard that will pass you a DSA LGV Class 1 driving test, it doesn’t teach you how to be a lorry driver.

I’m sure the issues you have will come with a little more time but you won’t feel like a proper driver until you’ve had enough time to play with the vehicle yourself, with no one else in it.

3

dont worry mate, you’ll pass next time,it happened to me in my first exam, screwed up the reversing.

4

Hey mate,don’t be downhearted eh, it’s a big bit of kit to be throwing around the road,watching for people,watching for cars,judging the gap…all this whilst being tested,it would make me ■■■■ up too!

A little more practice,a bit more time you’ll be right,just think of that as learning experience,a practice run if you like.

Do you want to know a piece of advice my uncle said to me when I was learning?
No?..he said to me,when you’re turning in a junction or somewhere tight,take all of the room you can because when it’s gone you can’t get it back.
He meant get the front end out to give the rear plenty of space.I dunno if that’s acceptable on the test you do these days but I’m hoping Mr Peter Smythe will put his opinion in…a bloke who has gained a lot of respect on here btw.

(Gonna let you into a secret…Passed my car test in 89,passed my class 1 in 95 (we could go straight for the throat in those days)…motorbike test…failed TWICE,didn’t try again coz I was so gutted…Wish I had now tho.
An artic driver who can’t pass his bike test,what’s the world coming too.

Chin up mate :wink:

5

Very basic rule for approaching left turns with an artic is to:
Take as much road as you need but don’t take road you don’t need. (You only get to know this, though, with experience)

so

On the approach, take the road you can see to be clear - not relying on “borrowing” the road you’re entering.

During a driving course it normally becomes easy enough to deal with “normal” turns and to sense when a turn isn’t “normal”. Those are the ones where you need to find the room on the approach.

Not easy to expain this issue without having a truck to play with - but hope this helps.

All the best with the retest, Pete :laughing: :laughing:

6

Thanks folks for your support.

I am desperate to get back behind the wheel but due to instructor demands and lack of test dates it may be a further 2 or 3 weeks, so I am also concerned with that.

My instructor was great so not wanting to go anywhere else and can’t really afford another 3 days training and test that the others will want.

Will keep you posted on my progress and once successful I will post my instructors details, as I would strongly recommend them.

Thanks

Rossco

7

Mate gutted for you , i failed on reverse first time then failed second on taking too much room for a left turn ended up encroaching on the other side of road where i did not need the room so hense the fail , on my training after that my instructor took me to an industrial est and had me snaking the lorry from one left turn to a right turn getting me to hug the corners (not enough to hit kerb) but gave me the confidence to take a turn not as wide I then passed 3rd time with only 2 minors so you will get there , its just a matter of knowing where your trailer is and how its following you once you can judge that you will be fine be nosey in them mirrors and use the yellow lines and keep your wheels as close to them as is comfortable for you by using the yellow lines i got the feel of how much room i needed cant really explain this better but if you do it you will see what I mean hope this helps

good luck for your retest

jen x

8

R0ssc0:
Hi all, newby to the site.
Had my class1 test today and completely bombed my reversing.
:cry: All was well on my lessons , but unfortunately I didn’t know how to correct my unit and get me out of the disaster I got myself into. Learned a lot from my lessons, unfortunately could put it into practice.

Gutted for you. You will do fine next time

My current plan is to try and get a couple of extra lessons so I feel more comfortable on the roads. My main concern is knowing how much room I need for left turns.
Feel I spend more time focused on the 20 feet around my waggon and not enough focus on reading the environment or the hazards which may come up. If anyone has suggestions on this then please share.
My action plan is get some additional hours behind the wheel, get time to play with reversing and hopefully give it another go soon.
My worry is that I feel and obviously I am not competent enough to drive a class 1 safely. But I felt a bit like that after my class2 and that only changed with experience out there doing it for a living.

It seems like your trainer did not fully bring you up to test standard. I can understand it is a different size and takes a bit of getting used to, but by middle of the training you should be looking as much forwards as back. It doesn’t matter what the size of the vehicle is, you should always have forward planning.

How much driving experience am I going to need to be a compitant HGV Class’s 1 driver, as 4 days then a test was obviously to short.

That depends on the quality of the training. Did you have 2:1 or 1:1. How many hours driving did you actually have in each day? Do you feel that it was quality training for the time you were behind the wheel?

What has your experience been?

For me 4 days was long enough. But then I had 1:1 training with a quality trainer. My failings were only my silly errors, nothing to do with my quality of training.

Great site, great information and numerous tips I am going to start applying.

Yes. This site has been invaluable to me right from the start. There are a few that spoil it but on the whole a great resource.

You don’t mention whether you had training on an artic or a wagon and drag. I found the training a lot easier on a wagon and drag. It was a lot smaller than the Cat C units that I drive at work, but it got me the category on my licence and allowed me to cross train onto an artic without the pressure.

Good luck with whatever you choose. Let us know how it goes.

Dean

9

Hi Dar,
Was the artic I tested and learned in. Been driving C’s for a few years on and off.
It was 2 on 1 training, as it’s all I could afford.
I can’t fault my instructor in the slightest mate, as I had not one issue with my reversing during training, just had a brain crash moment and could not recover.
My instructor couldn’t believe it and after I tied myself in knots the examiner couldn’t believe it also I think.
From the tips on these forums I have started driving the car with no rear view mirror and started being attention to the rear on turns, for the habbit.
Need to read the corners more and understand the trailer as not all roads are straight unfortunately :blush:

Will be taking all of the above tips on board and will keep you all posted on dates and stuff.
Cheers
Rossco

10

dont lose to much sleep over it I failed my CE test on the reverse as well got into a situation that I couldnt get myself out of but hey it happens such is life

I have gone to a different trainer for my next 1 due to the fact I did do this a few years ago then went to see all the providers in my area ( which I have the choice of 4 ) had an assessment with them all then made my mind up all I need now is the cash

If you say where you are & which provider you used we may be able to help a little & as Dean say you dont say weather you used a Wagon & Drag or an Artic

A piece of advise I was given was to acquire a toy artic & practice the reverse on the floor

11

Another tip you may use is when out driving if you see an artic stay behind & watch how they use the road on corners roundabouts etc

I passed my bike test 1st time in 80 car in 83 as wasnt bothered as had the bike Cat C 08 long story wanted to do it earlier but another day

12

Well I spent 2 hours at my mates yard reversing, reversing and reversing :open_mouth: conclusion, was not ready for this for real.
Hopefully get retest in 4 weeks and this should give me time to master this bugger :smiley:
More time spend understanding how the wagon behaves at low speeds will hopefully give me more control on the roads also.
If you have any tips for me to try during reversing then please let me know. He told me I can come over every Saturday until my test and hook, unhook and reverse until my hearts contented .
Cheers
Rossco

13

If it’s any consolation it isn’t easy for those of us that have passed. I do the odd weekend shift for a subby to one of the supermarkets and when i get to tight bays in the stores then no problem, put me in the RDC yard with plenty of room and an audience and the simplest of reverses can end in three or four shunts!! I feel for you and wish I had a yard and a wagon to practise with!! Best of luck.

14

an exercise that I was told to do that helped me get my head round reversing was to just go back and forward a few times keeping the trailer straight just to get the feel of not steering too much you only need tiny adjustments then when you feel happy with that put a bend in trailer then correct it as you have a mate who is willing to lend you his lorry this will be invaluable to you keep practising and it will come im sure , as soon as the trailer appears in your mirror steer toward it and that will bring it back its all about getting it right in your head so it becomes natural to steer that opposite way than you want to it will come honest just take advantage of your mate and practise practise practise wish you all the best on your retest

Jen x

15

Hi there R0ssc0!

So sorry to hear you didn’t pass the C+E but like others have already said, you are most definitely not on your own there. I was in exactly the same situation as you are in now last month. I failed my first C+E test and had only enough money for one re-test which I had in the middle of December and I failed that one as well, so then I was in a situation where I was going to have to put hundreds of pounds on my credit card for the next one, but not only that as it was coming up to thhe Christmas period I was told I could not get another test booked now until sometime in the new year!! :open_mouth: So, I was obviously thinking that I was now going to have to pay not only for another test (and if I failed again, even more after that!) but also more days training to get back up to speed again! :unamused:

Anyway, as others have said the key to it all is experience and practice. So, the more you do it the better you will become and the more confident you will be, so like Jennie says, you should really jump at the chance of using your mates lorry and practice as much as you possibly can then it will just be a matter of time.

All the best of luck with your next test mate! :sunglasses:

16

Hi all,
Got test date for 16th feb, so going to practice reversing to death at mates yard.
Morning of training and hopefully get out the test centre this time :slight_smile:
Keep you posted.
Rossco

17

Best of luck matey, you can do it :exclamation: