I have an interview/driving assessment tomorrow with Wincanton for Morrisons at Swan Valley (J15a M1) - is it going to be like the driving test all over again or more like a spin round the block? the letter says an hour and a half for the interview and assesment combined.
Just remember to look over your shoulder before you move off and you have cracked it 
it’s just to make sure you can handle the truck,the guy ain’t there to fail you he is there to assist you.but if you can’t handle it he is duty bound to tell the company of his findings.but i know you will be fine as you know that you can handle it.just treat it as if you have a passenger,which he will be. 
Our night manager told me this one.
New guy comes in on his first morning to start work.
“As it’s your first day we’ve given you an easy day to start with. Just these five drops around Essex. Do you have any maps?”
“No I don’t”
“OK, no problem, I’ll lend you one for today”
“Thanks…by the way, where’s Essex”
On the last interview and assessment I went for, I asked straight out what they were looking for.
“Do you want me to drive as if I was taking my test or how I drive now?”
“We are looking for a safe and confident driver so you decide” was the assessors reply.
I drove like I normally do and got offered the job before the end of the assessment.
Good luck anyway.
At our place the assessment will include conecting up and disconnecting a tailer, a few questions about tacho regs (you’ll be expected to use one on the drive) at least 1 reverse into a lane (usually) or onto a bay. Make sure you take your license with you, I know its daft, but a guy came to us with a car license and was expecting to be trained if he passed the interview
Shortest assessment, to get out of the yard, was the guy who hit the gate post on the way out.
Assessment I had for a job last year was a doddle. All you had to do was pick up a trailer and drive about 2 - 3 miles making left and right turns etc negotiate a roundabout then drop trailer on return.
It’s just to satisfy themselves that you can do what you will be employed to do 
Generally, if you are told you have to have an assessment drive, it is because the haulier`s insurers have made it a condition of further insurance, because of a poor claims experience with that haulier.
On the one and only assessment drive I have ever had, it was obvious that the Transport manager was not in the least interested in what he was doing but was simply under an obligation to be driven around Kent for half-an-hour.
I wouldn`t worry about it if I were you.
Vince
It’s not so much as the Insurance companies. Moreso the HSE. Last September they issued a document called Driving at Work.
Essentially this places a responsibility on everyone who employees people that drive (or ride) in the course of their employment, to take account of the safety of that individual and other road users.
Some employers have yet to realize it’s existance or the implications of ignoring their responsibilities.
Furthermore, it not only applies in respect of Professional Drivers, but has wider implications to include such people as Postmen, and even kids using bicycles to deliver newspapers.
Best of luck.
A good Assessor will know before you get in the cab, how experienced you are.
At my present employer the assessor said we should have uncoupled and recoupled the trailer but said I didn’t need to bother, as he could tell from the walk round check, I was driving class ones at the time.
He’d had someone turn up(for class 1 work only) who didn’t know how to
couple up to a trailer.
Also the assessor will get an idea about your experience by chatting away to you during the assessment.
At Hays/Scottish & Newcastle they had a problem of drivers flying about in Curtainsider artic’s loaded to the roof with barrrels of beer, result they kept falling over. So on their assessments it was more to judge how you handled the vehicle, while fully loaded.
The driving assesments ive been on are usualy safe driving, smooth driving and knowing how to handle the vehicle.
Last one I went on there was me and another guy getting an assesment, Other guy jumps in, Drives off and out onto the main road. Didnt look comfortable as he was crawling round the depot at walking pace, then doing 20mph on the main roads. After 5 mins he was used to it, and heading back to the depot… Turn right at lights, 75degree angle so you need to keep it over to the left before turning, This guy decides he can do it from the right hand lane and made a mess of it, and the fence which ended up a little bent along with some panels! I dont think he got the job!
Well, I think it went ok!! The ‘interview’ was a bit of a joke, basically the bloke just had a form with standard questions which he ran through and then showed me the T&C. After this was the assessment.
The Scania was hooked up already; but I still insisted on having a look round. The assessor said there was no need as he had just connected them up, but I said that I wanted to make sure for myself as I was responsible as the driver. Basically I just checked the tyres and the dogclip on the 5th wheel and the airlines etc. We drove out of Swan Valley up to Sixfields, round the estate there past Frankie and Bennies etc then back to base. There were a few good points and some bad points but he seemed to be positive. I didn’t hit anything, apparantly drivers hitting the barriers on the way in is common 
He said that I kept it in a straight line, used the gears fine and was curteous to other road users. The one thing that might ''F" it up, is coming out of 6fields, left onto a roundabout I pulled out and an AstonMartin that was only approaching the roundabout at the same time fired round like he was at Silverstone; the bloke said that I should have waited to see what the Aston was going to do…
when we got back I just had to drive round the warehouse then turn it round and back into a lane.
just got to wait to hear back now
I done one when i started at TNT the only thing he4 said was i approach roundabouts too fast ans he wanted both hands on the steering wheel when ever possible apart from that i got an A1 recommendation.
Nothing to worry about.