Day 1(Monday) - Met my instructor and introduced to the Truck. Volvo FM 9 - 260 - 4 over 4 gear box. Walk round the truck and then introduced to the ‘cockpit’ Went out for a drive with the instructor behind the wheel. Then I did 3Hrs 45 Mins driving. Understood the gear box …just needed to work on staying away from the Kerb. Home - Exhausted. Neck was Killing.
Day 2 (Tuesday) - Roundabouts Roundabouts Roundabouts and Motorways…and a few more Roundabouts. Few trips past the Reebok Stadium and the shopping centre in that area. Got more confident with the ‘control’ of the truck and with the gear box. Still need to work on staying off the Kerb. End of the day we decided to cancel my test on the Thursday as my license hadn’t returned.
Day 3 (Wednesday) - Real off day. Like awful!! For some reason my confidence had gone. My timing and space awareness was squewiff. So we had back to HQ and do a few reverse. Clocked it. Did a few more. Sorted. Happy.
Day 4 ( Friday) 1 hour drive around a test route. Again do everything right (In a way that beginners are meant to i suppose) Good night sleep and up and ready for the test.
Test day (Saturday) - I hate tests…as a rule any form of test I get really nervous and over think everything.
Mr Sinclair? Yes , please sign here blah blah get through the questions 'Ok, Mr Sinclair…please pull the vehicle forward and we shall do the reverse manoeuvre. Pull up , begin the manoeuvre , get out and check where the B cone is …yeah its where I need it to be…just wasnt coming round as quick due to me moving the truck bit slower.
So I get Left Bay cone in the left mirror and the two cones in my right ( ‘B’ Cone and Bay cone) Start to turn the truck slowly to straighten up…look in left mirror …look in my right mirror BAY CONE HAS GONE…look at test guy ( i don’t know why i did this…i should have braked as soon as it wasn’t there!!) …he pulls a face then…Crunch…Sorry Mr Sinclair but you have hit the cone and that is an instant fail.
Gutted is not the word. I think I was more disappointed and angry at myself. The reverse was on thing I was confident on and a scuff it. Typical.
So yeah, I shall be calling up and sorting a new test asap. Get straight back on the horse and stiff upper lip what what.