Failed my tesco driver assessment!

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

So I had my tesco driver assessment today (artic) , and really messed up the reversing into bays! TBO I didn’t have a clue what and how to do it as there wasn’t enough room to swing the unit round and line up straight with the bay. I was trying to reverse from a right angle but they don’t teach you that in your test do they, just go around some poxy cones!

My assessor was tidy though and my general driving, coupling etc was good he said. I definately need more practise though, trying to reverse in a busy rdc around shunters and trailers is a completely different ball game and you just are’nt prepared for it as a new driver.

I’m not sure what to do now, whether to get on some class C work and go back to tesco after a month (said the guy) or what!! It’s a real eye opener let me tell you (newbies).

2

If you’re really lucky you’ll find a company willing to take you on and give you a helping hand with the reversing, and time to practice.

If not, consider spending some money on a few hours with one of the good training outfits to concentrate on your reversing skills. A bit of teaching and some practice might be all it needs for the manoeuvring to click.

You are facing a very common problem - reversing is not easy! Don’t be put off, and persevere with it. One day it will click and you’ll begin to find it easier.

3

This has to be one of the most common situations with new artic drivers. The “poxy cones” are part of the test and, when someone goes for training, they obviously have the test pass in mind.

To do any more reversing would mean one of two things: reduce onroad driving time or increase the training time which would clearly cost more. I doubt if most folks would be keen on either of these solutions. So the problem persists.

Having said that, we’re more than happy to do some “real” reversing with any class/configuration of vehicle - but we do have to make a charge for it. Everyone has control over this and can arrange the extra training so that they are competent when it comes to assessments. And this, IMO, would frequently pay for itself straight away.

Until “real world” reversing is included in the test (don’t hold your breath) I don’t think this will ever change. Not changed in the last 40 years - cant see it happening now TBH.

Pete :laughing: :laughing:

4

If I were you I’d try to find somewhere that doesn’t give you an assessment and learn as you go, there’s plenty of them, I go to different firms every day and have never had an assessment, they just throw you the keys and off you pop.
No matter how much advice on how to reverse you will get on here the only way to get it right is to practice in the real world.
Don’t waste your money on extra lessons when you can drive someone else’s truck for free

5

Unless you are lucky enough (lucky being a subjective view) to get a start on a small company, you will invariably have to pass some sort of assessment at the types of customers which are bread and butter agency customers, so you have little choice but to improve your reversing.

I firmly agree with Peter Smythe, buy yourself a full days training manoeuvering and close work, and include in that an hour dropping and picking up trailers so it’s second nature.
Get lots of blind side practice in, much easier to learn and perfect this when there’s no danger of hitting anything.

You haven’t yet found out your ideal method for reversing, we all do it differently, i lean out the drivers door with the window shut for own side reversing, not suggesting you do this but it works for me and always has.

Peter is quite right about time and cost constraints, when i took my class 1 course 38 years ago it was a 10 day course as was industry standard, so hours were spent practicing reversing, my instructor wasn’t happy till you could thread forwards through a line of cones in a zig zag pattern, then you had to reverse it, sounds crazy maybe so, but it gave you confidence when you needed it.

6

Had my assessment at Stobbies at Sherburn yesterday, passed assessment but made myself look silly with the reverse, I think he was understanding with him knowing I was new pass, but yeah keep plugging away fella, you’ll get there, keep trying!

7

I passed wagon and drag and then went for additional training. I found it a waste of time. The person telling you what to do will not be there when you are under pressure in a real world situation. You have to learn how to work it out for your self.

Forget the big companies with shiny trucks, for a couple of months put the pay rate out of your mind and focus on getting practice. There are plenty of poor payers about who are desperate for drivers. Just be a bit selective over the type of work you need big open yards not retail work building sites etc. Stick to days it is quieter at night but poor lighting in most places makes it harder.

You will make yourself look a fool, I did with 15 shunts at my first bay. When you tell people you are new most will be patient. 90% of experienced drivers will help.

Best advice i got was take a deep breath and don’t start to move til you have a plan. Little and often is the best way most newbies over do it.

Best thing i did was use my waiting time in yards to watch what the experienced drivers do, positioning is the key doing as much as you can going forwards. I still find it amusing that some old hands will screw round in a yard and take a big near side reverse to avoid a slight blind side…

It’s a stressful route, but one that cant be avoided. There is no training magic bullet to solve your problems, it’s not real world enough. You just have to find a way to get the experience you need.

8

Caldad has some good points there, especially the watching of others.

What catches many drivers out is by not taking note of what they are driving, and how close the ‘pivot point’ is to the back of the vehicle before they start.

Generally there are 3 standard trailers, we’ll ignore tanks tippers and extra length stuff, and those with steering axles for this.
Beware the empty tri axle with automatic front axle lifting, very often you can pick one up and be backing in fine, then half way through the manoeuver the blasted front axle will lift, that changes everything, its suddenly become a very long wheelbase tandem.

A single axle trailer will usually be short (wasn’t always the case, awkward buggers long singles), if you get one you’re usually going somewhere tight, it will obviously pivot on its one axle at all times.
A tandem (any length) if both are fixed axles will pivot at a mid way point between the two axles.
A three axle trailer, usually full length, should pivot at the middle axle point.

Tandem and three axled can and will change their pivot point mid turn if you reverse over uneven or slippery ground as one axle grips more than another, so keep an eye on terrain and surface.

The point i’m making is this, look see where the pivot point is in relation to the back of the trailer before you start your manoeuver, if you’ve driven the vehicle to the destination, or on the assessment you will already have an idea how much you need to allow for the trailer to follow you.

If you need to exaggerate your line to stop the trailer going up the kerb, than its sure as eggs is eggs that you’re going to have to do the same when reversing.
If it follows your line easily, then chances are its a 3 axle or and is pivoting about 2/3rds down the length of the trailer so whilst it turns easily you have the added problem of rear end swing.
A short two axle is the ideal, they’ll go anyhwhere.

On a tandem or three axled trailer the rear overhang might not look much when measured from the rear mudflaps, but when you look at the real rear overhang, as measured from the pivot point, its an awful lot more, and this must be taken account of.

9

Great advice there guys much appreciated. I’m glad I did the assessment though as it all adds to the experience, he did say I could come back in a month and try again.
And I got to drive a new merc unit which was rather nice!

10

Well I went to see a local private haulage company today, whom I’d seen before and does flatbed general haulage work, and tm said I could come in Monday and he will show me the ropes and giving me a trial up to Xmas!
I’m off with one of the drivers on Tuesday, they seemed played back enough will let me get on with it he said, as long as you do the job and don’t ■■■■ about.

So it’s true what they say, you have to get out there and put yourself in front of these people and knock doors. I think a lot of the smaller hauliers especially rural don’t advertise jobs that much?!

Just got to see how it pans out and if I like the job.

11

Stuff the agencies!

12

Welshlad32:
Well I went to see a local private haulage company today, whom I’d seen before and does flatbed general haulage work, and tm said I could come in Monday and he will show me the ropes and giving me a trial up to Xmas!
I’m off with one of the drivers on Tuesday, they seemed played back enough will let me get on with it he said, as long as you do the job and don’t ■■■■ about.

So it’s true what they say, you have to get out there and put yourself in front of these people and knock doors. I think a lot of the smaller hauliers especially rural don’t advertise jobs that much?!

Just got to see how it pans out and if I like the job.

Excellent, well done!

13

Well done Welshlad, can’t beat sticking your head through the door.

14

Thanks very much!

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That’s brill - all the best with it. Pete :laughing: :laughing:

16

glad its worked out for you.

17

Well I had a few days this week driving class 1 . the first day I was out on my own! Stated at 6am, daf cf 480 with 4 over 4 splitter box, which I had never used before, analogue tacho, took a load down to building site in Exeter.

I really was bricking it, I did go up with another driver, but had to go through a small village which was very tight in places. So much to take in on the first day, though driving down the m5 was a piece of cake!

18

Good advice there, can’t beat real world experience. I always tell my customers to do exactly what you did to find a job, get yourself out to some local hauliers and see what they have to offer, thats how i ended up working for Keedwell.

We do offer some real world experience at our place, we can use loading bays at Millfield Haulage to practice reversing at 90 degrees onto a bay with our artics. I think Paul has said on here before about updating the reversing exercise done on test, but its unlikely to become more ‘real world’. Shame really because this thread shows people need it.

19

Nothing in the test will prepare you for real world driving. And the reversing doesnt prepare you for anything. I remeber my 1st attempt at a blindside reverse around a 90 degree junction and into a factory. What a bloody mess and it really knocked my confidence. Even now 7 months in i still struggle with the blindside and now reversing in the dark!

The key is finding a smaller firm who will give you the time and confidence to mature as a driver. Where i am i have been lucky and was started off easy and now after 7 months i am starting to be tested with everything from tight deliveries to places that are a nightmare to find and i feel i am now becoming a better driver with confidence i didnt have before. Experiance at this point also means a hell of alot more than pay. The more money offered usually means alot less time and patience from the employer!

20

Don’t give up or get downhearted , keep trying you`ll get there in the end .