Well I got the call from the agency. ‘Our client wants a driver to deliver a truck from Cheshire to Romford in Essex’. So off I went, chuffed with myself that finally I’m going to be tested. Well did I get a surprise, nope its nothing like the Scania box I trained on. This white and black monster with eight legs is waiting for me to get in and be its master. I’d planned in my head the route that I was going to take. Had a satnav and well worn road map. Off I went down the M6 nice and clear no snaking lines of traffic but expecting problems at Birmingham, so pulled into the services just north of the city, call of nature, bought new road map book (just in case old one isn’t upto date). Back on the road and thought mmmmmm this is quite easy but then no need to change gear on the motorway, well unless your in heavy traffic. Concentrated on use of my mirrors for cars swopping lanes around me. Traffic going north looks alot worse than it does on my side. Surprising how many foreign trucks use our roads but I suppose thats a topic to discuss another time!!! M1 then M25 still all okay no hold ups to speak off then suddenly I became aware of an amber light marked T, what does that mean? Penny drops time for a break but just gone passed sign saying services 16 miles. So pull off and head into Pottersbar. MMMmmmmmm this does not look friendly for me and my truck to find a ■■■■■■■■■■■■ but eventually find a little transport cafe to park up and take my rest. Phone the company who are taking delivery of the vehicle just to let them know I’m about half an hour away or so I thought. Satnav has taken me off M25 and wants me to turn left but weight restriction after weight restriction means I keep trundling forward. I start to question the satnav and how reliable is it but it still wants me to turn left. Eventually I do (no weight restriction here). Stop to ask a local guy ’ Do ye know where this is mate?’ reply comes back. ‘You’ll have to turn around and go back up to the dual carriageway and when you get to the traffic lights do a U turn in the road and go back the other way’. Does this guy realise he wants me to do a U turn on a dual carriageway with the truck thats in front of him…‘Thanks mate I’ll have to go down here to see if I can turn around’ (polite, could have said something else but didn’t). Ah another local who might help. ’ Yep turn first left and its about 500 yards on your left’. ‘Cheers’. This guy is right and I make my delivery of the vehicle, intact and no issues.
My little uneventful story but I think I really need to invest in a proper HGV satnav…any suggestions of which one
Well done, sounds like you had a successful and enjoyable day
Was this your first HGV drive ?
I assume the vehicle had a digital tachograph in which case the amber T is a warning to check the tachograph, it could be an over-speed or the 4 hour 15 minute driving warning or any other warning for that matter, in any case when you see it check the tachograph display when safe to do so
hi mate,the wife bought me snooper s7000 as a gift for passing my C, C+E tests and securing a permanant job,not cheap but worth it as it covers weight,bridges etc, also got camera alerts.hasn’t let me down yet.cheers,Carl.
Congratulations on your first run glad everything went smoothly ive just done my first run in central london today and i hope to god its my last hated every minute of it and this is Sat god knows what it would be like during the week will now try and dodge every london job that comes in now
Congratulations on your first run glad everything went smoothly ive just done my first run in central london today and i hope to god its my last hated every minute of it and this is Sat god knows what it would be like during the week will now try and dodge every london job that comes in now
Jx
Its hell isnt it
Well done on your first, get used to the sat nav issue. I would suggest you check sat nav route on a map first unless you have been given info on drop from another driver and check as you can almost bet that any small roads in villages etc off road the sat nav may take you you could of avoided altogether by checking first
Thanks everyone. Another thing I should have done was to ask the agency where exactly I was going so I could have checked the route out on my pc at home. But hey its a learning curve.
got my first job tomorrow, only driving a bin lorry in Okehampton, but experience is what i wanted. Does anyone know if these have tachographs in them.
got my first job tomorrow, only driving a bin lorry in Okehampton, but experience is what i wanted. Does anyone know if these have tachographs in them.
Thanks
Paul
I dont know for sure but I doubt it, never seen a bin lorry stand still as they are or were on job and knock so they tend to fly round and ■■■■ off home early
got my first job tomorrow, only driving a bin lorry in Okehampton, but experience is what i wanted. Does anyone know if these have tachographs in them.
Thanks
Paul
I’ve never driven one but I’ve been told that most bin wagons are fitted with tachographs, you are exempt though as long as you’re on domestic door to door refuse collections.
Left home at 6 this morning to get to Okehampton at 7 to be told that i wasnt needed and that they had informed the agency last night. had a 90 minute drive back(traffic), phone the agency only to be told that the client was aware i was coming and it was their fault.
So, who to bilieve and im still waiting for my first drive…
Now thats a wind up!
I would ask if im getting paid for it
Agencys all seem to be the same!
There is not much choice in Devon but im sure there must be atleast one half decent one,
I know, i was fuming. They are going to pay me for my time and bill the company but i am starting to lose faith. Backline told me they would call me yesterday, but nothing…3663 have misplaced my application form and have said that they will call me this morning.
Even booked my C+E for next week to give myself a bit extra to offer. I think the dole might be more profitable lol
From what I can make out, Thats agencys all over!
Good to hear your doing your c+e, that should give you a bit more oppertunity,
I did my c+e last week but failed test on friday (gutted)! Im now waiting on a re-test
natsdad:
Oh no that is a shame. When’s your retest and where did you do it.
Hopefully ill get a re-test by the end of the week, I done mine through F.D.C, but Brian Alford is my instuctor,
I only failed on one stupid thing on the way back to the test centre so hopefully ill nail it next time
thats good to hear, i was thinking that it was the other way round. I used them for my class c and thought they were spot on.
Hopefully you will be ok this time, fingers crossed.
so hopefully ill nail it next time