Well! Lol. First day on class 1 today. Had to pick trailer up from yard. Coupling and I’m looking at the trailer thinking WhreTF is the kingpin! Lol then I realise it’s on the tractor unit lol. Back up and hit a stop so nudge forward to make sure trailer coupled but turns out I haven’t let the suspension down enough.
Out on the road absolutely loving it. Wind in my bald head. Get to first drop all good until asked to open curtains. I’ve never seen curtains before lol. second drop at sainsbury. Accidentally pull into dead end at BMW garage. Takes me 50 mins and 10-l5 ppl crowd to get out. Get into sainsbury and can’t get it in straight into bay. Help from frustrated driver.
Got everything delivered. Didn’t hit anything or anyone.
Tust me it’s not easy. Takes a lot of guts to go solo from day one. Good luck to all the new boyz n gals.
What a day. Learnt so much! Oh and messed up tacho cuss when i switched engine on it turned my break into other work. ■■■■ thing.
Interesting read. But don’t understand how the kingpin could be on the tractor unit■■?
Pete 
truck-n-me:
Oh and messed up tacho cuss when i switched engine on it turned my break into other work. ■■■■ thing.
I did this as well on my first day using a digi tacho.
Ever since, every time I turn the ignition on I always check to make sure it is still on break.
Haha. Pete I’m not sure what it’s called. The bar you pull when uncoupling trailer. Where dog clip is attached lol. Was scratching my head thinking what’s going on. kept me entertained through the day though.
truck-n-me:
Haha. Pete I’m not sure what it’s called. The bar you pull when uncoupling trailer. Where dog clip is attached lol. Was scratching my head thinking what’s going on. kept me entertained through the day though.
I think it’s called the fifth wheel handle.
Kingpin release handle.
im a class 2 noob and my 1st day involved an 18 tonner and alot of icy sideroads
ps i really cant fathom why training courses DONT include practical lessons on curtains or tachos, when you will deffinately use tachos every day and often curtains too.
my 1st day i had to ask somebody to give me a run through with how to actually use the bloody tacho 
ps i really cant fathom why training courses DONT include practical lessons on curtains or tachos, when you will deffinately use tachos every day and often curtains too.
The training can include these with, in our case, no problem at all. BUT this would either take time out of the driving course or would increase the cost. We offer this training as an option at extra cost as not all candidates will need to use a tacho or touch curtains.
Pete
I agree. At least the cpc should include more comprehensive course/test on Tacho usage. If vosa gonna give out penalties they should have a system in place. Maybe a compulsory reading of Trucknet for all wannabe drivers.
The BMW dead end was that @ Stoke by any chance■■?
If so your not the first
ckm1981:
The BMW dead end was that @ Stoke by any chance■■?
If so your not the first
It was indeed. I panicked big time. Don’t know how i got out lol.
How the heck did you end up down a dead end… Sat Nav by nay chance 
Yeah, any advice. I followed postcode on sat nav. It sent me opposite side of motorway to MS depot instead. Found myself heading into stoke city centre after ditching sat nav. Tried googling sainsbury depot but nothing came up. Ended up asking few guys. When i saw depot I turned right thinking entrance will be there but no. Apparently like someone just said it’s happens a lot.
Don’t worry pal my first day out today I’m sat in tkmax Castleford had to blindside it into bay lol few shunts later done. I also got given a 58 plate daf which is manual 
few crunching of the gears and one stall in the yard but started to get used to the box. So glad I learnt in a manual 4 over 4 as I’m driving a 4 over 4 with a range switch to make it 16 speed
Swampey2418:
How the heck did you end up down a dead end… Sat Nav by nay chance
It’s a bit of a funny place tbh,I worked there when it first opened up 10 years ago and we used to get a lot of drivers heading towards the staff car park which is a dead end but you can’t really see that from the roundabout,they put a sign up telling you which way for deliveries (goods in) but to be fair if the driver was in a bit of a fluster anyway he could of easily missed it,which he appears to have done but it gave him a bit of practice in getting out of a tight stop which will serve him well so it’s all good 
Sounds like you did ok and dead ends are all part of the fun
Had a drop in Peterborough today found the retail park followed goods delivery sign which led to morrisons only bugger thought me had to back it out round a corner and blind it into the petrol station to spin round,a morrisons bod at the petrol station came over said go back out turn right then right and round the back,one of your drivers did the same last week.
Dazza1980:
Don’t worry pal my first day out today I’m sat in tkmax Castleford had to blindside it into bay lol few shunts later done. I also got given a 58 plate daf which is manual
Unless you’re running quite heavy you won’t hardly need the splitter there bud. I only split the gears on my unit if I’m pulling a full tanker/bulk tipper or for a bit of extra ooomph up hill with everything else.
Was running nearly full so used the splitter quite a bit on the long hills on m1 while everyone passed me lol