Am 57 after a working life behind a computer screen I decided to get my Class1 this year. Got offered a job the day I passed the test. Reversing was a nightmare but you just have to get on and do it. After 6 months it’s slowly coming together. Everyone has been helpful, if you ask nicely without fault. Some days will go well others you’ll feel a right plonker. But I love the job, wish I’d done it my youth. But there you go old dogs can indeed learn new tricks. Stay humble, ask and learn from the pros.
rik007:
Am 57 after a working life behind a computer screen I decided to get my Class1 this year. Got offered a job the day I passed the test. Reversing was a nightmare but you just have to get on and do it. After 6 months it’s slowly coming together. Everyone has been helpful, if you ask nicely without fault. Some days will go well others you’ll feel a right plonker. But I love the job, wish I’d done it my youth. But there you go old dogs can indeed learn new tricks. Stay humble, ask and learn from the pros.
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It is definitely easier getting help when you are young (& look it) as drivers are keen to help.
Once you are older the expectation is that you are experienced, therefore you will have to actively seek assistance.
You seem to have the right attitude for the job, hence your success so far.
I still reverse at the same slow speed I did when I started, except now it results in hitting the target first time (mostly).
I cringe at those who reverse fast, whilst requiring a shunt or two, & speed up after each failed attempt.
Even once you have mastered the skill you will still have the odd bad day where every reverse takes multiple attempts. It’s like pro footballers who can’t hit a barn door from 12 yards on the odd match day - everyone knows what they are capable of, but off days come to all occasionally.
I am pleased you are enjoying your new career Mr Craig after leaving the 007 franchise.
Very good, like it … I’d send a selfie but folks say I’ve let myself go a tad
To be honest I passed on a Wagon and Drag, in no way did it prepare me for an Artic. Neither did the test really. Quite how the new folks will get on with the revised streamlined test I really don’t know, (may be youth conquers all). I did six months on a Class 2 and that was very sound advice, and it got me ‘match fit’ for the big gents world.
My current nemesis is the first winter with an artic. The Class 2 wasn’t too bad, but fully loaded with plaster board, tightens my grip a little heading up the M6 to Glasgow.
I now realise it’s a industry taken for granted, much of the time. If I had the money of Richard Branson I’d buy some land and open decent quality and price Virgin Truck stops. Am sure the band name would go down well, but perhaps in this day and age it would be frowned upon.
Had my first day out yesterday. Passed on Thursday morning so I was a bit apprehensive about driving 40t for my first load. 5-10 minutes into the drive I realised that I could do it and settled down for the day. I have asked the office to send me to some easier jobs to ease me into it and they are happy to oblige. My first reverse was inside the customer yard around a building with stock either side narrowing the available space to swing back out and that was the hardest part all day. I asked the forklift driver what other drivers did before i entered and he told me the routine. Slow and steady sorted me out. I am 52, been driving class 2 since 2005 and wish I had done class 1 years ago. I tend to have a look on Google maps at a new delivery site so I have an idea what to expect when I arrive. Helped me out so I can get there facing the right way for an easy life. Go for it and do things in your way. Ask for info or assistance from the fork lift drivers, they tend to have seen everything and are happy to part with advice.
Had my first day out yesterday. Passed on Thursday morning so I was a bit apprehensive about driving 40t for my first load.
5-10 minutes into the drive I realised that I could do it and settled down for the day.
I have asked the office to send me to some easier jobs to ease me into it and they are happy to oblige.
My first reverse was inside the customer yard around a building with stock either side narrowing the available space to swing back out and that was the hardest part all day.
I asked the forklift driver what other drivers did before i entered and he told me the routine. Slow and steady sorted me out.
I am 52, been driving class 2 since 2005 and wish I had done class 1 years ago. I tend to have a look on Google maps at a new delivery site so I have an idea what to expect when I arrive. Helped me out so I can get there facing the right way for an easy life.
Go for it and do things in your way. Ask for info or assistance from the fork lift drivers, they tend to have seen everything and are happy to part with advice.
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Our of interest I bought a cheap £70 truck sat nav. It was excellent but after a while bought a TomTom6250 but I have to say the cheaper one I thought had a better display layout. The 6250 is good and a bit more refined but not massively better. However… it is worth noting that the TT6250 has a sim in it, so does not need to be tethered by Bluetooth to a phone. I think the very latest TT Pro ones don’t have a sim and need a phone for traffic and updates. Hence my thinking was my money was better spent on a second hand TT6250, I’ll wait for the current 7" ones to become a bit cheaper if ever I needed a change. The TT6250 has lifetime updates and can be used for Truck as well as other vehicles.
My other bit of advice was to get a dashcam, another experinced driver said it made all the difference recently in a case against him. Its a faff setting up all the kit of a morning but the cam does oddly make me feel calmer knowing that when some silly wally does a ‘moment’ on you (each day) at least its on camera. PS I turned off the audio as I spent most of the day talking to my self and its not always wholesome when I make a cack-up reversing or trying to find a location.
Welwyn:
Had my first day out yesterday. Passed on Thursday morning so I was a bit apprehensive about driving 40t for my first load.
5-10 minutes into the drive I realised that I could do it and settled down for the day.
I have asked the office to send me to some easier jobs to ease me into it and they are happy to oblige.
My first reverse was inside the customer yard around a building with stock either side narrowing the available space to swing back out and that was the hardest part all day.
I asked the forklift driver what other drivers did before i entered and he told me the routine. Slow and steady sorted me out.
I am 52, been driving class 2 since 2005 and wish I had done class 1 years ago. I tend to have a look on Google maps at a new delivery site so I have an idea what to expect when I arrive. Helped me out so I can get there facing the right way for an easy life.
Go for it and do things in your way. Ask for info or assistance from the fork lift drivers, they tend to have seen everything and are happy to part with advice.
3210
Think I fixed it .
I was confused at first thought wtf ROG never took his class 1?
Well it wasn’t that bad to be fair. My first trip was to Iceland in Enfield. All good until I got in the yard and started reversing on a bay [emoji15] bear in mind I was already sweating as soon as I passed the gate. I could put it on the ramp but the tractor unit wasn’t straight so I asked for help. That’s the only time I needed it to be fair [emoji16]. Obviously when you do it every day it becomes very easy, only the first few months are tricky
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