what is my situation when i am sent out with a 40 footer and i dont feel that i should be at this stage? i am getting the hang of backing in to a bay etc straightish but if its tight, i have no chance. i have brought it up and i am still being sent out alone tomorrow. where do i stand on this one?
I know what you mean about needing more time but I suppose they will argue that as you’ve got a full C+E licence they don’t need to do anything, which is unfortunate. Just my opinion 
I know i havent even passed C yet, but i guess if you manage to ■■■■ something with the rear overhang you can just say “you told them so”
Make sure everyone is out of the way and give it a go i guess!
Hate to say it, but the only way you’re really going to learn is to get out there and get on with it… 
…You passed the test, they are obviously happy with you (they wouldn’t risk their motor otherwise), have a bit of faith in yourself! 
i only passed class 1 a month ago and i dont feel anywhere near that i have mastered this bendy thing yet but as lucy says the only way u will learn is to go out and do it , there are days when i feel im not cofident in some situations but have done london drops and some very tight places when i have been given tight jobs i look it as if i can do this then it helps my cofidence in other situations, just take your time and enjoy you will slowly pick it up. 
I felt like this myself for a start, so much so that I went back onto rigids. My boss at the time then kicked me up the arse once I’d got my confidence back and started giving me a few easy trunks with little or no weight, easy reverses and built it up from their.
Admittadley I’ve hit a few things along the way, but learnt a great deal from it. Just go gently, GOAL (get out and look) and back in slowley. The only way to learn is to get out their and do it . It’s a crisise of confidence that everyone has for a start, then you develop a certain sort of arrogance about, yeah I can do this. After you’ve got the experience, you wonder what you were worrying about and were glad you continued.
Cheers
Ian.
dennisw1:
I know i havent even passed C yet, but i guess if you manage to [zb] something with the rear overhang you can just say “you told them so”
Make sure everyone is out of the way and give it a go i guess!
Like to see you say that to your boss. 
Lucy:
Hate to say it, but the only way you’re really going to learn is to get out there and get on with it……You passed the test, they are obviously happy with you (they wouldn’t risk their motor otherwise), have a bit of faith in yourself!
I’ll 2nd that lucy.scanny77,sorry m8 but get to grip’s with yourself man.You are good enough to pass your test,so your good enough to get out on the road and do the job.It’s the only way you’ll learn,there’s no use in telling them that your not up to the job as they will end up getting rid off you.Ask yourself do you really want to be a class1 driver 
If so get on with it and just do it.Good luck
kitkat:
Lucy:
Hate to say it, but the only way you’re really going to learn is to get out there and get on with it……You passed the test, they are obviously happy with you (they wouldn’t risk their motor otherwise), have a bit of faith in yourself!
I’ll 2nd that lucy.scanny77,sorry m8 but get to grip’s with yourself man.You are good enough to pass your test,so your good enough to get out on the road and do the job.It’s the only way you’ll learn,there’s no use in telling them that your not up to the job as they will end up getting rid off you.Ask yourself do you really want to be a class1 driver
Well said KK and lucy, come on scanny get a grip lad you passed the test now learn to drive 
SCANNY 77 ;Hi mate, yes it is hard when you first start again to drive the big ones after a long pause, what sort of advice can i give just this,
Relax, take your time,no rushing about until YOU feel that your competent
enough to do the job at a much faster pace, take your time with situations like first time delivery at a point .stop check the area out to ensure that you can get in and out no problem, reverse back onthe ramps slowly, and most of all do not worry you aregood at your job as your employer
has checked you out and feels that YOU ARE OKAY AND THAT YOU CAN DRIVE;so just take it easy until you will just automaticly be at ease when drivering,have fun mate and remember, YOU ARE A GOOD DRIVER
i would just like to point out that i was good enough to pass my test in 1997 in a wagon and drag. i did a little bit of artic work 2 years later after i went to a training school for a day on artics. this is the first time in almost 6 years that i have driven one.
you are all right about confidence though. it is tripping me up but it is building as i get some manouvreing correct like today. i went down a dead end and managed to back down a side road which was all of around 60 metres before it was cut across by a fence. the other one i was pleased with was parking up at telford services. i have avoided parking next to vehicles but had no choice so i went for it and got it in. both of these were without a shunt. i know most of you will think YEAH, SO? but i was chuffed to say the least. then i stopped at cherwell and needed a shunt when i parked away from everything and with twice as much room
i am getting it though but i still want to be shown how the real drivers make their judgements with regards to following the trailer in etc. especially blind side reversing. i seem to be getting the hang of normal reversing but i still need more practice.
i guess the main thing i am worried about is finding a drop that is tight or where i have to back in between vehicles. it really unnerves me when i lose sight of the truck next to me behind the corner of the trailer 
I know what you’re saying scanny, I passed my test in a wagon and drag 3 years ago and have only driven an artic on a few brief occasions. It is of course true that the only way to improve is by practice and that can only be obtained by actually driven the things! but on the other hand I don’t feel that 4/5 days tuition and passing the test comes anywhere close to some of the situations and delivery places that occur in reality. If I return to driving artics I would, ideally, hope to be given progressively more difficult drops as opposed to going straight in at the deep end, however I accept that in the real world this doesn’t happen.
totally different ball game mate. i passed my test almost 8 years ago in a flatbed wagon and drag. now im sent out in an artic with a 40 foot trailer. luckily the drops have been easy. today i was in birmingham at british bakeries and then telford to giles foods in ketley. both had loads of room. monday was somewhere in wigston something like that) in leicester and i had one in walsall. again, both easy drops. yesterday was in a rigid and so is tomorrow. it is getting a little confusing now. when im driving a rigid, i sometimes pull forward then round and look for my trailer 
at the same time, reversing and artic can take a second or 2 before i move so i can readjust back to artics again
there is another bloke in a similiar situation as me but he was put out with a trainer for 4 weeks solid to learn. i have had a couple of odd days with drivers and then sent out alone. i am loving every second of it but i am still getting nervous at times. on the other hand, some manouvres are becoming second nature already
Stick with it Richie, its a skill to be learned and practice is the only effective method. Tell yourself you can do it and you will!
CM:
Stick with it Richie, its a skill to be learned and practice is the only effective method. Tell yourself you can do it and you will!
that is along the lines of what i have been thinking mate. more specifically, other people can do it so there is no reason why i cant. plus, i managed it when i was 21 so surely i can do it now
i am getting it and enjoying every minute. my problem is basically lack of confidence but it is building. it doesnt help that they put me on rigids on tues and thurs. i keep driving one like the other
tomorrow is another day out in the artic though
Keep up the good work scanny77 .
CM:
Tell yourself you can do it and you will!
I think I’ll bear this in mind myself 
mrpj:
CM:
Tell yourself you can do it and you will!I think I’ll bear this in mind myself
Its right, between you and yourself, if you start to doubt yourself for one moment that’s when the confidence starts to slide. Its not about being ‘cocky’ or big headed but about being positive in your attitude.
“It will go in there, and I can put it in there”, if it means get out and look or take a shunt or two, so what?
I must admit I’ve never been embarrased to take a few (or more!) shunts or ask for help, after all I’m a new and realise it takes much practice
another day in the ERF and more confidence under my belt
i even managed a rather tight blind side reverse today. it wasnt a massive angle but it was tight on both sides between a trailer and barrier. got it first time and got a bulk driver interested in the websites so i popped a card in his hand to get him on here
thanks for the support guys. i have to admit that i was very nervous and i have asked for training but i have pretty much been thrown in at the deep end and its paying off. i dont feel nervous about going out and i dont feel that i need a babysitter now. i am pulling it together and the feedback from the forums is definately helping. it is nice to know that there are other drivers learning to drive artics and its not only me trying to do it.