Hi,
Just a quick note to introduce myself - Name Terry though most people know me as Steeps, and starting my Class C course next week with SDS at Swinderby. The test drive went well, and passed the Theory & Hazard perception tests yesterday. Looking forward to the driver training next week 
Will update with progress…
I’ve been reading through some of the topics on here for the last couple of weeks, there’s some really useful advice and seems a friendly crowd posting.
Cheers
Steeps
Good luck with your training and test and well done on passing the theories.
Most are full of good advice on here. Don’t worry about the nay sayers. They just need something to moan about
Welcome terry and good luck for next week. You must be excited I was like a pig in ■■■■as soon as I climbed those steps . Best advice for your lessons is have fun, get all worked up and over think it it’ll go ■■■■up just relax and enjoy it. Good luck!
Welcome to the forum , if you do a nice little diary too helps with getting your head round it all and any probs someone on here will be glad to offer any tips but most of all if you do have any problems ask your trainer to explain until you understand thats what your paying him for 
Karl86:
Welcome terry and good luck for next week. You must be excited I was like a pig in [zb] as soon as I climbed those steps
I did drivers mate for my older brother when I left school (in 1986), and loved being out on the road. Back then it was a Leyland Clydesdale artic unit and single axle trailer, hauling potatoes out of Wales up to the market at Manchester. Soon after, he got a Leyland rigid (Freighter?) and from then on it was flour from the mill at Gainsborough (anyone know the name?) subbing via Bradshaws for delivery all over the place. Long days, lots of hand balling the 50kg flour sacks into bakeries… Happy days!
So the cab steps are familiar, but always have been climbed from the nearside before
Hello again,
An update on my experiences from my first day Class C training. Started the day early and drove over to Grimsby from Lincoln, arriving in Grimsby a little before 9am. We did a tour of a typical route that the test will take, and Angie was pointing out all the places where for example there is a 20 mph limit because of the school, but where the 20 mph signs are almost completely obscured by the tree foliage - in fact it seems to be a problem blighting a lot of the speed signs around Grimsby. We stopped by the VOSA test place, and I looked over the official reversing exercise area etc.
A quick break for a â– â– â– & coffee then we did more driving around Grimsby/Cleethorpes until we stopped for lunch, then headed off to the lorry park at Immingham to do the reverse exercise - which to be honest was the bit I was dreading before today. I seem to have got the hang of that though, successfully completing each time, and unguided on my third attempt.
Now my ‘bad’ is roundabouts - ok if I can keep rolling and fit into the flow, but on the really busy ones where I had to stop, I’m struggling a bit. It seems that when I think there may be a gap coming (via a blocker for example), by the time I have done my mirrors & blindspot the opportunity seems to have gone, or the situation has changed. Hopefully it just needs some practice, though would appreciate any helpful words from the wise on that one?
We also covered drivers checks, the show me/tell me stuff & filling in the manual tachograph. It seems to have been a manic day and this evening I feel a tad fried! But I have enjoyed the experience immensely
Cheers all, will try and update tomorrow.
Steeps
Hi. Glad you’re enjoying the experience.
Now my ‘bad’ is roundabouts - ok if I can keep rolling and fit into the flow, but on the really busy ones where I had to stop, I’m struggling a bit. It seems that when I think there may be a gap coming (via a blocker for example), by the time I have done my mirrors & blindspot the opportunity seems to have gone, or the situation has changed. Hopefully it just needs some practice, though would appreciate any helpful words from the wise on that one?
You need to think in front of the situation and speed the whole process up of checking and moving. So when you see a possible space, start your checks (but don’t take forever over them) and get moving into the space as it gets to you. So many new drivers wait till the space is about in front of them then start a series of very labourious, over the top, checks and then wonder why the space has gone by the time the truck is ready to move. Put simply, cut the crap and get on with it - just as you would in the real world.
Please dont misunderstand what I’ve said about the checks. Clearly they’ve got to be done. It’s a matter of speed and timing.
Good luck with the rest of your training.
Pete 
Thanks, Pete - great advice! It went a lot better today, still finding some of the roundabouts a challenge, but it seemed much better today. I guess it’s just a matter of practice makes perfect, and still got one and a half days training to go before the test on Friday…
Not going to post a long update about todays training, as it was similar to yesterdays really, except we didn’t do the reversing exercise today. Lots of practise on the ‘routes’, with emphasis on my weaker areas.
Cheers
Steeps
Glad the advice worked for you.
All the best for the rest of the training/test.
Pete
Woohoo!
Passed today, class C with 4 minors Must say I’m well chuffed! Was a bit nervous at the beginning and indicated too soon off a roundabout (1 minor collected there), stalled it soon after and got the range wrong on the gearbox once when trying to move off (I guess I probably collected on each for those, perhaps) - all stuff because I was a bit on edge, but soon settled down to a nice ride. Reverse went well, spot on.
Strange, before I started trainging, I thought reversing would be the hard bit for me!
Cheers
Steeps
Congrats on a good result