From talking about it with others who will admit to being less than perfect, the one thing that comes up is that we all have good days and bad days and the occasional day when we wish we had stayed at home. I always find trying to shuffle the back-end over about six inches with very limited space ahead the most difficult thing to do.
Those who have delivered to Waitrose shops will appreciate just how awkward some deliveries can be and why day cabs with windows in the rear wall are so popular with some of the supermarkets. Blindside reverse is extremely common on supermarket work.
Five things spring to mind: 1) don’t be afraid to ask “how do they normally do it?” if it looks really awkward. 2) look carefully at the ground to see if the slope changes because the trailer will hop from one axle to another as it goes over a hump or dip - and be prepared for it. 3) have a good look in the next occupied bay at any yellow lines on the ground and at the wheel guides in relation to the trailer wheels, this will give you an aiming point. 4)remember that the unit rear wheels have become the steering wheels of the trailer so a look at their angle tells you how sharply you are turning the trailer. 5) finally, the object is to do it safely; not to do it always in one go.
well I feel like I have made some progress after the last few days
its not great but I have managed to put the trailer onto bays and turn it into a tight angle but after many many shunts
I now feel I could finish a shift and not be bared off site for being useless just only frowned at, at the most
I have picked up a few tips from this thread like watch the trailer wheels and when the trailer is in the correct posision then line the unit up with the trailer otherwise it will jack knife
so all in all this has been a help full thread
Juddian:
What exactly are new drivers being taught these days, no slowing by downchanging and engine brake braking, no controlled emergency stop, no manoeuvering especially reversing competence?
Do you have a towbar on your car or can you borrow one?, if so beg steal or borrow a caravan and or anything else you can get your mitts and go and practice every reverse you can think of till you can do it in your sleep, the rudiments are the same only the angles and turn ins will be different.
Get yourself fully experienced in this before buying a couple for hours from a good trainer, save some dosh.
I and probably many others learned such things long before we went for our HGV’s.
The above is really good advice. I learned to reverse a trailer many years ago when I was a farmers boy. A trailer is just a trailer4 foot or 40, the 4 foot one will be most difficult as the wheels are in the middle and therefore mega twitchy…
Positioning is everything, get that right and the reversing manoeuvre will be easier i.e create as much room for your self as you can and come in as steep as possible - given the room that’s available to you.
That said, you’ll get the hang of it eventually through practice and experience so I wouldn’t stress about it too much. It’s a bit like learning to ride a bike or ski ; in the sense that there comes a point when you just get it and do it without consciously thinking about it.
When I first started, one tip that helped me was the thumbs on the steering wheel aid. Hands on the steering wheel with your thumbs pointing up the wheel, pull down on the steering wheel to the right and the trailer will go in the direction of you right thumb i.e to the left. Pull down on the steering wheel to the left and the trailer will go in the direction of you left thumb i.e to the right.
Went for induction at ASDA
The agency said they would pay us for the induction
At the induction the trainer said they where not paying the agency a penny for the inductions and that was between us and the agency
On the induction I have never been so bull ■■■■■■ in my life!
I hate supermarkets; they treat the very same people that keep them afloat like ■■■■!
But they treat there staff even worse like they where just a robot and where just complete scum and treat like a 4 year old kid
The trainer said to us through the induction ‘this job is to die for you dont have to think let them do it all’ well if thats his attitude to work all the best to him
He went through the sit down induction where we all had stupid little name placks for our selfs like you see at a board of directors
He took our licences from us and I just cant understand if he was being difficault with me or it was ASDA pathetic company policy to do so, but he said ow your licence is illegal the counter part is in to bad of a state dont think I should induct you rely
Then he asked us all to confirm our address when he went through the licences like it was some kind of interigation
when he got to me he saw a Telford address on it and said ‘Im going to have to stop I cant induct you with the wrong address’
I said that is a permenent address and where I stay now is temporary
He then said ow that OK then
Then he wanted to see who had a CPC card and one lad had his and it was good boy goody goody gun drops pat on the back for doing it
Then I told him what I rely thought of the CPC
He took everything on board what I said and accepted my opinion but did not seam to understand it
He tried to do the old dirty worst case senario what happens if it was your most closed love one who had died at the road side coz of a lorry driver that had not been trained propoly thing
I then mentioned the jobs for the boys bit and how it has bankrupted the country and slowed the economy down by higher taxes needed to fund there little money making scam
Then he when stum and are well er yer hum are um scratched his head for 2 seconds then lets move on
How can you defend the defendless when he is one of those boys making a living from bureaucratic training paid by everyone that has to buy food off such a mafia of ‘goverment fill your boots’ supermarkets
I told him I most proboly wont do my CPC training then he said well you wont work as a HGV driver them
I told him that the way the economy is going that I most proboly wont be working then any way
one of the lad said ‘there plenty of work round her going’ I said I dont want to ■■■■ on your chips but come christmas eve you will all be down the dole office
The trainer its a lot of money to spend on a HGV licnece for nothing then I said they never told me about the CPC when I passed my class 2
Infact I had a bad dream the other night
All major goverments became insolvent and the country went into deep depression and the only industry left was food!
The supermarkets had won and they bought all the farms out having complete control over the food market and thus the economy and the world
Any way once I told him how long I had had my class one for and I was not good on reversing he was not impressed and said he would be having words with my agency later
I said is this a problem should I finish the induction now he said NO! its fine I need to see you drive but he would need to have a norty word with me in quiet after
We all went out side to do our reversing test
It was my turn!
It has just been over a week now since I did my induction with NFT
And I have done 4 shifts on artics with agency since
I felt I was doing the reversing much better this time then last time
Last time at NFT I had 2 shunts and with out even getting it onto the bay he told me to quit
This time at ASDA he let me do the whole 2 reversing onto the bays test
It took me several shunts to get it onto the bays and the other lads who where there for there induction from the same agency where all stood there sniggering
After I had finished the reversing he said its no good and you have failed the induction
I said I would like to collect my licneces and vacate the premises; he said Im going to do that any way
As we walked off I told him what I though of the company and we got back to the training room said our fair wells shock hand but he was insistent that I come back for another induction when I had had some more experance say in 6 months time
sorry I said this job just ant for me
I phoned the agency and told them the out come
I asked about payment and she said she would have to check
I mentioned about the other drivers sniggering and she said they should not of done that rely
Keep shtum about your views on DCPC when on an assessment with a trainer.
and
Get this reversing problem nailed by getting some extra practice in asap. I reckon your best bet is to find a training co that keeps their lorries the same place they use for reversing practice then offer them cash-in-hand to pop down and get an hour of practice in - make sure you make it clear it’s reversing on to bays for assessments you’re struggling with. This might keep your costs down over booking a half-day session with someone that uses an airfield ten miles from where they keep the lorry to practice.
So you passed your test not long ago payed out all that money for it to give it up soon as the dcpc is enforced ? are you abit soft in the head ? Or was it just because someone disagreed with your way of thinking that you just told him you wouldn’t be driving when the dcpc is enforced ? Sounds to me like all you did was go to the interview sit there arguing the toss and moaning about the job and the bloke still offered you to go back when you had more experience. I agree with you the bloke does sound abit of a ■■■■■■ but then again from what you have said so do you
when we where walking back to office he said we cant take you on because we have had all these accidents with agency drivers
I said the company should stop taking on muppits and foreigners who dont give a ■■■■ and hire responsable people coz all this training you do seams to account to nothing
He said wee dont tolerate racism hear
I said its not racism its a know fact that 30% of accidents involving HGV is caused by foreign driver
In office he said I should get some practice reversing even if its just 4 wheal ers
I felt insalted
I said Mr. I could reverse a 4 whealer onto a bay with out wing mirrows in one shot
Many big concerns like ASDA have their own in-house training Dept and tailor courses for the job they do - those courses are usually accepted as approved dcpc ones so having a go at the dcpc in such a senario could therefore be deemed as having a go at their in-house courses
To be honest the assessor sounds like a fair and decent bloke, it sounds like you failed the attitude assessment long before you failed the driving assessment and yet he still gave you a chance to prove yourself on the driving side
I can understand your frustration but you should realise that the assessor has a job to do and those “muppits and foreigners” you referred to were presumably people who all passed the driving assessment.
Look you’ve said yourself that your reversing isn’t up-to scratch so don’t you think it would be a good idea to try to get the assessor on your side by showing a decent attitude before getting to the driving part.
From your post it sounds as if you went to the assessment with a bad attitude towards supermarkets and it probably showed before you opened your mouth, the assessor was right to query the state of your license if it was badly kept and he had every right to query the address issue.
Change your attitude and you may find people more willing to be lenient, when I say change your attitude I’m not saying you should ■■■■ up to anyone but just be polite and display the kind of attitude that doesn’t alienate people.
Boss & Driver:
when we where walking back to office he said we cant take you on because we have had all these accidents with agency drivers I said the company should stop taking on muppits and foreigners who dont give a [zb] and hire responsable people coz all this training you do seams to account to nothing
He said wee dont tolerate racism hear
I said its not racism its a know fact that 30% of accidents involving HGV is caused by foreign driver
In office he said I should get some practice reversing even if its just 4 wheal ers
I felt insalted
I said Mr. I could reverse a 4 whealer onto a bay with out wing mirrows in one shot
Oh, and I thought you was a ‘foreigner’■■ Must be a ‘Muppet’ then, that’d explain a lot.
when you have a bit of time on your hands go in to a truckstop or services in the day try reversing in to empty bay thinking there is two trucks parked beteen the bay you are going in.dont feel bad about it and don’t care what other drivers think because there is all ways some one that will help.
Given the chance you’ll soon pick it up, obviously it’s up to you but I wouldn’t want to do the job using a firms in house training people as I prefer to do things for myself & know my ability. As others have suggested you’ll be well advised to go to a local HGV driving school, show them your licence & tell them your problem. They’ll probably assess you & give you a few hours reversing time which should do the job. You don’t say where you are so no one can offer you a yard and an artic for an hour or two or point you in the direction of a training firm to ask.
I used to find quiet spots as recommended and practise the awkward reverses, seven years on Ive stopped stressing about it. If it takes a couple of shunts that’s ok, my main thought is bringing the ■■■■ thing back undamaged
Was down in Bicester the other night, tiny yard full of vans with a tight 90 deg reverse to the shed. No real lighting but it went in without a shunt, the local driver just said ‘You’ve been here before’ (I hadn’t). Then I get back to the hub in daylight with enough space to land a Cessna and take 3 shunts to put it on a bay that had wheel guides The tug driver was laughing his ■■■ off.
