Just home from day 2, improved on day 1 and got a fair few miles in, still plenty of work to do before test on Friday, what I seem to be finding is that I get over cautious with other road users and it slows my progress. Also struggling sometimes to not stray slightly over the lines when taking a roundabout. Also when taking tight turns I am turning too early as I have not adjusted to the size yet and fear I am going to clip an obstical with the front corner of the truck, from reading what I have just typed I guess I’m still abit nervous although instructor says I don’t seem nervous I guess deep down somewhere I am. Onwards and upwards and to improve again tomorrow on day 3.
Matt
Day 3 done, improved again and got more confident, been practising test routes and abit more reversing. Seem to have gone from being apprehensive when meeting on coming traffic to over aggressive, I will work on getting it somewhere in between tomorrow, mirrors and blind spot are what’s letting me down at the moment, any tips.
peterboroughmatt:
Day 3 done, improved again and got more confident, been practising test routes and abit more reversing. Seem to have gone from being apprehensive when meeting on coming traffic to over aggressive, I will work on getting it somewhere in between tomorrow, mirrors and blind spot are what’s letting me down at the moment, any tips.
Seems like your doing ok. For the blind spot I was taught LARD left, ahead, right, down.
I changed down to dead and was called morbid, focused the mind on checking though!
Best of luck, sounds like your doing well
peterboroughmatt:
Day 3 done, improved again and got more confident, been practising test routes and abit more reversing. Seem to have gone from being apprehensive when meeting on coming traffic to over aggressive, I will work on getting it somewhere in between tomorrow, mirrors and blind spot are what’s letting me down at the moment, any tips.
With the mirrors you should be constantly in tennis umpire mode, especially when passing things near to check you’ve cleared them OK.
As for being aggressive or paranoid about making progress, try to air a little on the cautions side, as hesitation is a minor, where the alternative is likely to be a major.
With your previous post about turning too early, this is probably because you haven’t got used to the dimensions of the truck and think the front corners are further way from you than they think. You’ll get more used to how late you can make a turn with more practice.
Best of luck for tomorrow! 
Thank you, looking forward to tomorrow now, been out in the car tonight practicing my LARD
Back from day 4, positioning has clicked and mirrors have improved no end, thought I was going great but got a little over confident. Did a mock test and failed due to getting 16 minors, totally stuffed a major round about, wrong lane, wrong gear (yes I could have learned in an auto but new job will be in a manual so wanted to do it this way) no signal. Proper car driver errors 
Have taken onboard what instructor has told me so will sleep on it ready for tomorrow’s test, don’t struggle with the reverse but I have to remember to check n/s mirror more often, a stupid minor to get.
All sounds good bud, and I’m glad you had a moment where being overconfident cost you, as it teaches you humility! 
You can’t afford a lapse of concentration, and as a Newbie you’re far more likely to get yourself in a spot, as you simply don’t have the experience to see the warning signs of a tricky situation… That comes in time, and for now you need to just focus on knowing you have the skills, and as long as you keep your head on straight, you’ll pass! 
Thank you Evil, showed the mrs the fail sheet when I got in and she said she was glad I messed it up as otherwise I could be too over confident, time to put it all together tomorrow and dot the I’d and cross the t’s as they say. It certainly been a learning curve for me (and I still have more to learn) but it has been fun also.
Just back from the test, 1 major and 7 minors 
, hit a curb as I didn’t straddle 2 lanes turning left, I knew I had bloody done it but I had a car next to me so it was too late to save myself. Test wasn’t a bad experience, I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be but half way round the nerves kicked in. Got 2 minors as I forgot to switch it down into low range on the pull over when safe bits and tried to pull away in the wrong gear. All part of the learning experience, just handed over a load more money to do another days training then a test on the 2nd day now just got to go back to the yard to tell the boss, I don’t know what’s worse failing or telling him 
Off to Spain next week so earliest I could get was 24/4 and test on 25/4. I hope I don’t forget stuff while I’m away.
Commiserations pal, and all due to a momentary lapse in concentration! 
Well it’s not a dead loss, as you’ve now got experience of the test and should do better next time…
Enjoy your hols and don’t dwell on it!
Evil8Beezle:
Commiserations pal, and all due to a momentary lapse in concentration!
Well it’s not a dead loss, as you’ve now got experience of the test and should do better next time…
Enjoy your hols and don’t dwell on it!
Thanks, I still feel I have more to learn but then I guess most new passes could say the same, funny enough I failed my car test first time on a curb so there’s a theme, this week has been a hell of a learning curve that’s for sure but I have enjoyed it. Been to the yard and told the boss and lads and he is fine but the banter
Of course you have lots more to learn, we are all still learning and improving, even years after our test…
And to a degree we probably don’t even notice we are, as I don’t give credit on automatically thinking about positioning myself better in traffic, I just do it without realizing due to more hours behind the wheel than you. So don’t beat yourself up over clipping a curb, just accept you’re improving and learning that cutting in is something you can never ever take your eye off.
And don’t worry about the banter, as failing your tests the first time doesn’t mean you’re a worse driver in the long run… 
However it is easy for me to say that! 
Enjoy your hols and probably think about how you can improve your road positioning. The road is there to be used, and to NOT use all available (within reason) would be foolish if it made our lives easier. So as well as holding multiple lanes when in doubt, approach turns wide as you can always surrender space if not needed, but you can’t do the oppersite, as by then it’s too late and you’re already chewing the corner with those rear wheels!
P.S. I think Newbies also tend to think the front corners of the truck are further away than they really are, and as such, they may not be going deep enough before starting the turn. Especially when they are also learning a little about tails swing as well, which is probably completely new to them…
Thanks Evil for all your words of advice, in a sense I am glad I have failed if I have more to learn as strange as it sounds. It’s an expensive old business but I am a man on a mission, I have talked about it for so long but never had the confidence to do it so I am out to prove myself.
peterboroughmatt:
Evil8Beezle:
Commiserations pal, and all due to a momentary lapse in concentration!
Well it’s not a dead loss, as you’ve now got experience of the test and should do better next time…
Enjoy your hols and don’t dwell on it!
Thanks, I still feel I have more to learn but then I guess most new passes could say the same, funny enough I failed my car test first time on a curb so there’s a theme, this week has been a hell of a learning curve that’s for sure but I have enjoyed it. Been to the yard and told the boss and lads and he is fine but the banter
Bad luck Matt. Sounds like you did ok just the 1 misjudgement. You will know for next time.
If it makes you feel better I have failed my class 1 twice, I’ll let you imagine the stick for that!
Evil8Beezle:
P.S. I think Newbies also tend to think the front corners of the truck are further away than they really are, and as such, they may not be going deep enough before starting the turn. Especially when they are also learning a little about tails swing as well, which is probably completely new to them…
There is my problem, I am still ■■■■■■■■ myself abit taking tight turns as I think the corner of the truck is further away when there’s loads of clearance and its in my head that I’m going to either hit a curb or street furniture.
kcrussell25:
peterboroughmatt:
Evil8Beezle:
Commiserations pal, and all due to a momentary lapse in concentration!
Well it’s not a dead loss, as you’ve now got experience of the test and should do better next time…
Enjoy your hols and don’t dwell on it!
Thanks, I still feel I have more to learn but then I guess most new passes could say the same, funny enough I failed my car test first time on a curb so there’s a theme, this week has been a hell of a learning curve that’s for sure but I have enjoyed it. Been to the yard and told the boss and lads and he is fine but the banter
Bad luck Matt. Sounds like you did ok just the 1 misjudgement. You will know for next time.
If it makes you feel better I have failed my class 1 twice, I’ll let you imagine the stick for that!
Thanks pal, I have made things abit hard for myself really as left my previous job last friday and started a new one this week. Its the new job that I need the license for (class 1) so I have got myself abit balls deep in pressure if im honest, I know my new boss well hence him offering me the job and supporting my training but still 
Still I have got a big yard and hundreds on trailers to play about with (but obviously not on the road).
Right I back in for another days training tomorrow and then retest on Tuesday, fingers crossed I get it right this time.
I failed my Class 2 once, passed on the second go with PSTT and then failed my Class 1 twice before passing on the 3rd attempt again with PSTT. Don’t sweat it passing first time. To be honest though, I say if I had to have an examiner sat next to me on my daily drive I would 100% fail. The places I have to go, curbs are the least of my worries!
Aaah! So it was you who spoilt the stats that month!!
Pete