swordtail:
I bet you found the car a bit small after the drive did’nt you I know I did
Ive started my Cat C training today and after 7 odd hours at the wheel of a Renault Premium, getting into my Corsa felt strange - and I kept trying to watch my rear end and wheels go round roundabouts and junctions in my mirrors… 
I’m not going to laugh start my lessons on wednesday so to get used to it I have installed a kerb mirror and 36 inch rims to my car just incase 
Dr Keys,
Would it be possible to provide, or PM me the name of the training company you are using, as I am currently seeking training in the Lancs area. I noticed you were from Ormskirk, but I am unsure how far you are travelling for your training, and I do not mind having to travel in order to get good quality training. I am in the Preston area of Lancs, but depending on the distance, I would probably give them ago, based on what I have heard so far.
Many thanks in advance
Karl 
Karl, pm’d info as requested
Cheers
Steve
Well, had my first lesson proper today!! After a slightly shaky start (getting used to the gears (4 over 4 range change), went FAR better than I thought, I started to really enjoy the drive. Hill starts went fine, and did the reversing exercise spot on 1st time, no probs, which amazed me, thought that would be the hardest thing to so, as I’m pretty cr*p at parallel parking a car when it doesnt have power steering 
I’m dead chuffed cos I didn’t think I would get the hang of the gear box after I had my assessment drive last week!
The thing I REALLY have to iron out now is getting the rear wheels ROUND a roundabout, and not over the kerb in the middle I guess I’m probably just not steering enough, any tips for dealing with small roundabouts? I’m OK on a nice big roundabout with 2 or more lanes, it’s the smaller ones I keep knocking the rear wheels on, not significantly, but I do clip them quite often.
Other than that, instructor was pretty happy for the 1st lesson, and for myself, I can’t wait to get back in again! Next lesson Monday at 4pm, they are gonna book my test for Simonswood on Merseyside, at least it’s familiar territory for me.
Cheers for now
Steve
any tips for dealing with small roundabouts
On a mini roundabout you cannot drive around the circle like you would in a car, it is more a case of drive to about half past ten direction, and then cut back to about half one to get it past. It seems a bit odd as you will probably have to aim at a lamp post and then aim back for the exit. Mini roundabouts are a pain, but you can generally squeeze past without running the wheels over too much of them.
Ask your instructor if there any marks on the dash that you could use to align with the outer kerb, my instructor pointed out a couple of marks, where the different parts joined and we used these to help keep in lane by lining it up with the outer kerb and following it round.
Don’t forget to keep looking in those mirrors, although I am sure you’ll go to bed with the word ‘mirrors’ echoing in your head
Thx 8Wheels, I’ll give it a go on Monday (next lesson) - tbh, it isnt MINI roundabouts that are the problem, just the smaller ones with a kerb around them! Im ok if it has 2 lanes, nice and wide, but just a normal town centre roundabout, keep messing it up. O well, there’s time yet I guess 
Cheers
Steve
I hate some of the small not quite mini but not proper roundabouts either. Some of them are impossible to get around in my truck and necessitate a shunt back to get it around. The worst bit is the fact the people look and think if a bloke can get an artic round why can’t you get a rigid around the same angle.
Don’t forget one lesson is not much to go on, it is massive steep learning curve every day brings on so much improvement.
Knuckle down, listen to your instructor, look in the mirrors and you’ll be half way there.
Well, 2nd lesson over! For some reason I was far more nervous than last one, dont know why Went reasonably well though, all things considered, have well nailed the reversing exercise, gear change ex went fine, have started to get used to corners without taking the nearside kerb with me (I think!!!). I don’t know why, but the only prob I really seem to have is that I cant get the idea of where the front offside of the cab is, I always think it is a lot further out than it actually is, which is why I have trouble cornering sometimes I will come to a tight left hand turn, and I think my front offside is going to hit the oncoming traffic, when in reality I am nowhere near it. O well, I guess I can iron that 1 out now, still enjoying it anyway, and mistakes are only bad if you don’t learn from them!
Only thing Im not too happy with is my test date, which is 3rd week in August, really wanted 1 quicker than that 
I’m unemployed at the mo, so every week that goes by is adding to the problem! Anyways, next lesson this Friday, 4pm, I’ll let ya know if anything monumental happens
Cheers 4 now
Steve
Ah well, lesson 3 over, bit of a mixed drive in more ways than 1
I find it difficult with lessons a few days apart, takes 1st 20 minutes or so just to get used to the Truck again, hope i can get over that. Have pretty much ironed out the cornering/turning etc, and I was taken on some very tight ones this time 
, but about halfway into the lesson, just when I thought things were starting to come together…DISASTER
I was waiting to turn right into a side road from a major road, it was quite tight, parked cars on both sides AND roadworks on my side, about 10 yards in from the junction. Anyway, did all necessary obs (I thought), looked well into the road I was about to turn into, checked oncoming traffic, looked into raod again, but as I turned, 2 cars seemed to materialise out of nowhere, heading towards me on the road I was turning into So we ended up with me and the 2 cars nose to nose in the middle of the road, with no-one going anywhere!! The guy in the second car wasnt being helpful it is fair to say, and refused to back up, leaving the woman in front of him with a hell of a job to try to clear some room for me.
All-in-all, valuable lesson learnt, and I was wildly looking for a hole to open up in the road that I could disappear down Rest of drive OK, but I am gonna make sure I don’t end up in that situation again. My head already felt like a windmill, going as it was from mirror to mirror to straight ahead to the side etc etc before I turned, just happened so quick
O well, next lesson Weds @ 13.00, I’ll have probably forgotten all of this by then!!
Cheers
Steve
Unfortunatly, you will find that not only do you have to think about your actions, you also have to think for all the other numptys as well. It does get easier as you learn the situations that can cause you problems and then take action to prevent the problem. You do have the benefit of having a good road presence in a truck and you should try and use this - sometimes you just have to be a bully…
Great to read your posts Dr Keys. Sounds like you’ve been enjoying the training, though I’m really sorry to hear about what happened at the junction. Don’t let it get you down, because from what the earlier posts said you are doing really well 
Karl
p.s. I haven’t contacted any training schools yet, but thanks again for the info, I’m on holiday in a couple of weeks so I’m leaving it till I get back to sort out training.
Thanks for the tip Rewmer, yeah my instructor has said similar as well, I think sometimes I still drive as if I am in the car, and try to give way when in fact it isn’t practical!
Karl, thanks for the encouragement, I’ll keep u posted anyway, and good luck in finding a training company and getting going yourself, you will love every minute!!
Cheers
Steve
All been going great so far, till today 
only a few days before test (next tues).
I committed an error so fundamental it has taken all my self-confidence away in 1 fell swoop Made a left at traffic lights, queing traffic in road I was turning into, railings on my nearside, spent so much time riveted on my front offside (watching the queue of cars), that I FAILED totally to look in my n/side mirror, until instructor tells me to stop and wait, cos I am about to take the railings along with me
Was really gutted I did that, such a basic error, made me feel for a minute that I just havnt grasped the fundamental basics at all O well, gotta keep going, 2 more lessons yet, and I GUARANTEE I wont be making THAT error again
Cheers for now
Steve
Don’t let this take your confidence away - it’s better to have done it on a lesson than on the test! That’s what learning is all about after all.
My instructor took me to the test centre the day before my test and I drove into the entrance and out again, and hit every kerb in sight! Then on the way to the test centre on the day of my test, my instructor took over the driving because I was such a wreck! I passed! It came together when it needed to, and I hope it does for you too.
Good luck!
well thanks for that grumpybum! And I guess ur right, better to have done it now than the test
Means such a lot to me this, I am unemployed, was forced to declare myself bankrupt back in June, and the only savings I had (which the Receiver allowed me to keep) have been sunk into doing my LGV, so I do have a lot of determination if nothing else!!!
Cheers
Steve
Well…I Failed
I am just gutted, had the best drive I have ever had, BUT clipped some over-hanging tree branches not far outside the Test Centre - it was a downward, winding hill with solid whites down the middle, was so intent at not crossing them that some of the branches raked the top of the cab. Result - 1 dangerous, back for another test
O well, such is life
Steve
Sorry to hear that - since the road had solid whites I would have thought that it was preferable to clip the branches (assuming that they weren’t big) rather than cross the lines.
When I was learning I had a seperate DSA instructor for Class 2 & Class 1 - the first guy (who owned the trucks) told me that was a fail - the second told me he was talking rubbish !!!
G
Really sorry to hear that Steve.
You had one of those awful situations where you had to work out the lesser of two evils! I suppose the examiner was thinking of the danger to following traffic if a branch had fallen off. Difficult to call on the spur of the moment, and depends on any oncoming traffic.
You can cross a solid double white line to pass something stationery, or travelling at less than a certain speed (think it’s 10mph). So I suppose he thought you should have done that.
Try not to let it get you down though, sounds like you had a good drive otherwise, and the fail is based on something you’ll remember next time!
The disappointment will pale into insignificance when you get that pass!
Onwards!
grumps
Well thanks guys, I’m obviously going to keep trying, I have proved to myself that i can do it, apart from that 1 slip, just hope nothing else goes wrong next time
I think the pressure is even greater once you start doing re-takes
Cheers 4 now
Steve
