Failed my first hgv class 2 test last week and today failed my second one. So as you can probably imagine I feel a bit down right now.
First test was one serious with two minors and the one today was two serious with two minors. All the serious ones were silly mistakes and I bbelieve I can do this.
I went through a broker and I bought ‘pass protection’ for my first one but now I need to pay for another test and lorry hire. They are quoting me £399 for one hour lesson before test + test and lorry hire. Which seems a lot. It is also in Stoke and I’m from Manchester so the travelling is an inconvenience.
Can anyone shed any light on this? Looking for a local school really and best price possible.
One of the biggest regrets going through a broker though!
Be careful before you jump ship. You seem to have been trained correctly - this is borne out by the low number of minors. Sadly you’ve made daft mistakes - which you say you understand - which have cost you your test.
Ignore the broker. Approach the trainer direct for a quote (unless you already have).
Changing at this stage is not normally a good plan. You will not be familiar with the area or the truck.
It’s up to you of course, but my advice is to keep getting back on the horse for a while longer before you give up (assuming you can afford it).
We all make silly mistakes. I’ve just lost some agency work with a company because I made a silly mistake and dinked one of their wagons. They don’t want to see me again…
However, I’ve just passed an assessment with another company and I start work tomorrow.
I’ve not been driving long so I’m still a novice. I wanted to give up, jack it all in and run for cover back to my old job. However, I picked myself up again and got out there.
Your future depends on what you do today. Your decision…
After putting all this money and effort into it so far it’s obviously something you want to do. You’d be stupid to give up now. These tests are designed to make sure you are a safe driver not to put you off, everyone’s bound to make mistakes. Learn from it and go again.
I have had good feedback from the examiners and it is just silly mistakes costing me.
Pete in reply to your post I’ve been told by the trainer he isn’t allowed to deal with me directly until I’ve passed as stated in his contract with the broker.
So its pay the expensive broker prices or rebook for somewhere else hopefully closer to home or cheaper.
How difficult can the transition be? I’m used to class 2 now I think. Also I’m still a bit unfamiliar with the test areas I’ve been using as I’ve never really been round there until I started hgv training.
I’m pretty familiar with the Manchester / Salford and Stockport areas as lived there all my life. Also I think local places are offering automatic vehicles which could help me as part of my test failing today was gear and hill start related.
Peter Smythe:
Be careful before you jump ship. You seem to have been trained correctly - this is borne out by the low number of minors. Sadly you’ve made daft mistakes - which you say you understand - which have cost you your test.
Ignore the broker. Approach the trainer direct for a quote (unless you already have).
Petes right, my bad for saying look elsewhere, still not happy with my training!
As said speak to them about how you can correct mistakes, which you probably did first fail so need to review again so you get it right.
What did they say last couple of times? What where your serious mistakes?
You said first time made 1, second time 2, were they same mistakes?
Minors very low so your driving pretty good in general, you obviously want to pass so don’t give up, not now your so close.
Did you speak to trainer and ask how much THEY charge direct? If they said go through your last broker then I’d jump!
I have had good feedback from the examiners and it is just silly mistakes costing me.
Pete in reply to your post I’ve been told by the trainer he isn’t allowed to deal with me directly until I’ve passed as stated in his contract with the broker.
So its pay the expensive broker prices or rebook for somewhere else hopefully closer to home or cheaper.
How difficult can the transition be? I’m used to class 2 now I think. Also I’m still a bit unfamiliar with the test areas I’ve been using as I’ve never really been round there until I started hgv training.
I’m pretty familiar with the Manchester / Salford and Stockport areas as lived there all my life. Also I think local places are offering automatic vehicles which could help me as part of my test failing today was gear and hill start related.
Thanks
Luke
Familiar roads = poppycock because you are a driver - not a very nearly passing car driver but an experienced driver who obviously knows how to handle a LGV albeit making some silly errors
THAT MEANS YOU CAN DRIVE ANYWHERE
Now I have said that you can go anywhere and pass that test
Familiar roads = poppycock because you are a driver - not a very nearly passing car driver but an experienced driver who obviously knows how to handle a LGV albeit making some silly errors
THAT MEANS YOU CAN DRIVE ANYWHERE
Sorry - totally disagree. eg take someone who has trained at Stoke and he’ll know the slip road near the stadium and the 20mph speed limits that aren’t clearly marked and take him now to Sheffield. What on earth do you seriously think will happen on Tinsley viaduct? Experienced drivers rarely get it correct - so, basically, no hope. Or take the same guy to Nottingham and present him with the magic roundabout just off M1 junc 26. It simply doesn’t work.
There are areas that are more straightforward than others and we’re blessed with operating in one, but the vast majority of test areas need a bit of coaching.
BTW, the theory is excellent. Shame it doesn’t work!
Yeah basically the trainer has refused to let me go directly with him.
The errors were just that probably because I was under pressure. Nothing that I’ve shown signs of weakness in during my training or anything, just silly genuine mistakes on the day.
So like I say its a pretty expensive do either way you look at it - nearly half a grand. Fortunately I do have savings but can’t use too much up.
For the price of £399 what would that likely get me by going direct locally?
I have to disagree with Peter because as long as any REALLY tricky bits on test routes are covered then a LGV candidate can cope with any place
Had a few trainees in my time who trained on one set of routes but tested or retested on completely unknown routes and for some odd reason they passed easily on the unknown ones with virtually no practice on them
I’ve been told by the trainer he isn’t allowed to deal with me directly until I’ve passed as stated in his contract with the broker.
So its pay the expensive broker prices or rebook for somewhere else hopefully closer to home or cheaper.
This has to be bollox, its exclusion. If they want that line then I’d be thinking I have legal grounds or insist on free retests
Yet another example of broker strangeness
LDP:
I went through a broker and I bought ‘pass protection’ for my first one but now I need to pay for another test and lorry hire.
^^^ This negates the first part! Your contract finished as you’ve had your free restest. After that you can go wherever you want? Direct to same if you want or to another school
My 2 cents - it’s a common reaction after failing to want to try somewhere / someone else. I certainly had that thought after failing class 2 first time.
But I agree 100% with Pete. You know the truck. You know the routes. You can obviously do it as evident by low number of minors. At this stage it comes down to self-belief, trying to relax during test, and concentration. Now - get back up them steps and nail this!
th2013:
My 2 cents - it’s a common reaction after failing to want to try somewhere / someone else. I certainly had that thought after failing class 2 first time.
But I agree 100% with Pete. You know the truck. You know the routes. You can obviously do it as evident by low number of minors. At this stage it comes down to self-belief, trying to relax during test, and concentration. Now - get back up them steps and nail this!
Don’t think this is the issue, its the fact hes paying over the odds to go somewhere hes probably happy to stay at
as long as any REALLY tricky bits on test routes are covered then a LGV candidate can cope with any place
I think that’s what I indicated by quoting the places I did.
It has to be said we do more than our fair share of re-training and retests where folk realise they haven’t had the best chance first time around. I normally allow a couple of hours to deal with the REALLY tricky bits in our area. And that’s plenty as it’s not a bad area to start with.
The problems are generally nothing to do with knowing or not knowing the area.
eg just assessed a guy who had failed twice on steering (clouting kerbs), once on reversing and once on something else that I cant recall at the moment. Having had a conversation with him, I took him out on one of our new autos that are sensible size and was struggling to fault the drive. The guy had been presented with a typical heap of a truck, far too big and with a poor gearchange. Easily solved.
For the price of £399 what would that likely get me by going direct locally?
With me, around 3 hours + vehicle for test + test fee.
But it’s most unusual that someone we’ve trained would ever need so much retraining. Generally an hour and test does it. And not everyone goes for the hour before the test.
I would say Peters prices are going to be similar to what you can get in your area because generally the further north you go the less the process become - does not always pan out that way but generally does
I’m going to have a ring around locally tomorrow and maybe go and look at a few schools.
I’m not really happy where I have been. The truck is old and a manual which is harder to pass in clearly.
I feel ok with driving in general and consider myself more than capable so not going to give up yet. I had 8 days between my first fail and today with no hgv driving in between and got back in the truck today and didn’t feel rusty at
So really I don’t think there’s any more training required as such because there aren’t defined areas where I’m showing weaknesses. Just need to keep my cool and do thd right thing on the day.
