Forgive me TNUK, for I have Sinned …
In the interest of maintaining the agency Driver image, I managed my bit by damaging the truck today,
^^^ Always makes me smile when folk just assume that you ’ have to let them in ’ 
Good on you P, next time the knobs can stop at the GIVE WAY line if they cannot merge 
Just got home.
I actually ended up starting at 5.30. Still a very long day.
It all ended when they told me I needed to put the truck on a bay 
and this was the hardest bay yet with yellow metal things with just fractions of inches between them and the tyre. I had to get out and and check about 10 times. And I took the same number of shunts. But I did it. And in a pathetic way I’m proud of that.
If anyone wants to see the tacho printout let me know. I just fancy a beer now.
Oh and agency want me to work tomorrow at 6.30am! So I am clearly better than I give myself credit for. I just told the truth about it all. I’ve learnt some solid lessons for today. I will do another shift - otherwise my only ‘experience’ will be ■■■■■■■ everything up.
sammym:
Just got home.I actually ended up starting at 5.30. Still a very long day.
It all ended when they told me I needed to put the truck on a bay
If anyone wants to see the tacho printout let me know. I just fancy a beer now.
Probably the most important lesson you’ll learn “out in the real world”. My first job was in a 7.5 ton and I reversed into an open gate so I could turn around. Unfortunately, I didn’t take tail swing into account and took the fence down driving out. Crap happens, learn from it and carry on. Or chuck it, your call.
Captain Caveman 76:
Telt:
There are reams and reams of trolling pis.h posts on this site and I rarely read beyond the third reply but you, my friend, have done a sterling job with this. 10/10 stuff here.As a day one driver the questions you ask are totally plausible and you’ve even gone to the bother of setting it up properly with posts in the Newbie forum.
But the slapstick finalé gives the game away for me. The stunning coup de grâce revelation of dragging a trailer about a school in a quiet village.
Had me engrossed. Hat doffed, sir.
That was IronEddie recounting how he cocked up one day.
To be fair, this guy is giving me flashbacks to my first job. Thrown the keys and told to get on with it despite never being shown curtain straps, tail lifts, ratchet straps, etc. Paperwork thrust into my arms and told to hurry up because they have to get another lorry loaded.
The only experience he probably has of tacho is some guy talking at him for 7 hours. We all know that on the job training is well below what other industries offer, probably made worse by the amount of agency who flit from job to job. This thread is proof that something needs to be done.
Actually I did initial CPC so my only experience was doing a computer test of hours. I never was shown how to do it. Although my trainer did say you had to put it chip up because that is one of the show me tell me questions on the exam.
After today I realized a few things.
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People should do their test on real life examples. None of my reversing today was as easy as the test one. Also on test you are taught to move it certain number of turns at various points. You can’t do that in different size wagons.
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People should be shown how to use curtains etc. The forklife driver on my second dropped tried to help me. But we couldn’t get the pole back in. After a driver showed up both we know now. It’s not hard. But it’s horrendous if you have no idea.
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Driving a 18t fully loaded rigid is a lot harder than driving a smaller vehicle on test.
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You should have to learn how to use all the common functions on trucks. I pressed a button today and still don’t know what it did. But I think it adjusted the suspension.
However if you implemented all that training would cost a fortune. And it still wouldn’t prepare you for the real world.
sammym:
Actually I did initial CPC so my only experience was doing a computer test of hours. I never was shown how to do it. Although my trainer did say you had to put it chip up because that is one of the show me tell me questions on the exam.After today I realized a few things.
People should do their test on real life examples. None of my reversing today was as easy as the test one. Also on test you are taught to move it certain number of turns at various points. You can’t do that in different size wagons.
People should be shown how to use curtains etc. The forklife driver on my second dropped tried to help me. But we couldn’t get the pole back in. After a driver showed up both we know now. It’s not hard. But it’s horrendous if you have no idea.
Driving a 18t fully loaded rigid is a lot harder than driving a smaller vehicle on test.
You should have to learn how to use all the common functions on trucks. I pressed a button today and still don’t know what it did. But I think it adjusted the suspension.
However if you implemented all that training would cost a fortune. And it still wouldn’t prepare you for the real world.
When you put your card in, use your right hand, keep your thumb covering your photo and it should be in the natural position to go in right.
I remember helping one guy with his curtains. I asked if he’d been driving long, he told me 20 years. He’d been driving boxes since passing his test and this was his first day of a new job. Trouble is, there’s so much variety in trucking that you can never learn it all. All you can do is ask, or make a balls up then ask.
Captain Caveman 76:
sammym:
Actually I did initial CPC so my only experience was doing a computer test of hours. I never was shown how to do it. Although my trainer did say you had to put it chip up because that is one of the show me tell me questions on the exam.After today I realized a few things.
People should do their test on real life examples. None of my reversing today was as easy as the test one. Also on test you are taught to move it certain number of turns at various points. You can’t do that in different size wagons.
People should be shown how to use curtains etc. The forklife driver on my second dropped tried to help me. But we couldn’t get the pole back in. After a driver showed up both we know now. It’s not hard. But it’s horrendous if you have no idea.
Driving a 18t fully loaded rigid is a lot harder than driving a smaller vehicle on test.
You should have to learn how to use all the common functions on trucks. I pressed a button today and still don’t know what it did. But I think it adjusted the suspension.
However if you implemented all that training would cost a fortune. And it still wouldn’t prepare you for the real world.
When you put your card in, use your right hand, keep your thumb covering your photo and it should be in the natural position to go in right.
I remember helping one guy with his curtains. I asked if he’d been driving long, he told me 20 years. He’d been driving boxes since passing his test and this was his first day of a new job. Trouble is, there’s so much variety in trucking that you can never learn it all. All you can do is ask, or make a balls up then ask.
Exactly. And there is a lot to learn. I think some people on here have enough experience that they don’t realise that.
Today I can say I experienced: tachos, curtains, pump trolleys (had never used one beofre and had to move stuff for forklift drivers), and also the dark art of finding the goods entrance!!
From now on I’m going to use google maps or something. Apart from the bang, the most stressful thing is driving around and hoping to find the goods entrance. More than once I went somewhere that isn’t designed for trucks. But one place I had to go into the customer carpark to get to it. I got myself out of those messes - but I’d rather not put myself into that position in the future. I think streetview and google earth will help me going forward.
Conor:
truckyboy:
I really dont believe i am reading this crap…it has to be a wind up right…all this bother…then a crash at the end of it…never in my career have i ever heard so much [zb]…and a newbie that dont know a tacho from his arse…cant open a curtain…cant strap or secure a load…I think your comment is completely unfair.
My lad passed his test last year. It opened my eyes to just how little a new driver knows and how scary it is for a newbie taking out something that actually has weight on and maneuvering/reversing in places far tighter than in your lessons and the test. Thinking back I was probably the same and so were you the first time or so you went out, its just that we’ve got years under our belt so forget that people just starting may not know how to do the basics. My lad was fortunate that he had his dad who is a driver with almost a quarter of a century of experience who he could ring, not everyone is as fortunate to.
What was frightening is that several of the people who he asked who were apparently experienced drivers seemed to not have a clue about drivers hours and had some seriously bad habits given what he told me they’d said to do when thankfully phoning me to double check because he didn’t think it sounded right.
Having followed his posts in the newbie forum across the last months I think is genuine.
I also passed my test last year. You don’t use your taco for training so the first time I used mine was on my first assessment drive and the assessor had to show me how to do it.
I used the forum sponsor on the newbies forum for both tests and have no complaints about the service. However I was purely taught to pass my test and all time was focused on that aim. The rest I had to pick as I have gone along.
I took a full time job with a company who get slated on here but they knew I was a new pass and put me with another driver for 2 weeks. That helped hugely in terms of keeping my taco legal, sorting the paperwork, the way to approach drops and even what the different buttons do. I have had issues with my reversing and spoke to the driver trainer who sorted some extra practice. The office staff are mostly ex drivers and were helpful for the first couple of weeks on my own with bits of advice. I certainly have no complaints about them. I picked this job over one that might be considered “better” for that reason.
A lot of the old school on here complain about the lack of camaraderie in the job now, but then forget that 20 years ago if you asked for help you got it (so I am told anyway) however now you don’t. Often because they don’t speak enough English to do so. Roads are busier and what 20 years ago. What then was a ■■■■ up and those who saw you had a laugh and that was it, is now on Facebook and You Tube to poke fun at forever and probably makes things appear more common than they used to be.
It’ll all get better with practice, there are regular drops I struggled with at first but now only weeks later manage no problem.
. I for one wish we got to use the tacho during practical training. I knew the theory, id watched YouTube videos. Still confused me first few times once on the job.
I just think there’s too much variation to teach it all. Best you can do is find an understanding employer that can put in the effort to help us newbies.
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All ■■■■■■■■ on here aside, as a new driver, get a job, any job, lie and cheat to the man wearing the pointy shoes in the office, then get out in the yard, and grab another driver. Own up, tell him you’re new, and ask what you need to know. You will get helped out.
On here, it’s pot luck. We get genuine newbies, and we get bellends.
Don’t take it to hard. Even the hardest, meanest, toughest (like Robroy) drivers had to walk into a yard somewhere one day, knowing ■■■■ all, and wing it…
Even Juddian needed somebody to show him how to double de-clutch his beloved Filton twin splatter…
the nodding donkey:
All ■■■■■■■■ on here aside, as a new driver, get a job, any job, lie and cheat to the man wearing the pointy shoes in the office, then get out in the yard, and grab another driver. Own up, tell him you’re new, and ask what you need to know. You will get helped out.On here, it’s pot luck. We get genuine newbies, and we get bellends.
Don’t take it to hard. Even the hardest, meanest, toughest (like Robroy) drivers had to walk into a yard somewhere one day, knowing [zb] all, and wing it…Even Juddian needed somebody to show him how to double de-clutch his beloved Filton twin splatter…
Cheers for topping up my gigantic ego btw ND. 
you know how I need it. … 
Yeh when I was new I learned a lot prior to starting when going away with mates, so I had a head start.
Made loads of mega balls ups, but a lot of older drivers helped me a lot, I still see a couple of them still today and always put a pint on the bar for them.
That said, and I’m maybe forgetting a few things, but I sure as hell don’t remember me being as pathetic and hopelessly useless as some of the sorry arses who ask stupid ■■■■ questions on here…no names btw. 
That said I will (and have done countless times) help out new lads who are genuine, …d/heads I have zero time for.
I still remember my first day driving a truck. I had blagged a job with a small general haulier in Islington by telling them I could drive lorries when the biggest thing I had ever driven was an ice cream van. No HGV licence in those days.
I went in at 6 am, and they gave me some collections around North London, driving a box van. I took the dockets and asked another driver for help. He gave me directions like “You know the big church in Stoke Newington - you turn right here…” Since I had no idea where Stoke Newington was I drove down the road and opened up my brand new AtoZ (in black and white back then) I managed okay, although I got told off for being slow and gradually, over the weeks driving my crappy old ex BR truck, I learned the trade.
Round two tonight.
5.30 start!
Working for a transport company. Pallets again.
Gotta be better than yesterday!
Also agency said I can chose from: ltd, umbrella and paye. But she recommended ltd. Oh and i don’t need to pay for the damage I caused yesterday. Which is a relief. Should be an easy run tonight as the roads will not be as busy.
.
sammym:
Round two tonight.5.30 start!
Working for a transport company. Pallets again.
Gotta be better than yesterday!
Also agency said I can chose from: ltd, umbrella and paye. But she recommended ltd. Oh and i don’t need to pay for the damage I caused yesterday. Which is a relief. Should be an easy run tonight as the roads will not be as busy.
They’ll most likely not be as open either. Look for yellow signs
Why wouldn’t they be open if they have asked for a driver? It’s a smaller company this time. And why would a company have yellow signs if they are closed■■? I’m confused
Edit - just realised you meant roads. I hope it’s okay. As I just have my satnav
Of course the agency recommend Ltd company because again it relieves them of any duty as an employer.
.
Forklift v foot and this was wearing safety boots…
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Reminds me of the old COOP depot at cutler heights Bradford, when the driver stood at the side of the truck holding the curtain back, the forkie lifted the pallet and swung around trapping the driver between the counterweight and the trailer wheel