also I must have suffered muscle wastage over the past years as I do not remember the break air-lines being ‘so hard’ to do back up when re-coupling the trailer (or maybe just old age■■?)
reversing is definitely one that just comes with doing it and doing it and in fact by the end of the practice session I was definitely heaps better than when I started
I also had a cyclist sticking himself between my trailer and the wall as I was about to set off at lights which just turned green (the little B****R) but I had eyes everywhere so I saw him, but crickey why do they have to?
all in all it was ok, I am happy that all I need to do is get out on the road and ‘do it’
Cool, sounds like you’re ready to knock em dead in the assessment! (But not the cyclist! )
Evil8Beezle:
Cool, sounds like you’re ready to knock em dead in the assessment! (But not the cyclist! )
‘hopefully’ Evil
I was hoping I was just going to reverse with my eyes closed, but the lack of time behind the wheel does show and I have to take it super slow, a few times I had to move forward and re-start, I hope if I do that at the assessment they will just think ‘ok she’s just very slow and careful but she can do it…’
On the latest CD they give us with what’s going on RM did say they wanted to get more female drivers as I think it’s about 2% at the moment (still double the national average)
Assessors would rather you take a shunt when reversing and avoiding damaging the vehicle instead of trying to do it in one and having an accident.
Evil8Beezle:
Cool, sounds like you’re ready to knock em dead in the assessment! (But not the cyclist! )
‘hopefully’ Evil
I was hoping I was just going to reverse with my eyes closed, but the lack of time behind the wheel does show and I have to take it super slow, a few times I had to move forward and re-start, I hope if I do that at the assessment they will just think ‘ok she’s just very slow and careful but she can do it…’
I don’t understand what you are worried about. I’m sure you have told them that you have been out of the game in a different job. So why are they going to expect you to be the best reversing driver they have ever seen. I’m no expert (a newbie) but logic states that the assessment is to ensure you are safe and careful. So if it takes you a bit of time because of this, what’s the problem? They will also know your skills will return/improve over time.
I’m certain they would want careful & cautious drivers, not Lewis Hamilton!
Think its like one of the other lads say different rdcs do it differently but mainly it will be the driving their bothered about just use plenty of mirrors etc autos are great once you get used to them you won’t drive a manual again oh and most of their vehicles are daffs so quite easy to handle although reversing on them are a pain just put it in tortoise mode (easier to handle) hope this helps.
m1cks:
On the latest CD they give us with what’s going on RM did say they wanted to get more female drivers as I think it’s about 2% at the moment (still double the national average) Assessors would rather you take a shunt when reversing and avoiding damaging the vehicle instead of trying to do it in one and having an accident.
yes that’s what I thought and that is what I would want to look out for if I was an assessor, never mind if the driver is a tad slow in getting in there but at least he’s careful and double checking each of his moves (or hers as in my case )
Evil8Beezle:
…but logic states that the assessment is to ensure you are safe and careful. So if it takes you a bit of time because of this, what’s the problem? They will also know your skills will return/improve over time.
I’m certain they would want careful & cautious drivers, not Lewis Hamilton!
yes I agree, the most important bit is that I show them I am ‘safe’ and I know I am
I know how to do my checks and I play by the rules so yeah, here is to monday PM when I log back in to let you all know I’ve done it and they want me to go back
Evil8Beezle:
Best of luck, and AFTER they offer you the job!
Can you ask them if they are short of Class C drivers at their Southampton/Eastleigh depot?
m1cks:
Oh and generate a code for your licence so it can be checked online ow the paper counterpart isn’t needed.
Luckily with HWDC there won’t be any tricky reverses as the bays are either really wide or at a herringbone angle (unless the stick you on a bay at the ILC - the building opposite)
Hi m1cks and Evil8 I’m back and ‘I’ve passed’
thank you for your encouragement and tips as I did ‘impress’ my assessor by providing the code for him to check my licence (all thanks to you m1cks )
The assessor is a real genuine nice person, he made me feel at ease and I soon ‘relaxed’ in his presence. My first reversing exercise was not a total success but that was the first thing he got me to do (apart from driving around the yard), so he then got me out on the road and then reversing again (which went better) and then back in the yard reversing again which again a bit better than the first time.
I am usually quite hard on myself (ie I criticise myself heavily and easily) so perhaps it wasn’t as bad as I thought.
He said he can see that I will be alright, I just need to get back in the swing of things but he can tell I will and fairly quickly too.
so when we parked up he said ‘congratulations and welcome to Royal Mail’
I drove back home (an hour away by car) and the phone rang: the agency asked me ‘can you do a shift starting at 13:15 at Royal Mail’■■?
Well, not only I’ve just driven an hour back home but I also have the plumber coming to my flat to do some work so no sorry
but honestly if I knew in advance that they would want me to start immediately then I would have just stayed there
so now I am off on holiday for 2 weeks I told them I’ll work when I get back
can’t wait, I felt so happy amongst all those lorries, I was like a kid in a candy-shop
Evil8Beezle:
Best of luck, and AFTER they offer you the job!
Can you ask them if they are short of Class C drivers at their Southampton/Eastleigh depot?
Evil8Beezle:
Best of luck, and AFTER they offer you the job!
Can you ask them if they are short of Class C drivers at their Southampton/Eastleigh depot? [emoji38] [emoji38] [emoji38]
Don’t remember seeing the Royal mail using class 2 wagons…they tend to go more for class 1 units… and then the 7.5t units…
They do have lots of 17t vehicles but they’re mainly driven by Class 1 drivers. It’s quite common to swap between an artic and 17t during the duty so class 2 only drivers aren’t normally employed (unless they work om the 7.5 side of the business)
Some duties may be all 17t work so the agency can sometimes send drivers that are class 2 only.
m1cks:
Oh and generate a code for your licence so it can be checked online ow the paper counterpart isn’t needed.
Luckily with HWDC there won’t be any tricky reverses as the bays are either really wide or at a herringbone angle (unless the stick you on a bay at the ILC - the building opposite)
hey m1cks he took me to a depot where there was a very tiny space where to turn around and you have to ‘jack-knife’ the truck around (I think it was the ILC…it’s near a place they call the ‘horseshoe’), however he took me there not to assess me but to tell me about it and to show me how to approach it, he said ‘do just what I tell you to do and you will be ok’
to be honest it was not that difficult but most likely because he ‘warned me’ and told me where I had to go to turn around, I wonder what I would have done if I went on my own
nobodysdriving:
Italy, I shall be driving down there…through dover/calais!!!
I’m sure you could find a load to take down with you! Busmans holiday.
yeah I know…not sure if I am looking forward to that but there again, I’ll get taste of what it’s like tramping over the continent these days as back when I did it the words illegal immigrants were unheard of and Calais was almost a very nice place where to park!!
(But not the cyclist! 
)
)
