In 2005 I was LGV instructing on rigids so today, after 18 months out of work, I did my first day for a coventry training company where I took out 2 trainees in an artic.
Their first day was last Friday where they went to the reversing area but did not have a lot of success. I had got both to test standard by lunchtime but this has no reflection on the Friday instructor as we have different techniques to teach this. What may work for one trainee might not be good for another.
We then went to Gloucester where they both have their test on Thursday afternoon. They had both done their class C there so I was using their knowledge of the test routes along with my map of the routes which I had downloaded from the DSA site. All my previous tests had been at Weedon.
Bit of a problem with one trainee on the gear exercise but sorted that - he was still on the brake when changing down which caused a jerk each time - got him to move right foot to accelerater as he dropped his left hand to gearstick. This also gives the opportunity to blip the throttle if the speed is a bit too high for the gear (matching transmission to road speed).
The other trainee on the gear exercise had a problem with the timing of the mirrors when coming down the gears so I got him to check them between the downchanges as he was giving the “short drive in each gear” and it worked perfectly.
They are both very good at using the paint on the road to place the cab wheels on to avoid the nearside kerbs but are still a bit reluctant to “push out” across the line for a tighter turn.
Straddling both lanes on the approach to a tight roundabout is becoming better and I am going to improve on that tomorrow.
TO MOERATOR - I HAVE POSTED THIS IN THE NEW & WANNABE SECTION AS IT MAY BE USEFUL TO THOSE ABOUT TO START TRAINING.
I would welcome tips on this post from others - instructors or trainees.
Yes I did and I sent you a very big thank you pm.
I marked all your points onto a Glos street map.
I used it today as we spent all day going around the test roads. This weekend I am going to devise a 1 hour route which will take in all the hotspots including the left turn off Bristol road which we tried 4 times as we kept running over the n/s kerb - fixed it in the end - with our long wheelbased artic, we need to be completely in the oncoming lane to miss the kerb which means we leave 2 lanes on our nearside prior to the turn - WATCHING OUT FOR THE CHANCER!
Apart form the above mentioned kerb, only once did a trainee run over one on route. They did very well as I kept quiet and let them decide where to position.
One needed a bit of encouragement to “get a move on” when safe to do so.
I am now getting bored as they are ready for test!
ROG:
YES - as an unpaid weekend volunteer with the IAM
Likewise, and if anyone approached my Group with such a request, then I’m sure ‘muggins’ here would be the first one asked.
The primary difficulties are that the candidate needs to be available according to the availability of the Observer. The Observer, being unpaid, expects the candidate to work around their time scale, and not vica versa. And I’m not too sure that my neighbours would be too happy about having a ruddy great artic parked in the street whilst I’m doing the debrief.
Which then brings us into the realms of E.U. Driving Regs. Whilst I’m not au fait with any recent changes (if any) regarding ‘Private Use’, into which it would obviously fall, particularly as the candidate would have a written ‘progress sheet’ completed by the Observer, but then there is the wider question as to whether CPD (Continuous Professional Development) counts as ‘Working Time’.
If you’re aspiring to it, and have the availability of a vehicle, then by all means GO for it. Speak to your local Group.
PeteG:
Rog, do you also do advanced HGVing, out of interest?
YES - as an unpaid weekend volunteer with the IAM
Ah, I wasn’t sure if you’d do that as well as being SO. How does it compare to advanced car driving? Is it still IPSG, then a little less GLF?
THE LORRY IS A BIT BIGGER
Seriously, I practised for my car advanced test with a 6 wheeler rigid as I was doing 72,000 PA in truck and only 8,000 PA in car at the time. The use of the IPSGA system is exactly the same including gear selection - no going down through the gears!
I have to switch to “covering gear” method when instructing for the LGV DSA test.
Bit disapointed tonight as both my trainees failed their C+E, First one could do the reverse exercise but only if it went perfect first time - he could not recover if he made an error so perhaps it was for the best - I would not have liked him to go out on a real job and abandon the lorry because he got into a pickle! - he did not do the road drive.
The second I thought would pass as the reverse had CLICKED in his head. He needed 1 shunt but it was good but on the road drive the plonker decided that NSL meant 50 on a two way road and he drives a C for a living - OH WELL!
They wee both pleased with me as their instructor and agreed that i could not have done any more in the time available - but were peaved that 15 hours of their training time was taken up with travelling to and from the Glos test area. They said - most rigid drivers could drive an artic in a straight line on a trunk road so it was no help to them and wasted precious test area and reversing time.
