Morning guys, I hope this post finds you all well and good.
I passed my class 1 test back in 1986 and drove pretty much every day for the next 10 years for various firms and had 4 happy years running Spain, Italy and France then in 96/97 I came off the road and got a job on the railways as a signalman which I enjoyed very much until March 2015 when I was unfairly dismissed from my job after nearly 20 years, my world fell in half.
so I picked myself up and reapplied for my class 1 licence passed the medical, got my tacho card, passed my cpc and got my competence card and signed up with a couple of agencies but there is just one problem, I seem to have lost my confidence and have become very scared for want of a better word when driving a class 1 lorry, I did a trip to Doncaster from Swindon (Oak furniture land) in a brand new Merc and one to Basildon and back, but feel very uncomfortable for some reason and have not been back in a lorry since.
I love my driving and I love lorries but I keep thinking Im going to make a mistake or injure someone, its all in my head and I am a very steady and in my humble opinion a very good driver overall, i8ts all in my head and I just cant work it out, any advice or tips please, I so want to get back to driving for a living, my ideal job would be containers out of Southampton or Tramping out on Mon and back on Thurs or Fri, but due to my lack of driving no one wants to take a chance on me, and Im 60 years old now as well…
Is it the height of the driver’s seat above the ground that is affecting you? Lorries cabs have got much taller in the intervening years even compared to the likes of a 111 Scania from the period. If it might be then perhaps look around for jobs which would mean a lower cab like a DAF CF. I know I prefer to sit lower if I haven’t driven for a while and when it has been some time since I last drove I do feel sometimes a bit wary in a tall cab, particularly when meeting oncoming HGV on narrow roads if the approach speed is around 40-50mph. Perhaps consider 7.5 tonne for a while to get you hand back in again. Although it will cost you a bit there is nothing to prevent you booking a day’s refresher course at a driving school, which you may well find very helpful especially if you explain the reason. You certainly won’t be the only person ever to have done such a thing.
My advice (as someone who had also been out of the game for a few years) is to book yourself on a days refresher course, I’m sure people on here will recommend a trainer near you, I did this last year as I’d been off the lorries for about 5 yrs (which I know isn’t as long as you) and decided to reassure myself whilst combining that day as part of my DCPC, (7hrs iirc) also the refresher certificate given to me afterwards was something to put in with a C.V. too.
As it turned out I had nothing to worry about and it was like falling off a bike let alone riding one, but knowing there was someone trained to advise me sat right next to me undoubtedly helped in spades.
I was out of the industry for about 22 years, when I started back I did some class 2 work for a few weeks, when I felt comfortable about driving artics again I told the agency and was back on class 1 the following week.
This worked well for me and when I did get back into an artic I had no problems at-all, perhaps you should consider doing the same.
Lesco-how many shifts have you actually done so far? If you’ve not been behind a big wheel for 20 years, you’re gonna have to give it at least a few weeks to get back into the swing.
Also, are there specific situations that worry you? If you were a signalman then I doubt you’re going to be worried about keeping your concentration and vigilance on the open road. If you’re worried about manoeuvring in tight spaces, or your awareness around the vehicle, just go slow and that will come back with time.
A certain amount of worry in general about an unfamiliar situation just suggests a healthy attitude to risk and responsibility, which you’d expect from a signalman.
I took just short of 6 years out and returned to do a job driving a DAF XF. Felt a whole lot bigger than I remembered it being and the roads seemed a whole lot narrower than I remembered. A couple of weeks later it was like I’d never left.
You just need to give it time to re-adjust yourself to being used to driving larger vehicles. What you’re experiencing now is probably no different than when you first took HGV driving lessons and passed your test. You overcame the change from cars to trucks once so you can do it again.
Great advice already given.
If I may touch on your unfair dismissal for a second it’s this that may also be affecting your confidence, almost like you’ve been forced back into driving and are mentally still fighting it.
I had 10 years off myself and it took a few shifts before everything clicked back into place. Road skills have got worse in general so try driving 2mph below the limiter and creating space when everyone else is fighting for it.
Apologies if I’m teaching granny to ■■■■ Ehhh eggs but confidence will increase if you can remove the fear of other road users, let em get on with it.
The old it’s like riding a bike or horse analogy can work for some, not me as when I fell off someone knicked it. Bike that is not horse, I didn’t have a horse, me brother did but I wasn’t so lucky, locked in a broom cupboard a lot and beaten with sticks was my childhood.
Sorry I’m waffling, anyway best of luck, if it helps your not alone we all have nervous moments, it will get better honest.
Dipper_Dave:
Great advice already given.
If I may touch on your unfair dismissal for a second it’s this that may also be affecting your confidence, almost like you’ve been forced back into driving and are mentally still fighting it.
I had 10 years off myself and it took a few shifts before everything clicked back into place. THIS Road skills have got worse in general so try driving 2mph below the limiter and creating space when everyone else is fighting for it.is probably the best advice on here for a LONG TIME!
Apologies if I’m teaching granny to ■■■■ Ehhh eggs but confidence will increase if you can remove the fear of other road users, let em get on with it.
The old it’s like riding a bike or horse analogy can work for some, not me as when I fell off someone knicked it. Bike that is not horse, I didn’t have a horse, me brother did but I wasn’t so lucky, locked in a broom cupboard a lot and beaten with sticks was my childhood.
Sorry I’m waffling, anyway best of luck, if it helps your not alone we all have nervous moments, it will get better honest.
I had 2 years away with health issues and at the time of my return I was doubled up with a colleague who was able to take the pressure off with regard to window timings and cage/pallet handling and also give some reassurance that should I lose it someone could assist, if necessary, by taking over.
I didn’t need my colleague to take over and my confidence and stamina returned eventually.
Guys thank you so much for your advise and kind words, I have to agree with guy who said my head had gone because of my unfair dismissal I have to agree with that.
Im paying a school in swindon £90 an hour for 3 hours refresher tomorrow so should be back driving in no time, then hopefully push on and get some nice steady tramping work pulling containers or a bit of general haulage…
Joking aside its probably because you’re in a modern unit. No different for anyone when you’re put in something different. You’ll get used to it. It’s got nothing to do with confidence, it’s an ability issue. But you know what you’re doing so you’ll get the feel of it again.
You’re not the only one lad. There’s loads of guys and gals out there.who sometimes feel like you do but there to proud to say anything or face up to it.
May b a psychologist or the doc could help. but if you can deal with it without outside help .then you are stronger than you think. .think back to when you was a young lad. That’s when were fearless. We don’t give a toss then. But as we get older we lose that .you just need to walk on the wild side a bit more and think SOD IT. And get out my way. U will feel better.
Good luck lad.
Lesco if you want container work out of Southampton try WINCANTON on Eling Wharf. They get a lot of grief on here but they are used to dealing with the less experienced and a few months on there will probably get you back in the saddle.
When I came off the road and went in the office I still took a lorry out every now and again, just to keep my hand in and not get into this kind of situation.
As Juddian said, a couple of weeks away on holiday is enough to make you feel out of whack, a couple of months is worse, I was selling lorries for a living and hadn’t driven for a couple of months when I had an 8 wheeler tipper to take out and show a few potential buyers, it felt like I was sailing the QE2 down the A13 and in my earlier days Valentino Rossi wouldn’t have caught me in an 8 wheeler tipper on the A13.
A refresher course will be good as not only will you be able to get comfortable without the pressures of the job, you’ll also have a trainer sat next to you offering words of encouragement.
When you realise you can do it and the bloke sat next to you realises it too, you’ll probably wonder what all the fuss was about and lose all your inhibitions about driving lorries.
know how you feel mate lost my job as a signalman after 28 years in 2009 had dabbled with 7.5t work on agency on restdays to top my wages up pre railtrack and thought i would walk strait in and be ok doing the same boy did i get a shock digital tachos cpc differnt regs autoboxes speed limiters etc .and yes the sacking did cause a loss of confidence felt worthless and lost was a completely different environment .it will get better and your doing the right thing having lessons and dont worry you will get there
ps would go back in the boxes tommorow if they got rid of the current managment
Lesco I know where you’re coming from. I’m a fairly new Class 1 driver (been driving 8 wheel rigids for 12 years) and it’s a confidence thing for sure. I’ve left my ego on my 8 wheeler and have just been taking my time and not trying to rush things. I look at like this. Everytime I get behind the wheel I get a bit better and learn a bit more. I make mistakes that I wouldn’t on the rigid but it’s a learning curve or, in you’re case a re-learning curve. Persevere pal. It’ll come.
Best to be a bit wary after all that time away than being cocky. So many changes in everything but also stress after losing your job. Stay positive and good luck with your training day.
Parked at Northampton services (A43/M1) the other week. Awful place with hardly any space to manoeuvre to come in square. Almost hit a jock truck on my blindside. It’s put me off using MSE’s I don’t know again.
