Afternoon everyone.
After reading many other peoples diaries on their trials and tribulations on their training, I thought I’d add my own.
Training was with Herts RoadTrain in Letchworth, Michelle in the office, Paul and John the instructors.
Chosen for being their own test centre.
Monday 24th September
So, 8am arrive, time for licence photocopy and fees paying, then coffee time.
Seems there are 2 people for C +E training and 1 part time for C training.
Quick chat and introductions, then we found we’d be eased into our training nice and easily, with reversing.
This is mainly because during chat time, we (c+e trainees) mentioned we weren’t looked forward (or backward) to the reverse, so our instructor Paul decided we’d do that today.
We’re using a 54 plate Daf, 4 over 4 with a splitter, and 430 horses, so I’m told.
After vehicle walk round and underbonnet checks it was time for the dreaded reverse.
Up till now, I’ve avoided towing unless its a breakdown of 1 of our family cars, and completely avoided reversing while pulling anything, so this was a complete new thing for me.
Other guy didn’t fair any better. Reversing practice took all morning (inc t break), then we stopped for lunch, then back into it in the afternoon. By around 2ish, it was t break time again, as no matter what, it wasn’t getting any easier.
At times, we were so brain frazzled by it, we’d struggle to remember our own names.
By the end of the day (4ish), it hadn’t progressed much further so called it a day, being told we’d have more opportunity to practice it again.
All in all, between the 2 of us, we the speedo had clocked up 3 miles ! so approx 1.5 miles apiece, and probably an equal amount of distance going backwards.
Tuesday
8am and coffee time.
First up today was out on the road driving, after checks. I was up first, so out on the road we went.
Mixture of roads, as you’d expect, easy large roundabouts down to ■■■■■■ tight left hand turns using up all the road (or near enough).
Gear use started with 3L and ended up at 8L.
The box is a twin splitter, but high gear switch on the side only used when on A1M or long sections of dual carrigeway.
During our lunch, we got to watch some videos, the ‘get it wrong and this is what happens’ type.
Ended the day with more reversing practice. This is where the instructor gave us new instruction for the reverse, as neither of us could get it done using the printed instructions given.
So with new marker points set, we gave it a few more goes, and things were a lot better.
Wednesday.
Started the day with coffee follwed by usual check and then another few reverses. Things falling in place as one went really well, the next less so, requiring a shunt to get in the box. After that, uncoupling and recoupling. This wasn’t too bad, think BLANK to get it mostly done then a few other bits of info required for the test. Then onto the road for some more driving experience. This didn’t go too bad, as most of it you’re going forwards for !
After lunch, during chat time, other trainees expressed their problems with not being able to do stuff in time, ie gearchange, positioning etc.
What could have been a 5 minute chat, turned into a long chat, which could have been simplified with words such as ‘slow down more’ or ’ prepare a bit earlier’, but, I’m a trainee too, so listened intently.
After all, too fast in will cause you problems, and as they’re the instructors, best to listen to them.
Thursday
8am start, and usual start, coffee, and videos. Usual stuff, if you don’t slow down, death crashes, etc.
Worthy stuff to be honest. Watching a truck smash into a row of parked cars, flattening the first couple completely is far better than being in said truck.
After that, time for another uncouple and recouple exercise, followed by a run though of the Q & A’s.
Then time for getting out on the road.
As its the 3rd day of being on the road, its coming together though still with a few hiccups along the way. (kerbs mainly!)
Friday. Today.
Judgment day.
Got in at 8, and had realised on the way in, I’d forgotten my notes.
Nerves were building prior to realising that so had a quick look at some standard notes, then after a very quick coffee, it was vehicle checking time.
Once done, out on the road for a quick warm up, then back to the depot for reversing practice.
After a couple of goes, and it going reasonably well, it was time to park up and meet the examiner.
The test. 915am
After the two questions, it was reversing time again, only this time, it mattered !
Took my time, checked the markers, and got it in the box first time. I was happy with that.
Then onto the road for around an hour.
In general, took my time and made sure I stayed away from kerbs.As it happened, occasionally, I was very away from the kerbs, unneccessarily it seemed.
As part of independent driving, I went from Henlow to Hitchin, which was all ok.
Once out of Hitchin on to the A602 to the A1 was mostly ok, apart from slowing to the A1M roundabout where I’d now seemed unable to switch from overdrive(as instructor called it, switch on side of stick) to normal.
While faffing about with that, I missed the start of my lane, and once I’d crawled over to it and found the right gear, I found I was too far left and hadn’t guarded the line, which caused me problems when getting on to the roundabout.
Kerb time, at which point I realised despite a good drive till then, it didn’t matter now I’d found the kerb. Worse still, while moving forwards and looking for 6th (from 4th), I managed to find 8th. Then reverse. Although no reverse bleeper is fitted, the gearbox did a pretty good job of letting me know it wasn’t happy so eventually found 6th.
Up the A1M sliproad, I was gutted and had visions of the walk of shame I would have to do when back at the training centre.
Off the A1M going into Letchworth was unremarkable afterwards, though I still made sure I stayed away from any further kerbs. (Well away).
Into the yard is tricky at Herts RoadTrain.
Once through the barrier, it’s sharp left (running the path is allowed here, though you can squeeze round without it if you’re lucky, or good, which I managed once).
Then a sharp right a little further on to get into the yard itself.
Can’t run the path here as theres a walkway barrier on o/s and a fence on n/s and you literally crawl it round to get through.
Then onto the coupling exercise.
After the kerb and gearbox crunching exercise fifteen minutes prior, I wasn’t in the most motivated of moods, but got through this exercise without any real problems.
After hitching back up and lights and brake check I pulled up, examiner got back into the cab, did the usual ‘do you want the trainer to hear my comments’ line, to which I figured he’d need to hear it anyway so agreed.
And then the examiner informed me he was pleased to tell me I’d passed !
6 minors is what I’d got tallied up on my sheet, so licence handover, and a signature and I was on my way.
So a big thanks to the people at Herts Roadtrain in Letchworth.
A bit of a drive from Milton Keynes, but chose these due to them being their own test centre, which was dead handy for the hours of reversing practice we did !
Hope you enjoyed my little diary.
