My training Diary

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

Hi everyone. i have been reading a lot on this forum and something I’ve read was some training diaries, so i thought i’d contribute my own. i start my practical training tomorrow but i will give an overview of what i have been through until this point.

So a bit of back story to begin with. i currently work for a large supermarket (not gonna say which one as they have a strict policy on what we say about them on the internet). i used to be a delivery driver for them delivering shopping, but due to shifts in the way it was run a van was taken away from our store and i was 1 of 3 people who were shifted off the vans and put to work in store.
This gave me the push to go for my class 2 license. all this happened before Christmas.

So back to it. after Christmas had passed i booked myself in for my medical through d4drivers website (£50). after a 3 week wait i had my medical on the 26th January 2017.

I posted off my application for my provisional license only to be knocked back. the doctor had noted on the medical form it had been 16 months since my last eye test so the DVLA wanted me to have an eye test.
As it turns out it was for the best as my prescription had changed and no i need glasses to drive.
So again i send off to get my provisional license and finally on the 28th February 2017 i get my provisional license. Man that is great to receive.

Armed with my provisional i can now book my theory test.
as it lands i cant get the theory, hazard and case studies book even close to each other so its the hazard perception first on the 21st March 2017.
First visit to the theory test center isnt bad at all. I found free parking in Middlesbrough town center. after signing in 45 minutes early (lol) they dont mind and im soon sat at the computer.
not long after that i walk away from the screen, and to the desk to receive my first PASS. great news.

A week later 28th March 2017 im back in my free parking to sit my multiple choice theory. this time im only 30 minutes early and i walked away from this with my second PASS.

Again exactly another week later on the 4th April 2017 im back at the test center for my Case Studies. The car park was full this time so i had to park further away but still free. This time the test center staff recognize me. but this is the test im most nervous about as there isnt as much information out there on this test. still following advise (practice as if it is the normal theory and you should be fine), i walked out with the biggest grin as i PASSED.

Now its time to look at driving schools. there are a couple in my area, but i decide on Cleveland LGV Training

So this is where I’m at right now. I start my training tomorrow and I’m really looking forward to it.
It is 5 days training, training at a ratio 2:1 trainee:trainer which I’m happy with. no weekend driving so i think it should give me time to reflect on what I’ve learnt before a lesson then my test on Tuesday.

I have read loads form this forum and i feel i am mostly ready for it. just gotta memorize them show me, tell me questions. most of them i am confident about but there are a couple i really need to nail.

All this being said I will keep this diary going until i hopefully pass. i have work tomorrow evening and Friday evening so my entries may be a little late on those days.

Last thing to say is, i read that its recommended to have jaffa cakes ready so they are currently half price at Tesco for a triple pack and i have bought them ready

2

Nice diary also well written and presented :smiley:

3

Good luck with the training, enjoy.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

4

Good luck, I look forward to reading the training diary.

5

Good luck, a diary is a great way for people who want to train to get an idea what’s involved. That’s why I did my training diary when I did my C+E training.

6

thanks everyone. I’m heading for bed soon. need to get an early night as training starts at 7.30 in the morning.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

7

How did it go? I too had my first days training today, and also have test on Tuesday so will be following you with interest!

8

Good read. Looking forward to hearing about the practical bits. The hazard pereption worries me. Took me a couple of attempts with both my motorcycle and car licence. Usually because I click to early!

Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk

9

well I’m home after my first day training (now eating my jaffa cakes) and what a day.

I arrived at 7.10 this morning and my learning buddy (I’m not gonna attempt his name as hes not English and i wouldn’t have a clue) 5 minutes later. Our instructor Peter comes to meet us at the gate and we start at 7.15.
To start off its a full walk round of the truck (Iveco Eurotruck, I’m told its the smallest class 2 you get), explanation of where everything is on the truck and a quick run through of some of the show me tell me questions.
Back into the cab and more explanations of whats what. its nothing like the Iveco daily I used to drive.
once we know whats what its onto the first exercise of the day. simple driving round the yard to get used to the truck a little. then its time for the reversing exercise.
This is my first struggle of the day. Peter is great with the explanations and on my first go he guides me through it and im in the markings at the back. great. second go is my turn on my own and i needed some guidance at lining the truck up with the front cone (too far away, not leaving myself enough room to spin the truck round). third time is a charm though and I’m in perfectly.

so off on the road we go and my buddy is driving first. i get to watch how Peter gives his instructions and get a sense of how things look from an outside perspective. but I’m itching to drive myself.
After what seems like an age its my turn. I was driving around Darlington and to the test center. them brakes are strange and it does not go. really it does not go when you want to go, and this is where i struggled again. those roundabouts. getting a gap and going for it, then its like, no I’m going at my speed and that gap aint big enough for me. oh man how i struggled with the roundabout gaps.
Now as for size of the truck, that wasn’t a problem at all for me. i didn’t clip any curbs but i was told to move back in closer to the curb a couple of times.

Off for dinner now and peter says there’s a great cafe at the Newton Aycliff services so that where we head. He was right as there was a great McDonalds there lol.

So all fed up and my buddy is back in the seat. now it was time to learn from a couple of his mistakes, but as Peter said, now is the time for mistakes not test day. so we tried some Independent driving. my buddy was told to follow signs for A66 Teesside. He got into the right hand lane but took an exit too soon and cut off a driver. After being warned that that would have cos him a Dangerous on test, my buddy didn’t do much better after that. So from then on most of Peters time was spent trying to get my buddies driving up to standard.

This was a bit of a downer for me as I am now left wondering if I’m gonna get anywhere near as much training as my buddy.
My buddy has only recently passed his car test and has very little experience driving on English roads.

Back to the yard and were told where we need to improve. Mine is mostly keeping away from the center line and learning the acceleration in the truck.

All in I’m confident at the minute but not sure I’m going to get all the training as my buddy needs a lot more than me.

IronEddie:
Good read. Looking forward to hearing about the practical bits. The hazard pereption worries me. Took me a couple of attempts with both my motorcycle and car licence. Usually because I click to early!

Hazard perception wasn’t too bad with the help of the app I have on my android “LGV Theory Test+HPT Kit by Deep River Development”

Indigo:
How did it go? I too had my first days training today, and also have test on Tuesday so will be following you with interest!

where are you doing your training (please don’t be my buddy) I hope yours goes well.

10

Will check out that app.

Also having read everything. I’m convinced that I should go for 1 to 1 ratio for training.

Sent from my E6653 using Tapatalk

11

mahall1988:
I am now left wondering if I’m gonna get anywhere near as much training as my buddy.

If the instructor is any goo you should both get the same amount of time and if not then see the owner ASAP - you both paid the same so you both get the same

12

the 2 to 1 ratio isn’t too bad. I’m still learning while he is driving. hopefully I’ll get my fair share tomorrow otherwise i will say something.

Sent from my Pixel using Tapatalk

13

When I was LGV instructing I usually had 2 trainees and more often than not they were at different levels but I never gave more time to one or the other.

Often I would get the better driver to drive their turn through more difficult areas then they would finish their drive in an easier area for the other to take over and vice versa

14

[quote=“mahall1988”

Indigo:
How did it go? I too had my first days training today, and also have test on Tuesday so will be following you with interest!

Haha definitely not your buddy (in a nice way of course!) I’m doing my course with Peter Smythe, it’s a long way from home but I sort of needed that so I could get properly ‘in the zone’ if you know what I mean.

All 1:1 for me so definitely feeling like I’m getting good tuition/practice/experience.

Hope you get a bit more time behind the wheel today, let us know how it goes.

15

Day 2
Much improvement today. lots of driving, but a couple of stupid mistakes.

We had an early start again at 7AM, but I was first one driving today.
straight out of the yard and off to Stockton. no problems until we are driving in the busy town centre. i didn’t have any trouble with driving as such, it was more just confidence building. My instructor had to tell me more than once to speed up. “you need to make progress” those words I heard a few times today. like i said i think i just need to be a bit more confident and get used to the width of the truck.

Out on the 50 roads and there are no problem. I drove to the test centre in Darlington and then it was all test routes.
Roundabouts. those dam roundabouts. gauging that gap and getting the truck to go. I’m getting better at it and by the end of the day I am much better.

Time to swap and I’m now the spectator. while i was spectating I came to a major realisation.

As a car driver i hardly ever paid attention to vehicle restrictions. I know most of the local roads and where i can and cant take a car or the van i used to drive.
As I was spectating, I read every road sign and realised there are many roads i simple wont be allowed to drive down in a truck.

So with this realisation I now make sure I’m reading the road signs. Just as well as the next route we are on I’m told that i have to follow the road ahead, unless he tells me otherwise or a road sign tells me otherwise. I was driving a country lane and i came upon a sign with an early right turn and a later left turn. The road ahead has a weight restriction of 7.5ton. the road to the right is before the left turn and Peter had not told me in good time to turn right so its a left turn then.

thankfully I had thought about restrictions before that so i didn’t look as stupid as i felt.

Anyway back into Darlington. I was coming up on a roundabout and Peter instructed me to turn left. This is my first time I have mounted the curb. I turned too early and caught the nearside curb and i knew I had done it just before I hit it.

anyway I got on with it and had no more problems the rest of the day.

Back to the yard and had a few more times at the reverse manoeuvre. No problems at that, i did it three times in a row.

That ends day 2 and I’m feeling stupid about the signs but still excited about gaining my class 2 license.

Indigo:
Haha definitely not your buddy (in a nice way of course!) I’m doing my course with Peter Smythe, it’s a long way from home but I sort of needed that so I could get properly ‘in the zone’ if you know what I mean.

All 1:1 for me so definitely feeling like I’m getting good tuition/practice/experience.

Hope you get a bit more time behind the wheel today, let us know how it goes.

Im glad your enjoying your training. there are definite pros and cons to 2:1 training but as i found out today it made me realise my stupid way of driving before.

16

ROG:
When I was LGV instructing I usually had 2 trainees and more often than not they were at different levels but I never gave more time to one or the other.

Often I would get the better driver to drive their turn through more difficult areas then they would finish their drive in an easier area for the other to take over and vice versa

I had a chat with my instructor at dinner today. i just said that i was a bit worried that, as my buddy will need more training, im not going to get as much training in as my buddy will. He said he wont let that happen. it will be equal driving time and as he had a lot more yesterday it would level out by the end of the course.
Today definitely felt a lot more equal.

I think Peter is doing something similar with us too. Other than the test routes my buddy drove mostly industrial estates and i drove the busy town centres.

17

Seems as though your concerns have been sorted by what seems an ‘on the ball’ instructor :smiley:

18

ROG:
Seems as though your concerns have been sorted by what seems an ‘on the ball’ instructor :smiley:

Yea Peter is great. the more i learn now the better i guess.

19

Late entry today, I had work straight after training.

Day 3

today started late as we had to go round the corner to ATS to get a new tyre (a couple of little bulges in the nearside rear tyre). while waiting for the ATS to open we did some module 4 stuff. first off it was the load secure demonstration trolley. chain, straps and bar are all no problem but I’m going to have to practice that dolly knot. i did it a few times but i can see myself forgetting it.
Then onto the mod 4 questions. there’s a lot but i think i have most of them down.
so we get our tyre changed then were off. To Darlington and more test routes. no major mess ups today. i had a really tight 2 lane entry to a mini roundabout and a large council van that held me back but Peter said i handled it well and i wouldn’t get any faults for how i managed it.

later on in the day i had a bit of a struggle on a roundabout though. nothing too bad but i could not get the truck going when trying to enter a busy roundabout. had a couple of missed opportunities because of it but i did get out eventually.

back to the yard and time to have another go at that reverse manoeuvre and what would you know i got it in first time on all three goes.

That was it for the day really. not much to say as it mostly went very well. Peter did say that i should pass on tuesday so that’s a confidence boost.

Not a big entry today but i think i covered most of the days events. It’s 11PM now and i’m absolutely shattered so i’ll say goodnight.

20

Dolly knot is not needed for mod 4 unless you choose rope instead of strap