New CE Driver First Week Diary

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
1

Having just passed my CE test on 20th November, I am still very green.

However, tomorrow is my first day in my new job driving tankers…I would like to add that I am NOT transporting hazardous material. The transport manager told me that he would not trust me with hazardous just yet…which is understandable. He did say that they would put me through the ADR at some point in the future :slight_smile: .

Any way… tomorrow is the big day and the nerves are beginning to kick in!

I am going to be out with another driver for the first week…learning the ropes so thought I would do a bit of a diary of my first week.

NS

2

Just a quick question…

If I am teamed up with another driver but not necessarily driving will I have to have my digi card in slot 2 on other work :question:

3

Your card will need to be in the other slot; the mode depends on what your’e actually doing or not doing.

Good luck with it, Pete :laughing: :laughing:

4

Thanks Pete,

Looking forward to it but a little apprehensive!

5

Night Spirit:
If I am teamed up with another driver but not necessarily driving will I have to have my digi card in slot 2 on other work :question:

As has been said your driver card should be put in slot 2.

Whilst the vehicle is stationary you can select a mode to suit what you’re doing, but once the vehicle starts moving slot 2 automatically changes to POA, when the vehicle stops and you start working you should change the mode to other work.

Whilst your sat in the passenger seat with your driver card in slot 2 the first 45 minutes of POA will count as break.

6

Good luck for your first day, hope it all goes well. :slight_smile:

7

DAY #1

I was up out of bed at the crack of dawn…not like me as I have spent the last few years working late shifts, so it was a bit of a shock to the system. I turned up at the yard at 6 AM and started hunting around for the driver I was going out with, I had known this guys name and registration number of the unit he would be in all week. I eventually found him and he wasn’t even expecting me :confused:

Anyway, introductions out of the way and I informed him that I had only just passed my LGV test and I was straight in at the deep end. I was driving :open_mouth:

It was a MAN I would be driving, pulling a tanker and it seemed huge compared to the Volvo FM12 I had passed my test in. It was automatic which made life a little easier…no gear changes to worry about! :slight_smile: We set off on the 20 mile drive to pick up our first load. really tight single track roads into the site we were going to, but I managed to get in without incident.

I was shown the procedure for connecting up the tank opening the vent and which valves to open, where to go to complete paperwork…seemed like a lot to remember :open_mouth: We left and headed out onto the single track road again back to the main road. I now had to pull out into traffic on a uphill slope with 29 tonnes on the back… :open_mouth:

I managed after being shown the hill start button and going into manual then back into auto once out. The moving around of the liquid in the tank was quite un-nerving :confused: But it was good to be out doing the job for real.

We set off on the 30 mile journey to our tipping point and again I was shown how to fill in the paperwork and discharge the load. Then a drive empty to another pick up location and shown the pick up point and procedure on loading here, which was different to the first site…now I was getting really confused and started making notes.

There was also a digital display on the trailer which you had to press buttons on to over ride the air suspension…didn’t really understand but had to press the button for 5 seconds :confused: The second load was going to yet another site to be processed and I had to reverse into a narrow bay at a tight angle and avoid the vehicle next to me…tried twice and could not get it in… :frowning: eventually my mentor did it.

next run was back to the location we had been to first and the after that we went to the other site. 12 hour shift and I was absolutely mentally exhausted after wards. My mentor was trying to sort out a vehicle for a night shift driver due to a breakdown whilst on our way to the yard, when we arrived at the yard he jumped out and said to go and turn around. The yard was small with trucks parked every where and it was dark. I pulled to the bottom of the yard and tried to reverse back into a space but could not get in. Mentor eventually came back practically dragged me out of the cab and turned it around. I understand he was stressed but he was losing his temper with me :frowning:

I enjoyed the day but was feeling a little down when I finished because of the mentors attitude towards me at the end of the day, because he was having problems elsewhere.

8

Day #2

Another early start again today and I was with a different mentor in a different truck (Volvo).

We left the yard late due to our vehicle turning up late and my mentor drove to our first pickup which was around 40 miles away. He asked me about my driving experience on the way and told me I could drive back after picking up our load.

On arrival at our pickup point we joined the que and then stood around for 2 hours 30 waiting to be loaded :open_mouth:

Eventually we were on our way and it was totally different driving the Volvo compared to the MAN the previous day! a lot less power. We got to our tipping point and emptied the tanker and then set off back to the same location for another load, then back again to tip at the same location.

Returned to the yard a little early and went to drop the tank off at a site a few miles away to be collected next day.

Really enjoyed the day and I even managed a couple of reverses in fairly tight areas without too much of a problem :smiley:

Think I am going to enjoy the work once I get into it :smiley:

9

Good to hear, its horrible when you get a 1st day at any job where you come away having been made to feel inadequate or whatever.

Glad day 2 went better mate.

10

Pleased day 2 was better. Stick at it. The more you learn the more you’ll enjoy it. No-one starts off knowing it all - sounds to me you’re doing fine.

Pete :laughing: :laughing:

11

Thanks guys,

It just seems like a lot to take in all at once, remembering all the different things at the various collection points and delivery points, and the paperwork on top of all that. I think once they let me loose on my own and I can go at a comfortable pace and do the runs a few times it will be really enjoyable.

Looking forward to tomorrow as I am working a night shift.

12

Same as me mate, once you do things yourself It suddenly all clicks at a certain point and you forget what you used to worry about.

I will be the same if I ever get my ■■■ in gear and do my C+E anytime soon

13

I wish you a good and helpful “buddy” for next shift
compare the Day 1!
.
Mario :wink:

14

TJ82:
Same as me mate, once you do things yourself It suddenly all clicks at a certain point and you forget what you used to worry about.

Yeah I agree Im always happier when I have done something myself at my own pace.

Zanfta thanks, really enjoying it so far and looking forward to my night shift…at least the roads will be quiet! :smiley:

15

First day in any job can be a nightmare. Sounds like you coped overall though - you didn’t get anything badly wrong. Shame the first guy was lacking in patience but maybe he was just having a bad day. So pleased to see Day 2 went better.

This is my main worry - chopping and changing vehicles, each with their own sets of different buttons etc. I’m planning to start a bit of a list of each different truck with things to remember, perhaps even taking some phone pics to help jog memory etc.

Hope it continues to improve and get easier!

16

Thanks TheMissus - I am the same with regard to different vehicles, started the week on automatics and had a manual last night which would not go into 4th? soon got used to it however.

Day #3

Well, I was sent out on my own today to a location I had previously been to with my mentor, however it did come as a shock as I was told I would be with a mentor for 6 days and then do a 2 day induction.

So I managed to fuel the truck up without too much hassle, walk around check done and off I went. Just got out of yard and driving along the road and the truck felt weird compared to the other vehicles I had driven. It seemed to be revving really high compared to the gear I was in, I then noticed the light on the dash, a small cog with a L in the middle. Flicked the switch on the side of the gear stick and light went out and it felt ok again.

I arrived at my loading location and then spent 15 minutes reversing…driving forward…reversing…driving forward…trying to get into the loading point. Security man had been watching on the CCTV, when I went in he said “I wasn’t laughing honest!” :blush:

Eventually got my load and set off feeling quite pleased with myself at having managed it. :smiley:

I had to take it to a location about 50 miles away tip and then return for another load. Soon got into it and my 12 hour shift seemed to fly past. I did however lose track of how much driving I had done since my last break at one point…it was a paper tacho and I didn’t know if I could open the draw to have a look? Is there an easy way of keeping track of the times? somebody mentioned an “Hour Guard” anybody know if they are any good? :question:

My second load I managed to get into the loading area a little easier but did have to shunt.

Overall I really enjoyed the shift and looking forward to my next one.

17

That button will have been the shift from low to high gears I’m guessing.

Glad you didn’t get too frustrated with the reversing. It’s going to get easier with every bit of practice (that’s my hope anyhow!) :smiley:

I’m def gonna book some practice in manuals as well as passing in an auto. it just makes sense!

If you have or get a truck sat nav they have timers built in. I’ve not looked into hours guards yet but was thinking even a cheap kitchen timer counting down from 4.5 is going to be handy…

18

I am going to have to come up with some way of keeping track of my time. With a digi tacho you can just press the button to see what you have driven but can’t do that with analogue paper ones.

Don’t know much about the “Hour Guard” but may have to look into it. :slight_smile:

19

TheMissus:
That button will have been the shift from low to high gears I’m guessing.

Glad you didn’t get too frustrated with the reversing. It’s going to get easier with every bit of practice (that’s my hope anyhow!) :smiley:

I’m def gonna book some practice in manuals as well as passing in an auto. it just makes sense!

If you have or get a truck sat nav they have timers built in. I’ve not looked into hours guards yet but was thinking even a cheap kitchen timer counting down from 4.5 is going to be handy…

I would never learn in a solo auto, it takes or took me a good few hours to get to grips with 4over4, I think the auto is a great bit of kit but to learn I think a manual should always be used,

20

Truck timer:

ebay.co.uk/itm/Large-Countdo … 53f15831a5

Maplin also sell them although closer to £10.00