Mothertrucker:
No coasting full stop, smooth gear changes - nothng else is good enough.
…and it never will be. I agree with your instructor 100%
I have been told the same when i 1st started my classs 2 training…GET IT IN ■■■■■■ GEAR , ANY GEAR, DONT COAST 
Darren:
GET IT IN [zb] GEAR , ANY GEAR, DONT COAST
Wish he lets me choose any gear… nope… slow down on the approach of a roundabout using either the exhaust or foot brake, then select the gear you are going to use to accelerate away from it. No slowing down with the gears for me.
Mark 
slow down on the approach of a roundabout using either the exhaust or foot brake, then select the gear you are going to use to accelerate away from it. No slowing down with the gears for me.
Is your instructor my twin by any chance■■? 
I am with him all the way so far.
Another day of training… two more to go.
Started at 09:00 and the instructor decided to give Chelmsford a miss this time and concentrate on some tight corners in Winchmore Hill and Highlands Village. Some very tight roundabouts there! But I managed not to clip any kerbs. Well chuffed with that.
We then went to Harlesden and Wembley and had lunch in the Ace Cafe.
After lunch off to Welwyn Garden City, through Hoddesdon and back to the yard.
Drove in total for 5 hrs. Managed to avoid any kerbs and didn’t get myself in a panic on the roundabouts.
Still to get the following to perfection:
Road positioning on roundabouts. I need to read the road better and move over to the left more appropriately when the arrows on the road allow.
Moving onto a roundabout from stand still. I, today, had real troubles with that. When to do you go? Every second you are standing still in front of the roundabout the pressure is on to get moving. I’m finding this extremely difficult and it resulted in a couple of times me crossing too early making cars on the roundabout slow down
We also discussed the fine line between being cautious and being hesitant. Gawd only knows how examiners judge this.
Will update again tomorrow. Plan is to go to Waltham Cross shop, then on to Hoddesdon shop and the rest of the day to drive a couple of test routes in Chelmsford.
Mark
and had lunch in the Ace Cafe.
One of my favourite places!!! - I am always there on Hot Rod nights.
Thanks for the warning about Waltham Cross tomorrow I may give my shopping trip there a miss to be on the safe side
Interlog - you have PM
Thanks for you PM Mothertrucker 
Had a very bad day today… school boy’s error galore 
Set off to Waltham Cross store to pick up some empty dollies and delivered them to Hoddesdon store. So far so good. Got out of Hoddesdon store and had to turn around round the mini-ish roundabout. Don’t know what happened there but I was in car mode and couldn’t get round 
The roundabout was big enough, as artics turn round there.
On via Harlow to Chelmsford. Stopped in the test centre for a quick cuppa and off we went to do the first test route. Everything that could go wrong went wrong… clipped a kerb, let cars slow down on roundabouts… wrong gears… the job lot.
I felt like I had taken two steps backwards and was driving like first day stuff.
I would have failed the test badly… 4 serious and 22 minors
Did the second route and things went a little better. One serious and still too many minors for a pass though. Things didn’t help either when my instructor asked me to take the 4th exit off a roundabout and silly me taking the 3rd one.
Feel a little disheartened and low by it. My feeling is that I will never ever pass the test.
I know that I have one more full day of training left (tomorrow) and I have to get that feeling turned round. Got to make the most of it.
Mark
relax & dont get too worried about it…you have to keep it together for that 1 hour of the test, hopefully you will.
Put today behind you & good luck
My instructer told me that most people have a crap day, mine was on my forth day of training. He puts it down to over convidence, you think you’ve got it nailed and when you make the first error you beat yourself up over it and lose concentration. Don’t dwell on it, you’ll be fine on the next lesson. Just because artics can swing around there it does’nt mean a big rigid will turn as easy.
This is actually quite normal. I usually call it ‘Third Day Driving’
The start off pretty poor and get better as the day progresses.
Day two they are doing fine and getting really confident
Then day three… everyhting goes pear shaped.
I actually think tis is a pretty good thing as it makes you realise that you cant rest on your laurels and still have to concentrate . The following day usually goes brilliant.
We all have bad days and this one just happend to be yours 
Dont worry you will get it together in the end.
The roundabout was big enough, as artics turn round there.
Don’t be fooled by thinking if an artic can do it, then a rigid can too. There are plenty of places where an artic can turn that a rigid can’t.
Ever seen an artic do a U-ey at a T Junction, try do that with a big rigid (as it were)
8wheels:
try do that with a big rigid (as it were)
That’s about the 15th time you’d mentioned your big rigid this week. There are places for that kind of discussion you know.
Thanks for all your replies…
Will put today behind me and start again tomorrow.
Those in the area of Chelmsford tomorrow - better stay clear
Mark
I remember waiting at the test centre before my class 2 test, I was physically shaking and my instructor told me to just relax and enjoy the drive, its always experience at the end of the day, just think of it as a lesson.
You may find that you will go out onto your test make a [zb] up and think [zb] Ive just failed, the examinor may even tell you off, but yet come to the end of the test he/she hasnt even marked it down.
Dont get me wrong there are some [zb] examinors out there with their smooth talking cocky attitude and couldnt give a toss whether you pass or fail, but there are also a lot of good ones.
A good examinor will talk to you and make you feel at ease, may even give you advice at times and even if you make a [zb] up, if he/she feels you have learned from that miskake by the end of the test then they may pass you.
You have just got to make them confident that you wont make any dangerous decisions whilst behind the wheel on your own and you can genuinly control and manuvore the vehicle safely without putting yourself or anybody else at risk at all times, thats all there is to it, you have got to prove it to them and earn their trust so they have enough confidence in you to sign their name on it.
So if you make a mistake just keep going and put your 100% confidence in your driving and nothing else until the end of the test, even if they tell you off, you never know.
Good luck.
Eyeball? KX55 ■■? Volvo FL 6 wheeler today by Lidl (near Army & Navy) about 1020.
Saw a Sainsbury’s rigid, sure enough on L plates, thought it would be as I’ve never seen a non artic Sainsburys wagon in Chelmsford.
That sure enough was me
Went much better today… good rest tomorrow, early night tomorrow night and back in the yard for 06:00 on Monday.
Test is at 08:45.
Mark
Best of luck then. Hopefully you should be OK, at least i didn’t have to sweve too much to avoid you.
Hi Interlog
Ive only just passed my test on Friday,27/10,so two days ago...and I dont mean to even pretend to have any experience of C class driving to offer…Id never even driven a van before my 5 day course and passed first time...and theres a helluva load of guys with heaps of experience here…but what I can offer is this support…
I managed over the course of the 5 days to “kerb” around 10 times and made all sorts of mistakes…I even managed to scrape down the side of a bus on a country lane on the 4th day…the bus was right over in my lane and just sat there…impossible to reverse for me and the bus driver just sat there,so I took the lead and did nothing but panic a bit…
But thats the thing...you dont have to get it right on your course and youre expected to make mistakes... the thing with me was that I wasnt slow enough when necessary and so the best advice I have to offer is keep it down to a manageable speed at the times you need to.
The other thing to remember is that on the course youre not expected to get it right all the time and youll be feeling this yourself…youre aware it isnt the real thing and when it is your training will take over…
I hope I`ve not overstepped the mark by offering this advise,considering my inexperience in relevant driving,but I thought it might be of use precisely because of this lack.
Good luck.
Good luck with the test Interlog!
Here is goes…
Woke up at 0415 hrs, full of energy 
Arrived at the depot for 06:00 hrs and checked the truck through, It was only loaded with rollers and salvage
Had to sort that out first - backed on the bay, unloaded the truck and on our way to Chelmsford we went.
Arrived in Chelmsford in good time for the 0845 test.
At 0845 on the dot the examiner calls out my name. Off we went to the truck and was asked 4 questions about it. Answered them correctly.
Reversing exercise next. Went OK without any problems. In the box first time but to be extra sure backed it up a couple of inches.
Controlled brake test next… no problems - gently stopped the truck.
Off we went for an hour or so drive. Out of the test centre, turn right and left at the roundabout. Towards the next roundabout and turn right.,
Some 10 minutes in the test, the examiner asked me to pull up when possible and once we got to a stop, move off again.
Onto the A12 for about 5 minutes. Off at the A12 and the examiner asked me to pull up at the next lay-by, Got a bit worried there as I thought he was going to ask me to stop the test
Pulled up in the lay-by, come to a stop and was asked to pull out again. Mirror, Mirror, Signal, blindspot, Mirror and off we went.
Onto the “Army and Navy” roundabout. Examiner asked me to do a right turn. We are now about half an hour into the test. Approached the roundabout and I couldn’t believe my luck - the thing was totally empty
Across the roundabout and in my excitement I missed a gear. I spotted through my left eye that the examiner for the first time opened his clipboard and ticked a box. Hmmm… surely the missing of a gear would not be a major
We continued towards Chelmsford centre. All went well for about 10 minutes.
Next set of traffic lights and a tight right turn ahead. Made sure that I was well clear of the kerb. Examiner opens his clipboard again and another tick. Hmm… what did I do wrong. Must ignore looking at the examiner and carry on as normal.
The rest is, scaringly , a bit of a blur.
Before I knew it I was turning back into the test centre.
“Ok”, the examiner said, “pull up before the two cones ahead of you”. Pulled up. “Ok Mark, this is the end of the test, give me a few minutes to sort out my paperwork”.
These few minutes seemed to last forever. The examiner was ticking boxes left, right and centre
He then slowly spoke the following words:
“I am pleased to inform you that you have passed the test”
What a result
Nine minors (but hey who cares) and a step nearer to getting my class I license.
Thanks to those in this topic that have given me tips and advice. Very much appreciated
Mark