Great post for us novices. 1 thing i might add buy some ralgex or such like, my shoulder kills after 5 days training!!. I know i know, i gotta learn to change gear properly 
degsy:
Great post for us novices. 1 thing i might add buy some ralgex or such like, my shoulder kills after 5 days training!!. I know i know, i gotta learn to change gear properly
Thanks and credit to Krankee & Dieseldave for the gearbox sections 
You need a womans touch for the gearbox - its what I teach my trainees but it usually falls on deaf ears as they try to muscle the gears into the slots yet again 
Thanks for all the tips . . . looks like i have plenty to learn .
The one thing i’m happy about is driving out of the side mirrors and losing the rear view mirror . . . i tow a horse box a lot of the time, so the rear view mirror is out of the game a lot anyway.
some usefull info there rog cheers 
Only just noticed this 
Thank you robb & fisha from me & on behalf of all those whose links I used
I am learning to drive a class 2, and my instructor taught me to do double declutching.
don’t know why as i was driving an '04 merc. it was horrible double declutching as i have never done it even in a car.
i drive a p reg vectra and i have never had the need to do this.
Why do they try to teach double declutching when it is not needed?
makes ya wonder don’t it!!!
mutha-trucker:
I am learning to drive a class 2, and my instructor taught me to do double declutching.
don’t know why as i was driving an '04 merc. it was horrible double declutching as i have never done it even in a car.
i drive a p reg vectra and i have never had the need to do this.
Why do they try to teach double declutching when it is not needed?makes ya wonder don’t it!!!
Totally unnecessary to DDC unless the instructor was trying to slow down your gear changes - a lot of trainees try to change gear without pausing in neutral and this makes for rushed and some times, jerky gear changes.
Pausing in neutral also allows you to THINK in case you mucked up the switch or were going to the wrong gear.
I think my instructor noticed i kept buggering up the gear changes thats why he did it.
I am used to a car gear box with only 5 gears then having a box with 6 is a totally different thing.
I shunt lorries at work where i only use 2nd gear and reverse to get round the yard, so using all the gears is new to me.
thanks for the explanation.
It just seemed very strange thats all that he was trying to teach me ddc.
ROG:
Totally unnecessary to DDC unless the instructor was trying to slow down your gear changes - a lot of trainees try to change gear without pausing in neutral and this makes for rushed and some times, jerky gear changes.
Fast gear changing also wears out the syncros 
I always told trainees that they’re shifting an awful lot of metal in a truck gearbox. 
Why not DDC anyway - it was conclusively proved in another thread that it is better for your gearbox to DDC… 
my leg killed me when i tried it. i would have one leg bigger than the other. tee hee
Zetorpilot:
Why not DDC anyway - it was conclusively proved in another thread that it is better for your gearbox to DDC…
As many of us knew it would
Nice one Z
is it possible to have some pics of lane discipline and what tight turnings in towns at traffic lights
i have to DDC 
driving a shoddy old merc with an eaton fuller roadranger box
buffoon:
is it possible to have some pics of lane discipline and what tight turnings in towns at traffic lights
Not quite sure what you require 
Lane discipline is best seen in the mirrors when you look at the position of your wheels and the position of your rear wheels is determined by where you placed the front wheels.
If talking about an artic, then the ‘PIVOT POINT’ is the front axle of a tandem traile and the middle axle of a tri-axle trailer.
The n/s trailer pivot point is controlled by the o/s/f unit wheel & the o/s pivot pont is controlled by where you put the n/s/f unit wheel.
The more room you take with the unit front wheel will mean the more room the corresponding pivot point will have.
As for watching lane discipline, take some time out and go to a place where artics do regular turns and watch them.
Watch out for where the road ‘kicks’ left just before a roundabout - a lot do and that is a point where you can get caught out with the n/s trailer wheels - look at the grond near such a place and look for the ruts in the grass etc where others have got it wrong.
Work out what piece of road you need to avoid going over a kerb and stick to your plan - if some else takes the space you need - BRAKE - and wait for the space to become clear for you to use.
If, when looking at a roundabout, you think you will need all the room when on the roundabout, then take all the room on the approach.
tried the not using the rear view mirror too, helps take temptation away that i can remove it lol gotta love volvo for forward thinking lol
Just wanted to say a massive thanks to ROG for all the advice he has put on these forums.
I have workied in Banking for years, but have my Theory test on Monday morning and then hopefully should be starting my Class C training straight after. Whilst I have been revising for the test and considering if driving really is a career I want to do ROG always seems to have already answered any questions I wanted to ask (and in plain language a newbie can understand)
If I lived anywhere near Leicester wld def be giving you a ring to sort out my practical training.
Welcome peach82
Just wanted to say a massive thanks to ROG for all the advice he has put on these forums.
Thanks but a lot of others have made extensive contributions as well
Just to say a really big thankyou to everyone who has added links, given tips and offered advice, I am stuck training with sterling and only have a week left till the course starts but i have been studing and practicing all i can since i found out about their wonderful reviews.
I would have been wasting my time if it wasn’t for all of you peeps sharing your tips. I for one am more than grateful to all of you and i will let you no if i pass the c class on the 30th.
It dosen’t help to no that the examiners in wolverhampton apperently dislike all sterling trainees and try to trip them up (this info from an agency driver who has offered me my first job should i pass), this might just be trying to scare me though as i was told they try to get you to back around a blind corner (he says u need a banksman for this) and taking corners where you have to mount the kerb (on this he said u must stop and tell the examiner that u will mount the kerb and do safty checks) but i can understand this from the compans track record.
Oh well i can only do my best, are there any more tricks in the test if any or is this person in need of a good slapping?
**:D :smiley: :smiley: Welcome lokey :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:**
If you click the link in my signature it will lead you to an index where you can access a lot of info which may be of use to you - well, you might do but most of them are in this thread
To book any LGV training I suggest the trainee-to-be, visits the training school, meets the head person(s) and has a quick look at the truck BEFORE parting with any money. - too late, you went with one of those companies that we do not favour on this site BUT BUT BUT that does not mean you will get a bad instructor
As for all the weird and wonderful crap that you are hearing - ignore it - listen to your instructor
GENERAL DRIVING TIPS BEFORE STARTING LGV C TRAINING
A number of LGV instructors, myself included, are finding that the general driving standard of many trainees coming to do their LGV ‘C’ course is not at a very high standard.
I have had a number who ‘THINK’ they are good but find myself having to go ‘BACK TO BASICS’ before they can really start learning how to handle a truck.
For the trainee this means wasted time on the course and that means that the trainee is paying good money to be taught how to drive again
There are a number of things that a driver can do before starting their first LGV training course to improve their general driving.
The obvious ones are to practise the DSA procedures, which could mean losing the rear view mirror, and then, every time to set off, doing the mirror, mirror, blind spot routine. Checking BOTH side mirrors before moving within the lane you are in, signalling or before the increasing & decreasing of your speed.
The less obvious is to practise forward planning — the THINKING bit.
A good way of doing this is to use your brakes a lot less than what you do at present — sounds daft but think about it — to use the brakes less then you will have to ease off earlier — to ease off earlier you will have to plan ahead more.
I don’t mean by changing down through the gearbox either as that will waste fuel.
A good example would be when approaching a queue of standing traffic, which is waiting for traffic lights to change or waiting to enter a roundabout.
The moment you see the queue, check mirrors and ease off in the gear you are in. let the vehicle slow down on it’s own, dipping the clutch as necessary to control any possible stalling. If the vehicle gets to the lowest gear speed (usually first gear) then engage that gear.
If, whilst easing off, you anticipate that the traffic is going to proceed, then engage the gear that will take you with them without rushing up to the rear of the queue.
You will be leaving a large area of tarmac in front of your vehicle when you ease off early. If another vehicle goes into the gap then re-adjust to accommodate it. If you curse at the vehicle that went into your forward space then decide if a few feet of tarmac is worth getting stressed over!!
When following other traffic, do you touch your brakes when they touch theirs? — If yes, then you are too close. Back off so that you can ease off without the use of brakes. Again, this requires a good deal of forward planning, which will be very useful when you drive a truck.
The general idea is to never stop but to keep moving forward even if at a very slow pace.
If you have to use the brakes then plan to use them gradually. Start by taking up the play of the pedal then resting the weight of your foot & leg on the pedal. That is then followed by squeezing down onto the pedal and squeeze down to a depth that will do the job during the middle of your braking so that you can ease off the pedal well before you actually need to come to a stop.