Hi Guys, just after a bit of advice. Iv always wanted to do lorry driving but always put off doing it for different reasons. Anyway decided to go for it, have passed all theorys and had my assesment drive yesterday. Now I am questioning wether it is for me. I found the assesment drive very stressful even though I did reasonably well. Afterwards I was pleased it was over. They recommended I need 18 hours training to pass class 2. Is it normal to feel like this or is it not for me? Any advice would be helpful, thanks in advance.
Your driving a massive (coming from a car) heavy vehicle and have to deal with other road users who don’t really care your there, which is probably why you felt stressed.
How was the person assessing you? Were they quite uptight or come across in a relaxed manor? It could be that the assessor was contributing to your stressed feeling.
Maybe try anther training school for an assessment, it’s always good to have a couple anyway.
Well. It’s not easy to decide for someone else. You don’t want to spend 2k or over on something you don’t enjoy. The only thing I can tell you is that I was enjoying my assessment and couldn’t wait to get back behind the wheel after.
No all at the training school were really friendly I think its just a lot harder than I thought it would be, couldnt get first gear for about the first 20 (the instructer did it for me) mintues! I think I did ok overall just found the whole experience stressful. Now im not sure wether to go ahead or stop before I shell out loads of money!
As TJ said try different training school. Good luck.
The assessment should be business like but FUN
I enjoyed mine.
You need to have some level of stress though.
It isn’t far from the back of my mind that there is 44 tons that if things go wrong it will go horribly wrong. There are times at 4.30 in the morning on a wet A12 with no cateyes in a driving gale that you can really question why you are doing it.
Felt like I was thrown in the deep end a bit, was told to just drive and the instructor wouldnt say much unless he needed too, dont know if this is standard?
crewefan9:
Felt like I was thrown in the deep end a bit, was told to just drive and the instructor wouldnt say much unless he needed too, dont know if this is standard?
Did the instructor show you how it all worked then let you drive ?
Did the instructor have a bit of a laugh with you?
ROG:
crewefan9:
Felt like I was thrown in the deep end a bit, was told to just drive and the instructor wouldnt say much unless he needed too, dont know if this is standard?Did the instructor show you how it all worked then let you drive ?
Did the instructor have a bit of a laugh with you?
I’d hope the instructor showed him how to work the gearbox if not then get to another school for an assessment.
Asking someone to just drive when hey haven’t driven a large vehicle is a little sadistic
He gave m the keys and said heres the gear leaver, hand brake, indictor etc lets go. All he was really saying during it was advising me to brake more whilst approaching junctions/roundabouts. We had a chat towards the end, he was a nice bloke.
Definitely book another assessment with another training school, or two. If you still feel the same then maybe it just isn’t for you. My first assessment was stressful, not from the point of driving as I felt comfortable with that but I struggled a little with the 4 over 4 gearbox and the instructor was getting agitated which made me stressed. There’s bound to be someone on here who can recommend another training school local to you. Good luck.
I really enjoyed my assesment drive and cant wait to get back and do the training. My arms were sore afterwards because I was gripping the steering wheel so tightly as its all new and I was a little tense. I was relived when it was over but i enjoyed it and my gut feeling was “This is for me…”
I`ve been in the situation where I did six weeks of training for another job knowing from the start I had made a mistake and I can tell you its like swimming in treacle.
on the other hand its normal to be stressed starting out on something new but think of the sense of achievment and that great feeling when the examiner says “I`m pleased to tell you…”
all the best with what you decide and good luck
Its very easy to under-estimate what is required to pass class 2. I assume you are a competent car driver,and don’t even ‘think’ about driving when you are in your car.
HGV’S take a lot of planning. Gears,lane discipline,slow acceleration etc. I thought it would be ‘a walk in the park’ as I passed motorcycle and car tests first time. It took me 4 attempts to pass C!!! After driving 18&26 tonners for the past year,i actually prefer driving the wagon to my car as you obviously can see far more in front of you.
Keep at it and if,after 12 hours or so you don’t start enjoying it,re-consider then.
eagerbeaver:
HGV’S take a lot of planning. Gears,lane discipline,slow acceleration etc. I thought it would be ‘a walk in the park’ as I passed motorcycle and car tests first time.
like wise. I realised about 10 mins into my asessment that hgv driving takes a whole different approach to driving.
" a whole different approach to driving…"
That’s very well put Dan.
That - different approach to driving - is exactly what the advanced test is all about which is why driving large vehicles and the advanced are so close to each other
Both are a progression from the basic car test way of driving - pity more drivers in general do not go for this
I agree that there is a lot more to it than one may imagine and it’s certainly a totally different story to driving a car
In my personal experience I found my instructor for my class 2 made my course very stressful at times and I couldn’t wait until it was over.
Fortunately I’ve changed to a different school for my c+e and my assessmeet was an overall better experience. Looking forward to it.
I had been driving for quite a few years when I decided to do my hgv, used to large vehicles (buses) on my initial assesment drive in class 2 I was shocking, shaped like a right jessy with the gearbox, surprised myself at how bad I was. After the assesment I thought I was making a big mistake. Confidence went through the floor. My instructor was very good,he suggested I pay for four hours, and see how I went, so that’s what I did, I wasn’t brilliant, did 16 hours and passed test with 7 minors, it comes with practice.confidence builds, did my class 1 four weeks later with one minor. Hope this helps.
Ive been driving buses and coaches for 6 years so was quite comfortable with the size of the vehicle but during my assessment drive I never left the yard until I was comfortable with the gearbox we went up and down the yard changing up from 2nd to 8th and down again only when I was ready did we head out on the road. not being comfortable with the lorry first will only add to the stress its a lot to take in in what was probably only a 30 mins drive at the most id book another assessment elsewhere first before giving up