Well, been and blew it, but not to a point that I’m dissapointed. I’ve learned by this mistake and it showed me that I shouldn’t take things for granted.
The lorry was a brand new Volvo 08 plate fully auto with some nice features, one being the assisted uphill start. This device locks up all brakes when you come to a full stop and then it gives you 4 seconds from when you remove your foot from the brake pedal to press the accelerator. Nice and smooth start with no pressure on the clutch and you don’t even have to apply the hand brake.
This is the detailed info on the days proceedings.
Vehicle checks, as you’ve not driven the vehicle before. This includes the trailer as its already coupled up.
Instruments check inside the cab to make sure all is OK
Drive around the site to familiarise yourself with the vehicle.
Reverse onto a bay.
Drive through Basingstoke for 45-50 minutes.
Reverse onto a bay.
What I screwed up on was the reverse onto the bay. It was very tight and I didn’t give myself enough room/angle to get the trailer into the space provided and having a brick wall on one side made things interesting. To make things more interesting the assessor placed a cone to simulate another trailer being there. I inadvertently pushed the cone back a bit, which would have meant clipping a trailer.
Now I know where to position the tractor unit and how to manoeuvre the trailer to get in the bay. On the good side I have been invited to ‘have another go’.
The assessor was pleased with all the other attributes and I recon I’ll do it next time, now that I know where to position myself.
So now I have to wait and see when I can get the retest slot.
It is an assessment and not a test.
Did you get out and look before reversing into the space - you should be allowed to as this is an assessment and not the DSA CE test.
That was quick ROG, yes I had a look and did a mental reverse but cocked it up by being to close to another unit and then repositioned myself but did not go enough forward. If I’d have done that I would have managed to get it into the bay. Minor issue and I’ve learned from it, no dissapointment just a learning factor. Going to be more prepared for it next time.
Offer to do some free overtime shunting in the yard so you get to grips with it. You aren’t going to learn until someone gives you the chance. Reversing is a royal pain in the arse, i’ve been in my job for over 2 months now, and i still ■■■■ up. I even smashed into a barn last week doing some ■■■■■■ blind side reverse, apparently ( i didnt feel or hear anything, and today i looked and saw no damage) but on the whole i’ve cracked it. It will come eventually.
This also blows the doors off all the agencies claiming that ‘All’ Supermarkets require 2 years Class1 exp. When they checked the license it shows that I’ve only had my Class1 for six months and I wasn’t told to leave. So somewhere someone is spinning a fast one.
C-Kay:
Offer to do some free overtime shunting in the yard so you get to grips with it. You aren’t going to learn until someone gives you the chance. Reversing is a royal pain in the arse, i’ve been in my job for over 2 months now, and i still ■■■■ up. I even smashed into a barn last week doing some [zb] blind side reverse, apparently ( i didnt feel or hear anything, and today i looked and saw no damage) but on the whole i’ve cracked it. It will come eventually.
When I was on the agency I tried to fail a Sainsbury’s assessment but the bugger still passed me. I deliberately hit two kerbs while out on the road, one of them with the N/S front wheel which takes a special kind of stupid, but it wasn’t enough. I see now I should have cocked up the reverse but I thought i had done enough by the time that came round when we got back to the depot.
Keep at it mate them bays a a royal pain with that wall there, i remember my first visit there not so long ago, saturday nite it was with 45 foot container its so easy to mess it up took me three or four shunts to get on bay 11 thank god for the nice stobart driver thats all i can say unwise i would still shunting now lol. I did the same thing and got the wrong angle. Chin up just put it down as a practice test
I deliberately hit two kerbs while out on the road, one of them with the N/S front wheel which takes a special kind of stupid, 
but it wasn’t enough. I see now I should have cocked up the reverse but I thought i had done enough by the time that came round when we got back to the depot.