Radar19:
Heres the skinny. Right now I drive rigids but I want to move up to artics but I’m kinda scared about driving them. My only experience ever driving one was round an airfield but that really didn’t do it for me. Are they really that big and scary to drive?
bollox,check out this blokes posts
Hmmm, good point Seth.
It doesn’t seem five minutes ago that Radar19 was dishing out advice on blindside reverses amongst other things.
Now all of a sudden he’s asking if artics are really that big and scary to drive.
32 years on class one I on the very odd time I’ve driven a ridged they scare me to death don’t bend in the middle I’m always nearly crashing in to traffic lights and suff.
I’ve just got back into driving artics after over 2 years absence and I have to admit that on the way to the assessment I was having the willies about getting into a big motor again. Thankfully the drive went off fine with only a few minors so I was offered the job. The main thing that has been hammered into us during training is to ‘take your time’ with everything, whether it’s doing checks first thing, out on the road, reversing, even fuelling up (they use dual-fuel gas/diesel so that is a real necessity). It makes a big change from when I was last on agency which was always a case of rushing everywhere, and I would say that this is the best bit of advice for any new driver, & probably many older drivers, don’t rush anything - that’s when mistakes are made. If you’re not sure about doing a manoeuvre, get out & have a look (the company tells us to do a 360 walk-around before any reverse which is a great time to be able to assess the situation & get your mind in gear).
I did a superb ( if I say so myself ) blind side reverse between two trucks that were waiting on a customers bays.Got back to our yard and made a right c0ck up up of an easy reverse,took 4 shunts
Just take your time and give yourself room to manoeuvre,get you approach right & you’re halfway there.Stick with it !
Radar19:
Heres the skinny. Right now I drive rigids but I want to move up to artics but I’m kinda scared about driving them. My only experience ever driving one was round an airfield but that really didn’t do it for me. Are they really that big and scary to drive?
They’re only really scary when you’re fully loaded with say beer kegs, hanging meat, or petrol, and you’re driving down an unfamiliar and tight country road at night in the fog, trying to read a map and change gears. But with the advent of autos and satnavs even this scenario is almost a pleasure. As said previously, a good way to start is night trunking… the parcel trunks are usually very easy… box trailer, drop and swap, depots near motorway junctions, etc.
On-site joiner/shopfitter for 24yrs. Class 2 passed last Nov 10th. Class 1 passed August 1st this year. Chucked in at the deep end straight off the bat, and it really is the only way youre ever going to get to grips with this game. After barrelling all over our green and pleasant land from day one (no assessment), Im doing the yard shunting next week (and trust me, its a TIGHT yard!) and spare man if any runs are left uncovered. I guess the moral is - if youre gonna be a driver, man up and punch through the newbie stress barrier asap. Post-test experience and mileage are the only ways to do it. I`m slowly growing in self belief and ability because of this, and be under no illusions, you learn new tricks EVERY day! Listen to the more experienced guys, ignore the ■■■■■■■■ who try to belittle you, and enjoy the learning curve you are undergoing.
Go for it mate - as my TM said, respect them but don`t be scared of them. “They only do what you tell them to do”, he added.
Radar19:
Heres the skinny. Right now I drive rigids but I want to move up to artics but I’m kinda scared about driving them. My only experience ever driving one was round an airfield but that really didn’t do it for me. Are they really that big and scary to drive?
They’re scary alright. Its 44 tonnes of killing machine you’re piloting and its about 50 odd foot long. One wrong move and a whole family could be wiped out in one go. Can you imagine the extra stress that put on you ? Stay on the rigids, its safer and everyone will just think you’re a lorry driver anyway.
Radar19:
Heres the skinny. Right now I drive rigids but I want to move up to artics but I’m kinda scared about driving them. My only experience ever driving one was round an airfield but that really didn’t do it for me. Are they really that big and scary to drive?
They’re scary alright. Its 44 tonnes of killing machine you’re piloting and its about 50 odd foot long. One wrong move and a whole family could be wiped out in one go. Can you imagine the extra stress that put on you ? Stay on the rigids, its safer and everyone will just think you’re a lorry driver anyway.
That’s a bit OTT. ANY vehicle is a killing machine inthe wrong hands. Be it a rigid,a transit or a mini cooper. Treat it with the respect required and it is no more dangerous than anything else.
Although I can’t help but feel your comment is a bit tongue in cheek based on your last sentence!
Radar19:
Heres the skinny. Right now I drive rigids but I want to move up to artics but I’m kinda scared about driving them. My only experience ever driving one was round an airfield but that really didn’t do it for me. Are they really that big and scary to drive?
They’re scary alright. Its 44 tonnes of killing machine you’re piloting and its about 50 odd foot long. One wrong move and a whole family could be wiped out in one go. Can you imagine the extra stress that put on you ? Stay on the rigids, its safer and everyone will just think you’re a lorry driver anyway.
If you hadn’t 8000+ posts to your name and a mod I would have asked what planet you live on:-) now I am just going to ask what planet are you on? your meaning might be a bit too subtle for me
had my first drive in an artic today, first lesson of 4 really enjoyed it, my teacher said i seemed confident and spacial awareness was good and reversing was no problem after 3 attempts and no shunting and straight in the box each go, so looking forward to tomorrow for next go
I find it easier to take some junctions in a class 1 than in a rigid ie at traffic lights where the cut in on a rigid I’d probably take the lights out if I was in a rigid now
Also as others have said once you are used to reversing attics when you jump in a rigid and reverse one you’ll still think you have a trailer on the bag and put opposite lock on
Best bit of advice ever given to me when learning to reverse an artic was stop the trailer going right turn the wheel right stop the trailer going left turn the wheel left still goes through my mind when reversing now and that was in 1997.
first bit of my reverse today i was like ehhhh its going the other way, then i realised and put it all right, also with a bit of help
strange how you completely lose sight of the offside when you put any lock on, just goes to show to check surroundings before you start moving bacwards
bigdavehull:
first bit of my reverse today i was like ehhhh its going the other way, then i realised and put it all right, also with a bit of help
Trust me this will become natural after a while.
strange how you completely lose sight of the offside when you put any lock on, just goes to show to check surroundings before you start moving bacwards
Yes, forward planning and awareness of your surroundings is key. I presume you are pulling a partially loaded trailer so drive to that and watch how the trailer reacts when on your lessons and you will soon find it easy. Remeber your unit is around 8 - 10ton but the trailer could be 30 + so drive to the trailer and its limitations.
You’ll find that when you get used to it you don’t have to think which way to turn the wheel, it just comes natural to you. I haven’t got a clue which way to turn the wheel, my hands just seem to do it right, if that makes sense
your meaning might be a bit too subtle for me