Day 1
Arrived at the agreed meeting place parked and locked my car then waited a few minutes for the instructor to turn up with the lovely red truck (Merc, Atego) the other trainee arrived after a few more minutes and we both got in the truck and did the introductions etc then swiftly went on to being shown all the controls by our instructor. Iāll introduce the current team because he and him and the other guy will get me confused as hell, so the instructor (and owner of the business) is Steve, and the other trainee is called Graham.
Graham was first to do a few rounds of the industrial estate and then we switched over, neither of us had previously driven a truck (other than the 2 hours I had on assessment) I was first up to get some road driving and I was told that I use the mirror too much, which I wasnāt expecting after reading everyoneās pointers of living in the mirrors, so thereās the first thing to keep in mind, Iāve found I have a tendency to be a bit timid with oncoming vehicles when thereās parked traffic on both sides I need to āstand my groundā more. I think I did better in the morning drive than I did in the afternoon, I think this was because I was first up on the road so time getting into truck and that and getting on the road I was still fresh and ready to do it, after lunch when the second turn came up I felt like I was sluggish, I had chips & bacon for lunch at the cafe on the industrial estate, Iāll try less carbs for lunch tomorrow and see if that helps, (?) I tend to get distracted when Iām a passenger and I donāt feel Iām really picking much up when Grahamās driving so Iām going to really have to make an effort to concentrate for the rest of the training days to get my moneyās worth!
- I think I was getting better by the end of the afternoon drive though, my drive finished off coming off a roundabout to a petrol station (Morrisons in Caernarfon to those of you who know it!) where Graham was to take over after the re-fuel.
I had a good day and at the end of both our learning day Steve the instructor said weād both done well and said it had been an āexcellentā first day, I thought it was ok, anyway we finished the day at 3:30 and are to meet up again tomorrow @ 9:00 am same place! The truck has a 6 speed box with a splitter and it has a sleeper cab so itās handy to have the extra room for jumpers and the such
A fantastic addition is a rear camera so according to Steve the reversing part of the test should be a "piece of Pi$$. - Weāll see!
At the end of the day I feel a bit tired and a bit of a headache but I donāt feel drained. Steve said we need to have a look at the Module (or part) 2 of the guide to LGV driving book so I think weāre both going to have a bit of a study on that tonight in preparation for tomorrow. I was told the CPC wonāt be on the same day as my test but it should be within the week, Iām glad in a way I prefer one test a day or I tend to wind myself up.
I didnāt panic throughout the day so I was really pleased with that. Now itās my turn to write the training diary I feel that I donāt actually know what to say! If anyone has any questions or suggestions for me to watch out or gain any info during my training please ask and Iāll try and put it in the diary, Itās already becoming clear to me that you need to plan well ahead and take your time approaching junctions and roundabouts and take it slowly when going through built up places with cars parked on both sides.
Iāve also learnt (but need to make sure Iām putting it into practise) not to waste time, such as doing the mirror checks and start rolling as soon as possible, be prepared! I did forget about the coloured bands on the rev counter, and Iām looking forward to putting that into practise into my gear change timing tomorrow, I got to use the retarder and the cruise control, thereās no oil dipstick on the truck itās done with the diagnostics in the E.C.U ā press the button and it tells you how much oil is in there, clever eh? (And a lot warmer than having to go out in the depth of winter to check ā brrrr!)
Sorry for the randomness of the above Iām writing it as it comes into my head and no I wonāt be tidying it up ā Iām too knackered! I really enjoyed myself but I donāt have the ābuzzā I had when I first drove the truck on my assessment.
A good first day.
Keep us updated and Good Luck for the test
Sounds like you had a good first day Sions. My first day too, I drove better in the morning than I did in the afternoon. Enjoy the rest of your training. How many days are you doing?
The concentration and everything you have to take in at this stage makes you tired, but it will get easier the more you drive and just become natural. Enjoy the experience 
@KittyKat - three days, got today again then monday an hour or so drive then before test on tuesday - weāll see what Iām feeling like monday night - probably be bricking it!! The other trainee has it hard though, heās an examinerās son so theres another tester coming down from somewhere else and a third party has to sit in on it I think heās nervous about having two people in the cab on his testā¦
anyway Iāll update tonight!! x
Sounds like a good first day sions wow im very surprised at the mirrors comment though 
never ever heard that from anyone but at least you wont get any minors for mirrors on your test !!! I will say though dont rely too much on that camera on the rear for you reverse too much as we have them on a few of the vehicles i drive and although they help to make sure no one behind you i find them not good to rely on for reverse as they dont give a true picture of the room you have so use those mirrors more than picture on camera 
all the best
Jennie x
Jennie:
Sounds like a good first day sions wow im very surprised at the mirrors comment thoughall the best
Jennie x
I too am surprised at the mirror comment, especially on the first day, but would an examiner let you use a reversing camera on test?
Wheel Nut:
but would an examiner let you use a reversing camera on test?
I used the camera on my test, it was positioned to look at the floor so you could see the box rather than it being set to look behind you
@ Wheel nut, same as logis said, this ones pointed a the box too, but we were shown today to reverse and also used the āmarkerā on side of truck method. - Iāll put my entry for today up later on or tomorrow - Iām a bit tired @ the mo, I do know that I need to stop being so bloomin hesitant at roundabouts n junctions and need to get my speed up (I know - theres not many saying that either usually the other way round) I do it well then I come to a stretch of road I know and think of as being a crap stretch (windy etc) and I seem to drop off but Iām really battling with myself to remember not to do this.
Iām going to go to Bangor tomorrow do the weekly shopping and have a practise on some of the roundabouts, funny thing: Graham last night spent about an hour on a roundabout near him, on and off and practising the entry and that and got pulled by a policeman asking how come he was lost as he only lived down the road (it appeard the policeman and himself were mates) but anyway we had a laugh this morning
As I said Iāll do the diary entry later on ā ā Going to have a cup of tea and try to warm up oh oh oh! - But I will say Iāve got to meet Steve the instructor for 7:30am tuesday for a drive round before my test @ 8:20am (eeeeeek!)
All the best for Tuesday Sions 
All the best for Tuesday Sions. I never got a drive before my test, just a couple of reverses. There was only half an hour between mine and the guy I was training withs tests.
Good luck and enjoy it 
Wonder what the statistics are like for people who start their 4 day course at the beginning of the week, to those who start it on a Friday, and have the weekend to reflect.
Looking forward to Part 2.
Looking forward to reading the rest and hearing of your pass. Best of luck with it
Saw your pics of the lorry on FB looks nice much nicer than what I learnt in 
Hey guys! Sorry taken so long to get my āday 2 entryā done ā¦
Arrived in good time before the arranged 9am meet up so I parked up and waited a while then Graham arrived and parked near me, we had a bit of a chat before Steve turned up in the truck during which he revealed the episode with the roundabout he had on thursday night so that lifted my spirits before we even got started.
When Steve turned up I was told I was first up in the driverās seat, after a few minutes of Steve & Graham mucking about with the radio trying to get the rugby game on and finally giving up for poor signal I set off and felt quite nervous (I didnāt feel this nervous yesterday so whatās going on?) I sort of decided it was the realisation that my test is in less than a week and this really needs to sink in today, so I think I set myself up to fail a bit today, I did daft things like kerbing again (twice), missing gears (that I havenāt done up to now!) I let go of the ā ā ā ā gear stick when going from 5 to 6 and end up in 4th 
Iām feeling the pressure as Steve tells me I have to read the road better and not be so hesitant on roundabouts and junctions, Iām too slow, Grahamās too fast, argh. Anyway after much deliberating at roundabouts and after Grahamās morning drive we go for lunch, Graham got to reverse into the cafe yard and Iām well chuffed of what he does! Feeling like a complete failure at lunch time I get in the cafe go to the toilet and walk in to order, turn round to answer Graham then a previously quiet counter is bombarded with about 10 council workers so I canāt help but crack a joke about another missed bloody opportunity the guys see the funny side thank god but Iām still pretty down. Fair play Steve reassures me that Iām not useless itās just that as thereās only three days training he has to be tougher on us today or weāll struggle on Monday, I see where heās coming from and I totally agree with him Iām just very disappointed with myself.
After lunch Steve takes us to a place to practise reversing where the fire brigade used to use but donāt anymore so now the truck instructors use it, weāre told that this place isnāt as big as the test centre but seeing as the angle is the same itāll be the same on test day, weāre shown what he wants us to do with the diagram on paper and he demonstrates too, weāre shown the reverse camera and the cable tie on the wheel arch so we have a fool proof system (yeah just you wait till I f-it up on my test,) Graham is first up on the reversing and to be honest he nailed it first time, then heās asked to move it back to the starting position for my go, Graham gets out of the truck so Iām alone in the beastie, I move up to the cone and do as I was told, turn the steering a full circle and reverse, I canāt remember now if itās when I see the first pole I straighten up again (?) then when I see all three I decide when I want the third pole out of sight (as it were) and turn to get in the ābayā I think Iāve fluffed it as Iām half way in but actually no I havenāt , Iām in and Iā pretty much centred up, Iām asked to move the truck back to starting position and I do fluff that up a bit by turning too much on my steering etc. Iām given a few more goes on the reversing and then I start fluffing up the actual reverse a bit I didnāt hit any cones or anything I just didnāt feel 100% confident in doing this so I suppose weāll have a bit more practise at some point before test. On the plus side I didnāt need to shunt and weāre told we can shunt twice on our test if needs be.
I get to drive us out of here back to the main road, with the reverse place being behind a housing estate I have a few parked cars and narrow roads to deal with which Iām happy enough with, getting back on the road, I tend to drop below the speed limit and Iām told I need to really get over this or I wonāt pass on Tuesday. (Donāt I bloominā know it)
I was already convinced Iām never going to pass on Tuesday that felt like confirmation to me.
Anyway I keep telling myself come on get a hold of yourself you daft moo youāve paid for this training so donāt lose heart. I try to make a ācomebackā and I did feel that I was making progress on my roundabouts and that, I started commentating on the afternoon drive because I felt at least then Steve could see / hear what I was thinking what I was doing, what position I was taking and what I was doing next (that is what I was planning on doing next in all cases obviously he could see when I had done it)
I feel a bit guilty because Graham keeps trying to go out on roundabouts in front of cars I didnāt know the guy previously but I think heās got what Steve says to me in his head and thinks he needs to just go out on them and causes himself to fluff up. (I tend to think that WW2 was my fault so that doesnāt help! Haha)
Anyway Graham kerbs today again too so I feel that little bit more reassured, I think heās the stronger driver of us both and Steve hasnāt mentioned him failing on Tuesday so it gives me hope that I might pass afterall (?) still bloominā doubtful so weāll see on that. He needs to get his āset upā on roundabouts better. (As do I no doubt).
I reckon my roundabout hesitation is down to living somewhere there arenāt many roundabouts and I donāt drive much in the area where weāre training so I know roundabouts are a weakness (and having a bit of a timid disposition) My attempt at going shopping to Bangor (with the car on sat) through some roundabouts I think helped ā it certainly made me more confident towards Monday to approach them and be prepared to go unless thereās someone coming across me rather than what could be interpreted as my method of approaching roundabout and being prepared to stop to see if I have room to go (donāt bloody laugh!)
Anyway, Iām trying to get myself geared up and thinking of tomorrow as my driving test, see what happens on my morning drive and really try not to get down, when I do that Itās just like giving up in a way and I am determined to get my license ā I might fail Tuesday but it wonāt be for lack of trying.
Weāve not been taught anything about the show me tell me yet, so Iām getting a bit worried about how long weāll actually have on the road tomorrow and itās promising to chuck it down with rain and be really windy (It would anā all!). Iām meant to meet Steve at 7:30 Tuesday morning and test 8:20am, I was a bit concerned about kids going to school at that time and asked Steve about it, he said no one had ever complained about the school kids and traffic because by the time the kids would be going to school Iād be out of the town and on my way to Bangor by then ā only to be further reassured when I got home apparently itās half term next week anyway.
Getting back to the drive though, I got to drive through a chock a block packed Bangor which resulted in having to set off on hills and that and I didnāt roll back when it mattered āPHEW!ā
Iām really quite worried about tomorrow but Iām bloody determined to bust a gut and try and overcome my weaknesses Steve said weāll come back on Monday and be ā ā ā ā hot at it ā I told him āyou wishā then corrected myself āactually, you wish but I wish even more!ā
Iām really nervous for Tuesday because Steve knows who my tester is going to be and as an example there are road works in one place and a 30 sign (with red circle) so I have to do 30 but Steve has told me once Iāve passed the road works Iāll be expected to get back to 40 asap whereas Grahamās tester is a mystery and being someone coming down on his test heās been warned not to do this and to actually wait until the national speed limit sign. My usual driving would have me doing this and not the way Steveās asked me to do it. I donāt want to not listen to my instructor and I want to pass my test but if I had passed my test and I was going along there in a truck Iād stay to 30 until the national speed limit sign ā all motorists are expected to do this so itās not like Iām holding anyone up in the 30 zone. (?)
Anyway from one angle I canāt wait to start tomorrow and get my problems solved but on the other hand Iām dreading another crap day and knowing I only have one more (not even full) hour in the dark before my test. I feel quite sick. I hope Iāll have a more successful day tomorrow and I hope Iām not too nervous / knackered to update my diary, either way , with my test being so early Tuesday itāll be over and done with so Iāll update Tuesday night if not before. If youāve read all the way to here I do thank you for having the patience!
Just remember the glass is half full. not half empty!
Donāt keep putting your self down and telling your self you are going to fail.Think positive. The examiner isnāt expecting you to drive it like you have for years, their just expecting a confident and safe drive.
Youāve got more time in the lorry so make it count.
YOU CAN DO IT!!!
Just do your best, itās all you can do. Try to imagine your driving solo and nothing can go wrong but always keep observing.
Best of luck.
Keep ya chin up and belive in yourself, things will fall into place? all the best