Im a newbie here and have found this site far too late as i start my training next week in Nottingham thru sterling training… How i so wish id found this site b4 i parted with my cash!!
Has anyone on this site had their training done in nottingham thru sterling training and if so how was your experience with it?? I gotta admit tho i aint expecting any good feedback on this lol
Welcome lincslad29.
You aren’t the only one to have fallen into the Sterling trap, theres another post flying round about them, take a minute to read that aswell…
**:D :smiley: :smiley: Welcome lincslad29 :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 
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.
lincslad29:
Has anyone on this site had their training done in nottingham thru sterling training and if so how was your experience with it?? I gotta admit tho i aint expecting any good feedback on this lol
You’re right on that point
Hi linkslad29, WELCOME. 
We’ll help if we can. but it might be a bit late mate… 
Hi Lincslad.
Welcome to Trucknet.
I do wishs you well with your training with Sterling and as I have often said before, how you are trained up depends on if you get a good instructor or not. It makes no difference what the company is as long as the instructor is good so maybe you will be lucky.
Sorry you did not get to hear about the warnings first as I am sure you could have saved a lot of money but now you are in so deep just concentrate and I am sure you will be fine.
The main thing is to get past the test so dont go fretting over other stuff- just get on with the training.
Best of luck
do you touch your brakes when they touch theirs?
Brake-happy people reeeeaaaally irritate me lol, Rog, is it legal to drive a car with no rear view mirror? If it is then i will give that a go.
but now you are in so deep just concentrate and I am sure you will be fine.
My thoughts exactly, theres not much you can do then outdo them at their own game 
stormnation:
My thoughts exactly, theres not much you can do then outdo them at their own game
That’s the spirit mate.
It’s one in the eye for them if you do a clean sweep.
stormnation:
Rog, is it legal to drive a car with no rear view mirror? If it is then i will give that a go.
YES - provided you have BOTH side mirrors.
Hi Lincslad29,
I did my Cat C with Sterling in Nottingham a few months ago, as has been said on here many times before, I’ve found the office staff at Sterling to be a pain, to put it politely!!
But the instructor who trained me, Rodg, was brilliant, but he takes the ■■■■ a lot
Fingers crossed I’ll pass my CPC on Friday, if so then I’ll definately be requesting Rodg again when I go for my C+E!!
I didn’t find this site until after I’d given Sterling my cash either, but regardless what is said about Sterling, just remember its the instructors you are training with and just because Sterling can be crap and money grabbing, doesn’t mean your instructor will be too.
Good luck!!
In my opinion I had no problems with Sterling, OK I done my training in 1999 in Braintree I did do it in one of the Iveco’s which yes was a bit on the small size for a class one but I passed first time after 2 days training with the test on the third day. Maybe they have changed since then but after my previous experiance with them I would use them again.
I too fell for the Sterling con, but there again I passed my test first time a couple of weeks ago and was over the moon [still am]. Found the instructing to be spot on. I’d listen to Mothertruckers advice and don’t bother fretting over the small stuff, just get out there and pass your test. You can’t beat the feeling.
Good luck