Without going into details I’m home after my first day driving class 1 and had a couple of incidents that have really made me appreciate just how tough this is going to be. Feeling pretty low atm but gotta pick myself up.
The way i see it is this; You passed your class2. Then you passed your class1 (which is hopefully where i will be next month). Point is that you ARE a skilled driver in the way that top racing drivers are skilled,yet at times they crash into each other,go round bends too fast etc. Mistakes are there to be learnt from-experience needs to be GAINED-its not an automatic right!!!
You will feel better tomorrow-loads of ace people/trainers/fellow drivers on TNUK!!
eagerbeaver:
The way i see it is this; You passed your class2. Then you passed your class1 (which is hopefully where i will be next month). Point is that you ARE a skilled driver in the way that top racing drivers are skilled,yet at times they crash into each other,go round bends too fast etc. Mistakes are there to be learnt from-experience needs to be GAINED-its not an automatic right!!!You will feel better tomorrow-loads of ace people/trainers/fellow drivers on TNUK!!
The only positive is that I recovered a couple of near misses. Might not be so lucky next time. It’s really made me appreciate that this job is dangerous. I’ve got to learn fast now and not make the same mistakes again. If after a month I’m not comfortable i’ll jack it in.
Tris:
The only positive is that I recovered a couple of near misses.
Bad near misses? If you had a couple in one day it sounds like you let nerves get the better of you. Just keep calm and take it nice and slow. Yes its a dangerous job occassionaly (despite what others on this forum say sometimes) but if you treat the size of vehicle with the respect required it will be fine.
Just go in tomorrow and put todays instances out of your head. Learn from any mistakes you made (if they were your fault that is!) and you will be ok.
I’ll get off my chest. First incident I came up to a small roundabout. Most of the traffic was exiting into the road I’m coming out of but no indication. Then an HGV comes along with no indication and I move off slowly thinking he’ll be a professional driver but he then swings round to go round in front of me exiting to my left on his mobile phone and have to do an emergency stop. Then on the way back to the depot I’m on a B road, two lanes but quite narrow and another HGV is coming towards me and I pull over to the left and get sucked in by the verge. Just did what came naturally in that split second and somehow recovered it without an accident and gained control in my lane. Really shook me up cos I know what could’ve happened.
The very fact that you have ‘recovered’ the near misses and are aware of the dangers makes me believe that you have the making of an excellent driver. The snowman has hit the nail on the head. There is nothing wrong with jumping in and out of your cab during reversing etc. Remember when you first got in class 2’s-i know i was a bit daunted,now i prefer driving my 18 tonner to driving my 4x4!!
eagerbeaver:
The very fact that you have ‘recovered’ the near misses and are aware of the dangers makes me believe that you have the making of an excellent driver. The snowman has hit the nail on the head. There is nothing wrong with jumping in and out of your cab during reversing etc. Remember when you first got in class 2’s-i know i was a bit daunted,now i prefer driving my 18 tonner to driving my 4x4!!
Thanks mate. It means a lot what you said.
Been thinking, as you do, and my approach tomorrow is going to be to take it easy and to drive in a manner that I feel reflects my ability, so be it if it annoys other drivers or I’m late back in, my safety and other road users safety is all that I’m bothered about until I’m experienced. I think I was probably trying too hard to impress - pride comes before a fall and all that. Today was a wake up call that I don’t want to repeat, but looking at it positively I learnt several valuable lessons that can only make me a better driver.
Don’t worry about it or it will effect the driving, the incidents are experience.
Defensive driving tips; Use the size of the vehicle to your advantage, for example , while approaching a roundabout and you know by turning off it, cars behind the trailer will get hit by the swing out of the trailer, try and move over to stop them sneaking past in the blindspot as you turn.
Most car drivers will understand you need the room on a small roundabout.
Some will react in a bad way and don’t understand.
Try and relax while driving, if feeling wound up, stop, make a brew, buy a coffee, walk around to clear the head.
Watch out for red mist.Road rage.
You made it through and had no accidents. Sounds chicken dinner to me mate, keep it up
Tris:
Been thinking, as you do, and my approach tomorrow is going to be to take it easy and to drive in a manner that I feel reflects my ability, so be it if it annoys other drivers or I’m late back in, my safety and other road users safety is all that I’m bothered about until I’m experienced. I think I was probably trying too hard to impress - pride comes before a fall and all that. Today was a wake up call that I don’t want to repeat, but looking at it positively I learnt several valuable lessons that can only make me a better driver.
Spot on mate. Your attitude to it couldn’t be better.
If you only feel safe and confident enough to do 30mph even though the limit is 40,50 whatever then just do 30. Ive seen me doing less than 20mph in built up areas before if that’s all I want to do.
Take the learned lessons,go in tomorrow and have a stress and incident free day.
Let us know how it goes
toby1234abc:
Don’t worry about it or it will effect the driving, the incidents are experience.
Defensive driving tips; Use the size of the vehicle to your advantage, for example , while approaching a roundabout and you know by turning off it, cars behind the trailer will get hit by the swing out of the trailer, Try and move over to stop them sneaking past in the blindspot as you turn.
+1 Yep. Gives you one less thing to worry about if you know as well
toby1234abc:
Most car drivers will understand you need the room on a small roundabout.
Some will react in a bad way and don’t understand.
+1 I find that in 90-odd% of other road users will give you plenty of room and time. Just make sure anyone behind you has stopped and they will usually stay there till you are round. In my experience (and ill probably cop hell on here for saying this) the biggest problem from other road users is other wagon drivers. Esp in regards to the speed thing I mentioned above. Most will be fine and just go on their way but a few will give it the lights and start drifting out wanting to overtake. Just ignore them and dont let them bother you.
As you said its YOUR safety & other road users safety that is the important thing. Keep that in your head and everything will be gravy. Or chicken dinner!
Soon be the summer, and check out those hot chicks in short skirts, the trick is not to turn the head and gawp at them out of the window, use the eyes to have a peep.
I have found ladies in Mercedes Convertibles to be the friendliest,a quick tap on my horn to show appreciation for their attire and I get a wave or toot back, brightens up a boring day.
Take as much room as you need on roundabouts, the small ones are designed for cars, straddle the centre line to stop cars pulling up close to you & don’t worry about people behind you, pull away when it’s safe.
On B roads, keep the speed down, be ready to stop if ‘Mr Hero-Truck Driver of the Year’ is coming the other way.
(Mirrors on a TGX are £400 each)
You’ll get used to the size of the vehicle, but it will take a few months so stick with it.
never ‘think’ that other drivers are proffessionals, even the best make mistakes…and my old dad used to say “always expect everyone to do everything” because at some point they just might
On the 2nd one,If you don’t feel there is enough room then don’t be afraid to stop dead and let people pass you…if your stationary you won’t end up in a ditch.
On the 1st one,unfortunately regardless of whether the guy was in the phone or baking a cake unless he slowed and let you out you were in the wrong.
As said maybe the nerves got the better of you,one thing to remeber unless the vehicle behind you has blue flashing lights then their journey is no more import than yours and if you,and them have to wait a few mins to safely enter a roundabout then so be it.
If the other HGV driver had of hit you it’s very likely you’d be looking for a new job today.
Don’t let it get to you fella we have all been there just take your time.
Good luck.
Tris:
Been thinking, as you do, and my approach tomorrow is going to be to take it easy and to drive in a manner that I feel reflects my ability, so be it if it annoys other drivers or I’m late back in, my safety and other road users safety is all that I’m bothered about until I’m experienced. I think I was probably trying too hard to impress - pride comes before a fall and all that. Today was a wake up call that I don’t want to repeat, but looking at it positively I learnt several valuable lessons that can only make me a better driver.
That’s the spirit!
The fact you carried on shows you have what it takes to be a driver. Yes there are clowns on the road but you need to rise above. Don’t give a monkeys about the people behind you, all you need to worry about it where you are going. Take things nice and slow and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. I’d rather be explaining why I’m 20 minutes late instead of explaining why the mirrors are smashed and the bumper is the hanging off.
These beasts aren’t easy to master but you showed grit today, things will be on the up and up as you gain more experience behind the wheel.
You’ve got some sound advice there and I think you’ve got the attitude and the spirit to turn the mistakes into a constructive learning curve.
My common expression when something goes wrong : Did anyone die? I’m not being flippant (the subject is far too important) but if you can answer No then the job aint that bad is it?
Most drivers will loose a mirror, get stuck in mud, clobber some railings, remove someone’s door mirror at some point in their career.
But no-one died.
Take care and all will be well.
Pete
I was terrified for most of the first few weeks of my Class 1 experience.
I have 3 confirmed ‘incidents’ under my belt, and probably 5 times that many near misses that I escaped unscathed from (mostly). This is what experience is all about, and the key is that you learn from it. It stands to reason that you are currently inexperienced so you have a lot to learn - how? Well, by making some mistakes I’m afraid because you don’t know any better. Just hope that all your incidents are low speed, and all your high speed stuff is near misses.
You need to work your way through your early months, not let it defeat you. The learning curve is steep but it will level off quite quickly.
Think of it this way - the more mistakes you make, the quicker you’re learning…
Stick with it buddy, we’ve all been there.
Peter Smythe:
You’ve got some sound advice there and I think you’ve got the attitude and the spirit to turn the mistakes into a constructive learning curve.My common expression when something goes wrong : Did anyone die? I’m not being flippant (the subject is far too important) but if you can answer No then the job aint that bad is it?
Most drivers will loose a mirror, get stuck in mud, clobber some railings, remove someone’s door mirror at some point in their career.
But no-one died.
Take care and all will be well.
Pete
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This ^^^ or if they say you are late my reply now is for who funeral more important things to worry about
Also be careful when backing under the trailer as not to over shot the pin
Alway take your time remember it takes a bit more to stop than your car