Congratulations on the pass ! I think you should name your training co. now tho 
, some might wish to avoid them 
.
out of interest would you be happy doing your c+e with them ?
cheers Mike
Sam Millar:
What would you suggest in that case then, that if you got a trainee on Monday that didn’t know where to stop, or the usual point that worked for them before no longer works… what advice would you give, if the advice you then gave never worked and you tried a few different steps and it never worked what would you suggest? He did all he could, and even I myself couldn’t understand why the point wasn’t working for me any longer like it did in C…
As you say your trainer was excellent. To get that good he would have many different ways of explaining the same point. Different ways of saying the same thing work for different people. Eventually the point was got over as you passed.
Sam Millar:
We actually were still questioning this minutes before our test and we eventually gave each other pointers which saw us through the test by using a different marker. Without him and I’d like to the think the same, I don’t think our tests would have gone as smoothly.
This would seem to indicate that your trainer was not that good at getting the fairly basic reverse marker concept across.
Even without being there myself I would say you owe the pass to 2 things. (1) The effort you put into learning & (2) The effort and knowledge your trainer put into teaching. Without both you would not have passed.
Mikey D:
Congratulations on the pass ! I think you should name your training co. now thoout of interest would you be happy doing your c+e with them ?
cheers Mike
Thanks Mike. 
Aye, I’d be more than happy to do my C+E with them, I will when funds allow. Anyone want to lend me £1K or so?
They’re on the list of recommended LGV training schools. Go on then I’ll spill the beans, I trained with Pete Smythe’s company. 
Only pulling your leg, Pete. 
I’m kind of reluctant to name the company, having reviewed my posts. I’ll not edit any posts, as it’s my experience, typed as best I can. Aye, it’s been a bit unorthodox, but, I don’t think everyone training with them has the same experience.
For example, although I had my test today, I had a total newbie learner out with me today. Me driving first so he could observe for a bit, 0900-1030 ish, then he drove for the bulk of the time before my test. I was back in the seat from about 1245, my test was at 1330. Then he drove back. He now has the same instructor for the rest of his tuition.
I think I was a little unlucky timing wise, as there seemed to be quite a few re-testing last week. If I’d failed today, I’m not sure which instructor I’d have been with for my re-test, there’s not enough space in the cab. 
There are a couple of little give away’s to the area in the way I type, I type as I talk to a certain extent.
It’s great you’ve passed and I couldn’t be happier.
But I’m amazed that you’ll go back for more of the same! Sadly, this is how lesser operators stay in business. And your reluctance to name them means that other unsuspecting souls will follow.
It makes me wonder why I put so much effort into setting and maintaining the standards that we run to.
Pete
Peter Smythe:
It’s great you’ve passed and I couldn’t be happier.But I’m amazed that you’ll go back for more of the same! Sadly, this is how lesser operators stay in business. And your reluctance to name them means that other unsuspecting souls will follow.
It makes me wonder why I put so much effort into setting and maintaining the standards that we run to.
…
Because there are some who appreciate quality
Aye , i will second that !
First of all a very well done on passing your test!
I often sit and read the comments but have little time to get too involved. One topic that repeats itself is training ratios.
We have five vehicles and two training centres, we are completing 35 to 50 courses each and every month and are responsible for training candidates from three counties of Fire Service and Thames Valley Police. We always train 2:1 and have never had any problems with this method. I find if the trainer puts the work in and understands the personal needs of each candidate then the job always gets done. It’s not that I have a problem with 1:1 I just find this a little hard on the candidate.
We cover approx 200 to 250 kilometres each day - I have yet to see a post with this info - it would give an idea of the driving time a candidate is receiving (not sitting about in cafes and so on).
Big D
Whoops, should have updated this sooner. 
Well since I passed my test, I started applying for jobs whilst waiting for my licence to come back from Swansea. Two weeks later, shiny new entitlement, CPC Q card and Digi Tacho arrived. 
Had one phone call whilst waiting, which was an agency. “Yeah, yeah, you’re an ideal candidate for this job, blah, blah, can you come in and register with us etc.” Erm, aye, I can when my licence comes back from Swansea. My licence arrived on the Saturday, so I went to see them on the following Tuesday. I’d applied for a Cat C drivers job, delivering glass, they wanted me to go multi-dropping in a van for Yodel. YODEL! Erm no, I’d spent over ten years working for bloody City Link, there wasn’t a cat in hells chance of me going to Yodel. So I went home.
Got back, and had yet another look on the Jobcenter website, saw very newly listed job, Cat C multi-drop driver. 
Hmm, do I really want to do multi-dropping again? Gave them a ring anyway, had a short chat and said I’d be into see them within the hour.
So I went down and spoke to the owner of the company, it’s a local family run business which is good, he thought I’d be great for the job, but, obviously had more people to see and he’d let me know on the Thursday. Waited all day, getting a bit despondent as the day went on and had heard nowt by 9pm so thought I’d missed out. 
My better half however, said that “maybe they’ve misplaced your CV or something so give them a ring in the morning.” I’m not going to argue with her so the following day gave them a ring.
Turned out, John, the owner had dropped a bollock and had forgot to ask who my referee’s were, and it wasn’t on my CV. Schoolboy error on my part. Gave him the phone number of my former gaffer at City Link, and was told they’d ring me back later in the day - most likely in the afternoon. Ten minutes later I got a call back…
“Can you come straight down, I want you to start on Monday.” 
Woo-hoo! I started on the 8th April employed by Carter Express Freight, just driving a 7.5T truck, doing bulk multi-drops on behalf of FedEX. The money isn’t great, only NMW, but it’s a foot on the ladder - as many others have found out there’s not that many companies that will give newly qualified drivers a chance. Also my work/life balance is much better I no longer come home in a foul mood like I used to at the 'Link. Oh, and I passed my test with Tyne and Wear LGV.
So for any other newly qualifieds, keep the faith. There are places that will give you a chance to get a foot on the ladder.
Apologies it’s a bit long winded.