Got a 2 hour assessment drive this afternoon @ 3:30 and now I’m quite excited but really nervous etc, Any tips or anything I should to to keep in mind?
How did the assessment go?
Can’t really give tips other than just to take your time and listen to what the instructor gives really.
I’m sure you did fine 
God I’m still on a high!!! LOVED IT LOVED IT LOVED IT!!! Reeeeeally chuffed, only kerbed twice within the first 10 minuted of jumping in to it, never driven anything that size before, went driving along A roads managed to handle a narrow road and bridge, pulling into a truck stop setting off numerous roundabouts and I loved it !!! (…did I mention I loved it?) anyway some idiot pulled out of a junction in front of me and I didnt panic or lose it I just did a controlled emergency stop (or whatever you’d call it - we didnt headbutt the windscreen so thought that was gd!) my instructor lost it @ the car driver, honked the air horns (lloooouuuudd) and flashed the lights etc and asid “but obviously you wouldn’t do that on your test…that would be classed as road rage wouldn’t it” lol I was really happy by the end of the two hours and ready and raring to start my course now he reckons I should be fine with the 3 day course. :D:D:D
That’s good news. You must of done well to be offered a 3 day course.
No you wouldn’t flash on test. You’d be expected to stay calm and except the error on the other drivers part.
however the horn is there to allow you to make your presence known to other motorists. So if someone pulled out in front of you, or was going to come back in front of you too soon on the motorway I’d of thought hitting the horn would be allowed. I’m not 100% on that though. some of the trainers on here could probably answer that for you
Glad you enjoyed it, are you just doing C or will yo be doing C+E too?
Well thought I’d do C and take it from there but from what I did yesterday I more than enjoyed it!! I had a fantastic instructor who was very chatty (it helps we’re both into old cars and stationery engines etc) he used to live just down the road from me and so although we’d never met before got on like a house on fire chatting about the local charecters etc had a brill time. The things it took me longest to get used to were the air suspension seat (sorry don’t know if thats what I call it or not?) and the sensitivity of the foot brake but got the hang of it after joking about the seat making me sea sick. I was on a high last night, woke up this morning with a sore throat / cold but not even that can put me on a downer! I was so set on being told I’d need loads more training or that I was useless and might aswell forget it etc so when it was the complete opposite well I’m sorry about the msg last night it looks like I was high on something other than driving a truck! haha So glad I booked the assessment and so glad I decided to go with the local company. I know I’ve got a lot to learn and in no way do I reckon “I can drive a truck after 2 hours” that would be plain stupid of me it’s just that now I know yes I will be able to do it instead of breaking my heart not being able to (I’m still ranting as you can tell)
Glad to hear you enjoyed your assesment drive. 
You sound exactly like I was, I was conviced that I wouldnt be able todo it and I woud be told I was wasting my time etc, but on my first day of training it was fine, I really enjoyed it and the instructor sounded quite impressed. I remember being on the same high that your on, it’s a great feeling!
As LR18-8 posted above, your horn is there to make your presence known, but I’m sure this will all be explained to you when you start your training. Also with the break thats something your get used too in no time. Do you know when you start your 3 day course?
Kate
Hey Kate!
I loved it I’ve been getting on everyone’s nerves about it ever since - oh well!!
I’ve no idea when I’m starting yet as I have to top up my savings to be able to afford the training and it will then depend on when they can fit me in. I really wanted to do the assessment first incase they told me I’d need much longer training and so I’d need to save up even harder etc but this has given me such a boost that I’m sure I’ll soon get the financials in track to get rolling! I also felt like regardless of how long I’d need the two hour assessment has now taken away my fear og driving the truck and my nervousness of meeting the instructors Lovely people!
Happy for you buddy, your story made me chuckle! Can’t wait to eventually reading your training diary!
lol Thanks Sam!! Isn’t your course starting soon?
Sions:
lol Thanks Sam!! Isn’t your course starting soon?
It should be mate. My advisor is on holiday now for three weeks but when I was last in she said that on my next signing date (11th) I would be given forms and such to do with it (she never mentioned which) and then the actual application would be sent off to the training company themselves for ‘processing’ and she said that it would then ‘be up to them to decide whether they accept the letter from the agency or not’.
I’ve already contacted the company though (personally drove the letter to them and they said they would accept it so it’s just a waiting game now. Getting very very excited!
Sions:
Hey Kate!I loved it I’ve been getting on everyone’s nerves about it ever since - oh well!!
I’ve no idea when I’m starting yet as I have to top up my savings to be able to afford the training and it will then depend on when they can fit me in. I really wanted to do the assessment first incase they told me I’d need much longer training and so I’d need to save up even harder etc but this has given me such a boost that I’m sure I’ll soon get the financials in track to get rolling! I also felt like regardless of how long I’d need the two hour assessment has now taken away my fear og driving the truck and my nervousness of meeting the instructors
Its always good to have a assessment drive with the company before you hand over your hard earned money to make sure your happy with everything. I think the nervous are normal, I was quite nervous leading up to my training but on the day I was fine more excited than anything. Your have to make sure you put a training diary up on the forum when you do your training.
In the llimited but useful experience ive had recently i cant state enough about having more than one assesment drive with more than 1 company so you have something to compare too.
This in my view is essential as i never did this and then wished i had, the company im training with now gives much clearer instruction and all round great advice.
The company you have chosen may be the right company but without something to compare them too how can you be sure?
Im trying to help so please dont take me the wrong way 
@atomic - greatly appreciated advice, sadly £££ is a bit tight and the other local companies I have the choice of, 1) he wouldn’t even consider doing an assessment just said no we do three days and test thats that, so that was a huge no for me and the other I rang and rang and couldn’t get a hold of, I’d been trying for weeks before I gave up thinking he’s packed it in or something only to get a call yesterday saying he’d been on hols by which time I’d already made my mind up after the sat assessment that they really are such lovely guys and easy to get along with, the only company thats been consistently reliable and I’ve heard a lot of good things about them, their vehicles are all immaculate which to me proves they have pride in their vehicles and their work, I’ve often seen the truck I drove on sat in shows and that I really see where you’re coming from and I agree just wasn’t that possible here, being a bit more rural there’s a lot less choice but I do have 110% faith with this company. Need to give them a ring to book the training though was going to do it yesterday but I’ve come down with a really bad cold was having brain meltdown yesterday so - today will be the day - if you go search for “Ysgol Yrru Carmel” in google it’ll show the company fb page and the pics of training vehicles so you can see what I mean on their appearance and that, I drove the red wagon
Off to sneeze and sniffle some more inbetween complaining about it now and @ atomic again = thank you for your advice I do really value the fact that people are willing to give some of their time to help people ■■ (P.S if what I wrote above makes no sense…just blame it on my cold! (or flu)…feels like flu…lol x
Sions:
anyway some idiot pulled out of a junction in front of me and I didnt panic or lose it I just did a controlled emergency stop (or whatever you’d call it - we didnt headbutt the windscreen so thought that was gd!) my instructor lost it @ the car driver, honked the air horns (lloooouuuudd) and flashed the lights etc and asid “but obviously you wouldn’t do that on your test…that would be classed as road rage wouldn’t it” lol
I’m pleased that you enjoyed the assessment but wonder why you would want to train with an instructor that behaves in that manner on an assessment drive 
If it was me I’d already be looking for another training company, the bloke sounds a bit neurotic 
Had my assessment drive last Wed’s and was expecting to be taken to a huge airstrip or something. Imagine my shock and horror when I had to drive for 40 mins at 4pm around the centre of Cardiff!!! Talk about in at the deep end. I really enjoyed the reversing but MY GOD !!! those trucks are massive.
@tachograph, please don’t think ill of an instructor who was reacting to an idiot, my wording wasn’t really that plain I didn’t realise it until you brought this to my attention, the guy had stopped at a junction, then when i was approaching at 30mph (or just under) in a 30mph zone he pulled out in front of me with about the length of a car and a half to spare, I don’t know if he was plain reckless or if he was trying to cause an accident but I should imagine my instructor’s reaction was mainly shock/disbelief that someone could fail to see or ignore a big red truck with big yellow writing with “TRAINING VEHICLE” on it, remember it was my first ever drive of a truck, there has to be a very small minority of people that could in that situation have either tried to swerve or just frozen and driven right into him,(or maybe not but you must admit it gets your pulse racing at that kind of proximity) when he was hooted at he stuck his hand out the window with two fingers out, I see why you’d think my instructor was out of line but in the highway code it says the horn is for making other drivers aware of your presence - you can only HOPE that it was because the driver hadn’t seen us he pulled out and not because he was trying to get himself into an accident. My instructor did say as I mentioned that this is not to be done on your test (nor in everyday driving I hasten to add) he didn’t say it was justifiable or right, but I would prefer to be hooted at to make me more careful in future than to get away doing it for a long time and to wind up dead for it one day- that’s just my view - be it wrong or right. I know people are going to say drop off and don’t react but how many people drive right up behind all sorts of vehicles if I hadn’t crashed into him it could have caused someone else to smack into the back of us and cause injury if not death I think drivers (of all vehicles) need to be aware that their actions can have an effect on other road users and think responsibly before doing these daft things.
I hope this came across as trying to make you aware of how it happened. If he’d tried to teach me to get up close behind other car drivers and hoot to make them go quicker or intimidate or whatever I’d agree and I wouldn’t touch the company with a barge pole but that was not the case.
I really do hope you can understand that I’m not saying this in a kind of bitchy or any other bad way (honestly I’m not looking for a dispute or an argument and the thought of it is already making me regret posting my experience at all), I just don’t want the reputation of a great company and instructor (again in my opinion) blackened by my poorly thought out and worded sentence. Sorry x
Sions:
@tachograph, ~snip~
Well you certainly won’t get an argument form me 
Now you’ve explained the circumstances of what happened I can understand the instructor being a bit angry, It is to be hoped that an instructor could rise above such a reaction but I guess it’s not reasonable to expect anyone to be perfect at all times … though I do hope he doesn’t make a habit of letting off steam in front of a trainee 
Anyway If your happy that you’ve got a good instructor I’d say you’re probably half way there, so the very best of luck with the training
@tachograph, Thank you x
Good luck with it all mate and truck looks nice enough, hope your sniffles are gone soon and keep us informed