Hey All,
Not of much interest now, but went away with work as in final weekās of notice, so getting zb about a bit! ![:unamused: :unamused:](https://emoji.discourse-cdn.com/twitter/unamused.png?v=12)
24/10/2013
The finale.
Started early had to be at yard for 0730 to make up lost time from yesterday.
Packed up hotel early night before, went straight down to breakfast, had me cereal, full english, toast, yoghurt and some fruit.
I knew today was going to be a ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā day and there wouldnāt be time to stop and eat before the test, so got amongst it! ![:sunglasses: :sunglasses:](https://emoji.discourse-cdn.com/twitter/sunglasses.png?v=12)
Got to Peteās with seconds to spare before 0730. Got my ā ā ā ā together, check the documents were on my personage, donned the statutory Hi-viz forceshield for the yard.
Its driving all day, before the test, as there are four tests today! Iām the last
So we get amongst it, get driving, Iām congratulated that Iāve been listening and chilling the ā ā ā ā out with the gears. First mock of the day pass, the second pass, stop to get Chris a tea and sausage roll. I get on the third, slightly ropey, but hey still a pass, boooom.
Back on to the centre and wait for test area to be free from an actual test. Practice on the reversing, everyone happy on the two attempts, do the uncoupling twice, all happy.
Third test of the day comes backā¦itās a unfortunate result, missed a 7.5t weight limit.
Feel for the guy genuinely.
Back out for fourth mockā¦passed that, have we reached a pinnacle too soon.
Anyway get back, park the lorry up for either an uncoupling (preferably) or a reversing manoeuvre.
Go up to the office, sign my DCPC certificates, meet the examiner, show my paperwork, do the declaration signatures.
Walk to the vehicle together, explain why I have come up to Mansfield for training, idle chit chat about the work I am currently doing and the change to lorry driving with the new company etc, etc ![:laughing: :laughing:](https://emoji.discourse-cdn.com/twitter/laughing.png?v=12)
Do the show and tell thing, piece of zb, 3 of them answered.
Here goes, weāre doing theā¦reversing exerciseā¦ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā vehicle moved out of prime position. ā ā ā ā it get involved, do the reversing exercise, nothing said by examiner when in final positionā¦all three of my check points in the mirror, say my trailer is there, ok one is a marker the rest are just reference points in relation to an object using the actual trailer that I discovered myself whilst on the training
![:laughing: :laughing:](https://emoji.discourse-cdn.com/twitter/laughing.png?v=12)
Get out, yep, best one of the ā ā ā ā ā ā ā series. Thatās done under the watchful eye of another instructor, his pupil, two coach fitters and a coach driver, all waiting for me to move out of their ā ā ā ā ā ā ā way.
![:laughing: :laughing:](https://emoji.discourse-cdn.com/twitter/laughing.png?v=12)
Oh well only one more manoeuvre and you boys can have the place to yourself again
Move the lorry and position it in the centre of the test of the ruled paint markingā¦
ā ā ā ā never practised this way. Ok no ā ā ā ā ā ā ā panicking I can do this.
Examiner show paper diagram. Cool. Get told to use the whole length of the marking until I think I am perfectly straight. Ok some good clues there. Park lorry either side of the trailer my choice. Ok.
Do as instructed get it straight, roll up to the nearest marked number and remember. Uncouple and explain out loud what I am doingā¦hey whatās this some more spectators, a random driverā¦must be an MOT dude and another fitter. ![:laughing: :laughing:](https://emoji.discourse-cdn.com/twitter/laughing.png?v=12)
Good times, examiner then says park it on either side, I put it parallel alongside the trailer and a coach use it as a line up.
Do the walk around roleplay as taught, no worries.
Do the couplingā¦woah whatās this, the pin goes in ā ā ā ā ā ā ā first time for the first time in my course, thatās all good again. Do all my connections and weāre ready to roll out for ā ā ā ā ā ā ā real now!
Letās get this ā ā ā ā on. Out the gate and off we go. Left out the gate and right again and then on route. Traffic is quite clear, but still feel ā ā ā ā I pulled out on a car that was speeding under the bridge. But thought ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā he werenāt there when I was halfway across the road, but he must have been speeding as I had been observant.
Route goes well for first 10 minutes, I feel happy, nothing doing, clipboard next to me unopened. Examiner talking to me about stuff in the news but goes quiet in areas I need to concentrate on and I do too.
All good until I get to a busy junction area and nearly pull into a keep clear area. Next to a building site, front overhangs as I realise at last moment. But stop quite controlled, what the ā ā ā ā am I on.
Anyway rest of test goes well, clipboard never comes out. But I have to do 7, yes 7 ā ā ā ā ā ā ā pull up on the left and then pull away again, one on a hill, they rest on busy routes, where it takes me upto 3 minutes to get a safe gap to pull out of
![:neutral_face: :neutral_face:](https://emoji.discourse-cdn.com/twitter/neutral_face.png?v=12)
After this all fast routes along the hills on the wide single carriageway and then dual carriageways. Into industrial estates, sometimes a little hesitant on my speed as canāt remember if 40 or 30, so try to spot on signs going other way. However lucky most areas even in 40s canāt do the speed safely so adjust sensibly.
Then onto the self directed route thing, interesting as soon as we start, he has to tell me to pull up as he realises that the route maybe closed for emergency roadworks. Itās not, but I just keep confirming the place names and he makes a mistake with a place name and realises and then tells me take this name instead. Feeling unsettled by this now, but ā ā ā ā it go safe, if lost it donāt matter as long as signs complied with and I am being safe.
![:laughing: :laughing:](https://emoji.discourse-cdn.com/twitter/laughing.png?v=12)
Hold up at a set of traffic lights, to let an ambulance through, giving it a lot of space and blocking silly bollock car drivers from hindering it too. All feeling happy, lots of talking throughout the route. Go up to a large hill, where a keep clear is so roll upto that as traffic lights are on red by the time I get to that box, the traffic lights are green so go for it and get through nicely.
Goes well up until the final point where I nearly throw it away at the final traffic controlled crossroads, where I refuse to comment on that now.
But up until then I had a clean sheet!
After that I got give 3 minors.
When I returned to the yard, we parked up and I was told congratulations I passed!
God knows how, but I just did it.
So there you go the trials and tribulations of getting your C+E (Class 1) piece of paper.
Thanks for all the well wishes.
C
PS The licence arrived today, both parts completely correct with my new categories.
![:sunglasses: :sunglasses:](https://emoji.discourse-cdn.com/twitter/sunglasses.png?v=12)