Well, it is with great pleasure (and relief!) to announce that today I passed my C+E test first time! 
I passed on the 1400 test at Sheffield. To say I was nervous is a massive understatement. The class 2 test last year was bad enough, but this was something else. My nerves didnāt hit with my C test last year until I got into the test centre. Iāve had them all week this time round, with my class 1 and in particular last night and today. Today was terrible for my nerves. 
As with my class 2 last year, I did my training with DAC Training of Rotherham who I cannot recommend highly enough. 
Throughout my C and C+E everyone there was fantastic; Roy, the Training Manager (I know thaās reading this! 
) and my excellent instructor, Rod, plus everyone else there, were awesome throughout and I really havenāt got a bad word to say about any aspect of my training.
So anyway, my lāil class 1 journey started on Tuesday for a full dayās training. Should have been four hours on the Monday but it was a Bank Holiday so I opted for the full day instead. It was quite daunting, given the size of the lorry and the fact that it bends but I seemed to handle it okay. Did okayish on the reversing but for some reason struggled with the coupling and in particular lining the unit up with the trailer. I have no idea why. 
The morning was fine: luverly and bright and warm. In the afternoon? ā ā ā ā ā ā it down royally. There I was in a huge articulated lorry that was new to me and the wipers were on full, the heated mirror switch was activated as we drove through our torrential downpour. Marvellous! 
Getting out and swimming wouldāve been easier! 
Wednesday now when, after everything the night before had sunk in, the uncoupling/recoupling clicked. My reversing wasnāt as good though. Test day on Friday was gaining quickly, but still seemed ages away. My four hoursā training in the afternoon zoomed by, probably because of the full day Iād had the previous day.
Thursday now, the 3rd September. Why the date? Well, 'twas my birthday! Things started clicking a bit more now and by this point although still nervous I was enjoying myself more and strangely, Iād come to love the uncoupling/recoupling. I have to say that the BLACK/KCLABā¦
Uncouple:
Brake
Legs
Airlines (and electrics too, of course!)
Clip
Kingpin handle
ā¦ method of recalling (and KCALB in reverse) it all is absolutely fantastic and really stuck with me. Remembering all the other things like the ride height and number plate and light test was a doddle with the above routine.
Reverse still on and off; I wasnāt performing two the same; one would be brilliant and the other would be less so, but every time I cocked up, I rescued it, (though Rodās advice certainly helped!) which was the main thing I suppose. On the road and on the test routes I made some silly errors but I put those down to nerves. Even clipped a couple of kerbs. Still, I was handling the thing reasonably well and wasnāt killing anyone with it, so thatās always a Brucie Bonus!
Friday. Today. The 4th September. Headed into DACās office in Rotherham at 1230 to meet Rod and to pick the wagon up for some reverse practice, which went pretty much the same as it has been all week but by now I know how to correct things when they go badly wrong. I keep looking at my watch. D-Day is getting nearer by the second and before I know whatās happened weāre at the Test Centre and itās 1400! Eeeeeeek! 
Seems like only yesterday I was there doing my class 2 test. I couldnāt help thinking to myself as I sat there in the waiting room: āwhat the hell am I doing putting myself through this again?!ā but if I want that bendy licence, needs must. There was one other test candidate there, in a rigid. His first test. I have no idea how he got on but I wished him well and he did likewise. Poor sod looked as nervous as I felt. I knew how he was feeling.
The door opened and out walked the examiners. Mine was a friendly chap called Phil. We walked to the lorry and he asked me the safety questions. Mine were: āhow would you make sure the bodywork is in order on this vehicle?ā (Iām paraphrasing, by the wayā¦) and āhow would you check the brake lights work?ā. I answered his questions and he talked me through the reverse and there I was. I was on test. AARRGGHH!
Ballsed it up slightly but I recovered. It probably would have gone in as it was but I took the shunt to be sure. I may have even taken two. Canāt remember. Only had one minor for the reversing though. Myself and the yellow perimeter line to my right had a close-call which I thought Iād failed on, but thankfully I was wrong. Phew! Anyway, that particular ordeal over and it was foot to the floor in 4th time for the controlled stop, which went fine.
On the road then now. Right outta the test centre, then left at the end of the road and off we went. I still canāt remember the exact route as I was concentrating hard on what I was doing rather than where I was; the route took us through Treeton in Rotherham, which is a ālovelyā place for an artic at the best of times, let alone a newbie to one on test! From there we made our way onto the Sheffield Parkway city-bound and we came off at the Parkway Markets junction, I think. From there left onto Woodburn Road, then left at the roundabout up Manor Lane, past the Kier depot and straight on, finding our way onto the Manor estate and Prince of Wales Road, then down through Richmond and then Handsworth and back to the test centre for the uncoupling/recoupling exercise.
I thought a few times over that Iād failed; in fact, Iād convinced myself I had. As my instructor, Rod, said though, youāve never failed until the examiner tells you you have. So, after the un/coupling, Phil got back in the lorry with me and proceeded to do his paperwork. He then said āright, you have five driving faults. No serious. You know what that means?ā āerrrrrm,ā says I, āI have a dangerous?ā he just smiled and said that Iād passed. Cue relief, euphoria, everything, followed by extreme tiredness after all the intensity of the concentrating. Without a doubt the happiest moment of my life; not stopped grinning all night!
Having gone through both class 2 and 1 first time, (not boasting, guvānor, honest! ) my advice to other test candidates is just to try your best, drive how you were taught, think before you do ANYTHING and never ever just think youāve failed. No matter what you do and where and when, you never ever know what the resultās gonna be, so keep the standards high and forget any mistakes you made.
I got 5 minors, which was 2 less than my class 2 last year. Going on memory (the driving test reportās downstairs at the moment and Iām comfy hereā¦) the minors were:
1 for steering,
2 for mirrors when changing speed,
1 for the reverse
1 for anticipation and planning, I think.
Sod the minors; Iāll learn from them. I passed and thatās the main thing.
Some piccies, you say? Soinenlyā¦
My training vehicleā¦
^^ Absolutely bloody lovely to drive; blinged-up too! Only a temporary one though as I believe a new liveried training unit is on the way soon.
Day one, in the yard, during the torrential downpourā¦
Bendy bendyā¦
From the sideā¦
And back at the yard earlier, hereās me looking chuffed to bits in the lorryā¦
Happy doesnāt come anywhere close to covering itā¦
Once again, thanks to all at DAC Training, special thanks to Roy and Rod. Cheers, chaps.
Further, thanks to Rog here on Trucknet and all those who contributed to the help files.
