Got my first class 1 drive tomorrow on containers through agency , I was out last week with one company and another agency driver to show me the ropes for one day and didn’t really do any driving then next couple of days done class 2 work with same company delivering timber on my own .
Now agency want me to go to different company doing containers on my own on Monday morning which I don’t think is really fair , but have an idea of what’s to do . But going in tomorrow blind as to what state the unit will be in and skellie , what I will be doing for the day . And never really driven c+e on my own , Let’s just say I’m ■■■■■■■■ it lol . But going to get on with it if it means getting experience .
First chance you get, ask another driver. Tell him/her that you are brand new and would appreciate any advice.
It would be extremely unlikely in my opinion that the driver would not help you. We all have to start somewhere. Good luck pal.
Yes, ask. Take your time and don’t be pressured. Check, check then check again. That’s everything - twistlocks, coupling, mirrors. Breathe deeply and you’ll be fine.
All the best with it, Pete 
Cheers chaps ! . Yeah I will be double checking everything , don’t know why I’m so nervous lol . I mean I know what to do and high chance I will be in an auto so driving will be a walk in the park . I think it’s just all the grief and the long road just to get here and it’s finally here , I’m going to do what I’ve always wanted !
Good luck & enjoy your new job , like the others have said , if your not sure about anything then ask. 
Take a good defensive mindset, (ppl in cars drive as if the are trying to commit suicide by assumption)
Start you Professional LARGE goods vehicle career as you want to continue. …no bad mobile phone habits and pay attention to the tottie as it overtakes you. lol
Steady tiger.
Bach home:
Take a good defensive mindset, (ppl in cars drive as if the are trying to commit suicide by assumption)Start you Professional LARGE goods vehicle career as you want to continue. …no bad mobile phone habits and pay attention to the tottie as it overtakes you. lol
Steady tiger.
Lol thanks for the advice!
Well Jesus what a day ! Got put into a manky 60 plate merc ( no defects and easy to suss out the auto so was happy with that) spent an hour hunting for my trailer covering two yards .
First collection was to a recycling centre and was loaded with discarded newspapers I think I was weighing at 42t ! , what a difference it makes to the handling . For first few hours was ■■■■■■■■ myself but soon got relaxed a bit so I guess that will improve over the next few days . As for my reversing , it was ok but could do better 
.
But all in all I loved it and can’t wait to get back tomorrow , I don’t know how long that will last lol.
And I am absolutely shattered from sheer concentration all day!
Ps all the other drivers and staff where great.
Well done mate.
Nice to hear that it went well.
And I know exactly what you are saying about that tiredness from concentrating 
You think you’ve been trying to solve the world’s hardest maths problem all day long and now the monkey’s and their chalkboards are tired
Good luck for tomorrow,
Jon
That’s awesome! 
Good to hear it went well for you.
I found the long days really tiring when I first started too.
Well done. Glad it went well for you. Here is my day if your interested:
If it’s any comfort, it sounds like your experience is all pretty ‘normal’. Being terrified seems to come with the territory in the early days and weeks, but hang on in there and it will pass eventually.
You’ll probably find going to all the new places traumatic, worried about finding them, worried about getting yourself trapped down a one way street or a narrow side road with nowhere to turn around, scared in case there isn’t enough room to manoeuvre when you get there and so on.
First thing to remember is that you’re not the first person to take an artic where you’re going (probably), and it is highly unlikely they’ll send you somewhere an artic can’t go, so at worst the manoeuvring might be a challenge but rarely impossible. After a bit of practice - a few days or a few weeks - something will ‘click’ and you’ll find instinct taking over. Before you know it you’ll be chucking the trailer almost wherever you like and you’ll wonder why it used to be quite so hard.
Until then, take it easy, don’t let anyone rush you into anything, and never assume that driving will be a walk in the park - artics have a funny habit of biting back sometimes…take a corner too tight, forget the trailer’s front end overhang in a tight spot, neglect to check your cab position when watching the back end reversing and a sudden BANG will remind you that there’s a bit you forgot to look at. You need eyes everywhere!
Slow and steady - a good reverse is one where you didn’t hit anything regardless of how long it took or how many shunts you took…as many as are necessary is always the right answer.
Good luck with it!
Good for you pal.
Just take it nice and easy and you’ll be fine 
Well done.
Best bit of advice I can give you is before you turn into a yard stop first and walk over. That way you can ascertain that it’s the right place, and also look at the best way of driving forwards to position yourself for any reverse. Much easier also to look out for any bollards or overhanging canopies if you’re on foot.
a big thank-you to all that replied , I done my first couple of days on Container wor
K , bit of dispute with agency at the nick of time I was given the opportunity of a full time job but due to confidential secrecy I cant tell who lol. But I love being up there with the class 1 drivers . I have cut my teeth on a1 going to peterlee and back toTesco Livingston. Road closure delux. I’ve been flashed twice going south my own fault .
Anyway cut the crap I thank you all!
And respect the respect I’ve been given .