Hi everyone, I hope you are keeping well during these hard times! I just wondering if someone can give me some advice, I was wondering if anyone on here works for Knights Of Old ? If so what are they they like to work for ? Do they train you etc as a new driver.
I’m a new class 1 driver ( passed in October ) but have been driving class 2 for the last two years. But ‘ KTS ‘ are going to give me a class 1 position but I went for an assessment which I passed but struggled with the reverse. But I was wondering what you guys done when you first stepped into the class 1 driving. Any tips / advice to take. As this does make me nervous as you can imagine. I’d Ideally like to go with a firm that would ‘ train ‘ me as to speak or is this something that doesn’t generally happen ?
I’m not sure if they still do it , but they do a lot of work on behalf of Mole Valley farmers to their shops all over the South West including Cornwall, mostly secure the load with internal straps and ratchet straps if the pallet is over 400 kgs.
For the reversing , one day it will just come to you without thinking too much about it .My top tip is when you want to turn the trailer around in a very tight spot such as inside a shopping mall delivery area :
Press the shunt button on the side of the trailer , remove all your lines on the rear of your cab .
The trailer will move while on shunt so by doing this you will not rip off all your lines leaving you stranded until a fitter arrives with new lines or Suzies .
For MVF expect about two to three drops or one drop .
Errr?!? NEVER, REPEAT NEVER disconnect your lines and use your shunt valve unless you absolutely have to (i.e. when you cannot hook up to/drop an extremely close coupling unit and trailer). I have driven Class 1 for the best part of 30 years and have used a shunt valve a dozen times and never to manouvre. Disconnecting and reconnecting lines for anything other than picking/dropping up a trailer will lead to grief and possibly the sack if it goes wrong. Snapping an air line on a manouvre will not cost you your job. Do not listen to those who have spent years cutting corners and getting away with it. Shunt valves are for shunting, NOT manouvring convenience. Clue’s in the title.
Stick to your training and it will get easier day by day. As I have said before it will take two years to get to a position where you have seen and coped with or cracked every problem. If this is a long term career take your time, use every inch available when manouvring, if you take a shunt take a big one, take it slow at junctions/roundabouts and look before you commit to a blind yard etc. You never know what’s the other side of that high fence or open gate, so check.
Hi i must agree with the last comment Never Never use shunt valve i passed my test when i was 21 only ever drove artic’s i am now 66 and never used the shunt valve early traitor’s never had them at the worst in a hurry (which you will learn don’t do that when the accident’s happen) put yellow and red on.
