Not a newbie by any means but not driven trucks for 3 months and had Class 1 assessment today, usual stuff pre checks, couple up, 45 min drive, reverse onto bay, park trailer and uncouple. Up until now everythings perfect and they’ve offered me a job starting Monday then I go to park the unit and for the first time ever I’m struggling and steering as if ive got a trailer on, assessor says ive had had a brain fart. Back to the office and he failed me because of the last part, has this happened to anyone else before, it was like I’d briefly forgotten how to reverse solo, it was just bizarre.
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a bit harsh
That sounds more like a political decision by the assessor to be honest. Could be any of a myriad of reasons why he/she failed you, but it sounds like you were always gonna fail no matter what. Don’t be disheartened, it’s not a reflection on you as a driver, it’s just that sometimes shizzle happens.
I thought this, then thought why would he start talking about starting at 8 on Monday if that was the case. He said no faults on anything so when I was told this I was shocked. I maybe let myself down as I told him what I thought in explicit terms although my wife said quite right as she agrees with your point.
To be honest it sounds to me like you was probably so pleased to have got the job that you stopped concentrating on the driving when solo.
I agree that it was a harsh decision though 
Cant you ask the question if you could appeal it with them
Could’ve been that mate although I cant understand what happened with the solo reverse, I worked as a shunter for a year 3 years ago but even without that its something that ive done hundreds of times.
I’m retired now but when I was working I lost count of the number of times I had to stop and think about reversing a solo unit into places I’d reverse a trailer into without batting an eyelid 
Sometimes it’s the easy things in life that catch us out 
No and not just for the reason that I mouthed off a bit but also the trailer and the truck had a defect, firstly the trailer had an ebs fault but they were using it anyway and on parking the trailer and end of assessment the brakes stuck on in the middle of the yard and took a few minutes to get it moving this was obviously right before the end, the truck left hand turn audible warning would intermittently stick on during the drive and he told me the guy who uses the truck had defected it but they obviously decided to use it anyway. If I have another assessment I won’t allow myself to be caught out like this again.
Agreed, in the end perhaps its just one of these things.
■■■■ em!! …
How many applicants for the job?
If there were lots, anyone cocking up, even by a small amount, would be excluded.
Don’t beat yourself up about messing up this time, as that will only make it worse for the next attempt.
Harsh, you were obviously just rusty.
Assessor on a power trip, and with the defect lorry, sounds like you dodged a bullet.