I had my first day of training today. it was classroom based but very useful. we went through the test sheet the examiner uses and told exactly what is expected of us to be professional drivers. how we should approach things and what and why things could be a hazard to a lorry driver but not a car. I just wish I had taken a notepad and pen so I could write some of the stuff down.
I will come back in the following days and add to this thread.
second day of lessons. We spent the morning driving on all the different types of roads we might go on for our test. my co learner and I took 45 min stints each so it enabled us to learn at a more relaxed pace. then after lunch we spent an hour or so doing the reversing exercise then went and concentrated on roundabouts and lane markings doing another hour or so each.
I enjoyed it however I really need to work on my bends and not getting too close to the curb. One bonus is im learning in a lorry that doesn’t qualify for the low emissions zone so half the routes are ruled out straight away.
Just curious but why a whole day classroom?
Serious waste of driving time imo.
What I found with kerb clearance is try and get the white line in bottom corner of windscreen where it curves to the door. As your high up it you’ll find that generally gets you about right .
Obviously look in mirror till your at right distance and see where white line hits a point in screen and use that as a guide as everyone sits slightly different.
Best of luck with training
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dcgpx:
Just curious but why a whole day classroom?Serious waste of driving time imo.
It got us thinking about how to drive a lorry and what we should be doing in a car never mind a lorry like msm and lane discipline on roundabouts I think the theory behind it is that they can spend 4 hours going over it with everyone rather than spending 4 hours on each student separately.
Sounds like Roadtrain at Thurrock?
Pete 
cooper1203:
… I just wish I had taken a notepad and pen so I could write some of the stuff down.
You mean that you turned up for school without your notebook and pen.
But seriously, I’d have thought that a training provider would give you a notebook and pen, even if you’d forgotten your own.
Come to think of it, I can’t think of a training provider (and I work for quite a few!) who wouldn’t have given you a notebook and pen had you asked, but now for the killer question…
Did you actually ask the instructor for a pen and paper and got met with a refusal? 
yes its roadtrain and no I didn’t ask im a quite a shy person to begin with and didn’t want to look like a swat its my fault
The first day in the classroom is an old established method used by Roadtrain. You’re in very good hands. They’re an excellent team with some of the best pass rates in the country.
Enjoy your training!
Pete
Peter Smythe:
The first day in the classroom is an old established method used by Roadtrain. You’re in very good hands. They’re an excellent team with some of the best pass rates in the country.Enjoy your training!
Pete
that’s nice to hear another school speak well of a different one. that’s one of the reasons I went to roadtrain in the first place all the local ones to me in kent bad mouthed each other. it was all kind of back handed pressure selling where as roadtrain just gave me the price and the info and that was that.
Another full days training. To start with we each did a full test route then chatted about the good and the bad. then we went out for an hour or so each just trying to get the smoothness. then the instructor took us out on a demo run for twenty min. after lunch we did some more roundabout / road markings practice and an hour on the reversing pad. Goodish news is I only clipped the curb once but now I have developed a habit of being too close to the white line when I don’t need to be.
we have both opted for the extra tuition on Friday as he is still having to repeat the same thing at the same junction/hazard.
coop
3rd day of training.
I have had a pleasing day no kerb clipping and only once went over a solid white line on the left. Im going back to night with a tin of black paint and painting over it Other than that I still need a lot of work on my reversing manoeuvre. 7 o’clock start tomorrow again and straight onto the reversing pad and then we are going to do a mock test then Monday is the real thing so wish me luck
coop
No need for black paint! Going over the line on your left is not, in itself, an issue. Letting your wheels run off the solid road surface IS an issue and is to be avoided - obviously. So, although it’s very desirable not to cross the line, subject to what I’ve stated, don’t worry about it.
Hope you have a great day tomorrow and the right result on Monday.
Pete
ok lets try to be positive and not beat myself up. First positive thing we swapped into the other ridged today as we were both still struggling with the notchiness in the steering. in 5 feet your could tell the difference. we both did our best drives yet. the instructor said we would of passed easily. then we broke for lunch.
Then mock test time (I still feel like crying) I got 3 serious and 13 minors. first 2 were my fault I was at a roundabout and went at the same time as a van then saw the motorcycle hidden by the van and slammed the anchors on in the path of the 2 wheeled devil. second one I was so ■■■■■■ off with myself I nearly ran someone over on a crossing just the other side of the roundabout and slammed the anchors on and parking brake.
the last one was on a different roundabout I wanted the right hand lane but by the time I had my head round that I had a [zb] in a tipper that didn’t want to let me across and insisted on running level with me no matter how slow I went ended up cutting up a car that swung out from behind me.
so all in all not a good day all though I hasten to add that my instructor was very patient and tried his best to console me.
on a positive note my test is at 8.15 on Monday when certain roads are quieter and I seem to drive better.
coop
Hopefully, having made some errors today, it’ll come together on Monday.
All the best with it, Pete
here is a pic of where it all went wrong with my route highlighted in red
as I entered the diagram I was instructed to follow signs for the A1306 the second roundabout had a left hand filter lane that I took and put me in the left hand lane of the A1306 I was then told to follow the signs for m25 north. How could I have done it differently with heavy traffic and a queue in the left hand lane.
if anyone knows the lakeside area the last roundabout is the lakeside junction with the m25 immediately after the tunnel
many thanks
Coop
ok today was dee day started the day off with a couple of reverses did each one okish. (had to have a shunt foward on the second one). then out for an hour or so on the local roads. got shouted at for not slowing down soon enough for queueing traffic ahead. mirror work was shoddy and a couple of other bits. add to that the dismal mock test on Friday and hardly any sleep last night (I kept dreaming I crashed and killed someone). All combined and I was having a hard time not turning my underpants brown.
However come test time I did my best reverse ever. and drove round for an hour only collecting 3 minors so happy to say I PASSED!!
this afternoon I did the mod four training and test and passed that with flying colours.
feeling very chuffed with myself
coop
Congratulations mate, really pleased for you. I’ve been quietly reading your posts on this thread and was eagerly waiting to hear your result today, glad you got there. I had my first day of training today so hopefully I’ll be joining the new pass club on Friday…
Congratulations on the pass!
All the best, Pete
thanks all