Onto the next stage in my quest... CLASS 1

NEW AND WANNABE DRIVERS (INTERACTIVE)
21

As dar1976 says, looks like you’re doing fine.

Must admit to being uncomfortable leaving a trainee alone with a truck for reversing and coupling/uncoupling given the death rate amongst experienced drivers when they get it wrong. It’s possible you could be practicing the coupling/uncoupling and getting it wrong. Or making it harder work than it needs to be. And with no instructor present you would never know.

I think our insurers would be most upset with this situation and I certainly wouldn’t entertain it.

All the best. Pete :laughing: :laughing:

22

Hi , a bit unsure about leaving u on your own for reversing practice , but as dar said he obviously felt that he could leave you and you are able to get a feel by making your own judgements, but also agree with Peter that you may not be getting everything right and so he may have to untrain a few things before test day , that can be worse than learning in first place ■■
sounds like your enjoying it though good luck for your test :smiley:

23

I think if they were unsure about leaving me in the yard they would not have done it. I have been very tenacious about learning the trailer brake and shunt buttons what they do and why they were invented. I have come up with a little saying to help me in future:
“Pull to Park and Push to Shunt, If in doubt PULL THEM BOTH OUT!”. The reason I came up with the saying was because there is no standard to the colour, shape or location of these buttons which absolutely shocked me. A few of the trailers have square red trailer brake buttons and blue circular shunt buttons then Andy showed me a few trailers that have had buttons replaced or have been resprayed by wallies which you can’t tell which is which.

My Procedure to uncouple

B.L.A.C.K.

BRAKES ON in the CAB AND on the TRAILER

LANDING LEGS DOWN don’t make it hard on yourself don’t put them tight on the floor leave them slightly loose and store handle out of the way

AIR LINES (SUSIES) NO SET ORDER but I check the trailer brake AGAIN and then deal with the red one first pull them off and store them neatly so they don’t get damaged

COUPLING I CHECK there are no obstructions and happy to uncouple the rig UNDO DOG CLIP and SECONDARY DEVICE PULL LEVER

KINGPIN Drive forward and disengage should hear kingpin sound as unit leaves trailer

I then state that this trailer has now been parked safely and it is no longer my responsibility whilst REMOVING my NUMBER PLATE

My Procedure to couple up

KCALB black in reverse

I walk to the trailer and check it: TRAILER BRAKE ON Tyres tread and inflation anti spray mudguards, lights markers and side, brake and tail etc. I check for damage and the condition the trailer has been left in. What is the ground like level? Is here anything around the trailer that might impede me when I couple up? I then STATE I am taking ownership of this trailer and put my NUMBER PLATE ON IT

KINGPIN Reverse up to the trailer and align unit to the kingpin so that it will engage. Fifth wheel should be just starting to go under the trailer and should be ready to slide under keeping contact with the trailer

COUPLING I CHECK there are no obstructions and happy to couple the rig DRIVE back and listen for the kingpin engaging then I tug twice to see if it has got the trailer. THEN PUT DOG CLIP IN. THEN I GET UNDER AND LOOK AT THE KINGPIN IT SHOULD BE CLOSED

AIR LINES (SUSIES) I do the red one first. I pull the collar back and push on then when the trailer is settled I lock it (2 secs) This is a safety procedure in case of movement so that you can pull it back off quickly to engage trailer brakes if for some reason the rig moves!

LANDING LEGS UP and store handle out of the way

BRAKES TRAILER BRAKE OFF and then lastly Unit brake and drive away. I stop and do another check of the rig before starting my journey.

REVERSING
I think the instructors were happy to leave me to practice as they know I have driven coaches and HGV 2 for years. I am on a Wag and Drag upgrade and Tom had a conversation with me on the first day when I told him I drove lorries in the army pulling trailers loaded with bailey and MGB bridging. So I guess they were comfortable with me reversing stuff around on the yard. I actually practiced reversing the rig between a rigid and a bus so that when in the real I won’t be nervous reversing onto bays and between vehicles in the services.

24

Day off today but wish I had booked 20 hours now I want to be out on those test routes practising :frowning: :frowning: :frowning:

I am a little concerned about the show me tell stuff as I have not done any? Is that the trailer checks etc I have already mentioned in my routine?

25

The show me/tell me is no different to CAT C. Except there’s only 2 questions. I would have thought you would have learned these when you did daily checks.

Your written procedure for uncoupling/coupling is fine. My worry is that there are folk who practice this happily during their training but still manage to get it round their neck on test. Thus my concern with leaving anyone alone to carry out this potentially dangerous procedure.

Hope you enjoy the rest of your training and get the right result on Friday.

Pete :laughing: :laughing:

26

Peter Smythe:
The show me/tell me is no different to CAT C. Except there’s only 2 questions. I would have thought you would have learned these when you did daily checks.

Your written procedure for uncoupling/coupling is fine. My worry is that there are folk who practice this happily during their training but still manage to get it round their neck on test. Thus my concern with leaving anyone alone to carry out this potentially dangerous procedure.

Hope you enjoy the rest of your training and get the right result on Friday.

Pete :laughing: :laughing:

Got to say I can’t disagree with you. As I understand it this is common practice with trainees and there is another thread on here where I think you also participated stating that they also were handed the keys to practice reversing and coupling. Well I said I would report back honestly for this site and I have. I had a day off today but am back in the morning 06:45 for my 4 hour lesson. I did read the criticism of the state of the yard and can verify that has not changed but it suits me as my view is if I can reverse etc on that then the test centre will seem a lot easier. The Artics are 2002, 2003, 2004 Volvos and the rigids are Scanias. The coaches are 2003 van hool bodies probably with Scania engines. Test day Friday

27

THURSDAY

Missed driving yesterday and wish I had signed up to the 20 hour course to get 4 more hours practice in. I got the reversing down well by staying the extra 2 hours the other day and when I reversed first thing this morning I got it spot on again so I am really pleased with that. The uncoupling/coupling routine is working well and today we went through the questions show me tell me which is also fine.

Drive went OK apart from twice failing to look in the left mirror just before coming off at roundabouts but think I have it in my head now. Two guys failed today and they looked like their world had caved in! It is £300 to sit again with Atkins but better than £500 with Tockwith so I am pleased where I am. Again I was given free run of the yard to practice Reversing/coupling etc. and I don’t care if it is not good safety protocol I think they are really helping you prepare by doing that and they would not let you loose if you were dangerous. Actually I am the only one in there doing it everyone else goes home. :open_mouth:

Test tomorrow 08:30 and I am really looking forward to it :smiley:

28

I passed and am busy looking for work already. Just filled out an application for Yusens. Told my agencies and they say they can get me class 1 if I do class 2 for now. Yeah right I won’t wait for them :unamused: They must think I am an idiot forking out over £1100 for cpc and class 1 to go back and do what I was doing before. :imp:

29

Well done on your pass

30

Thank you, nothing else to go for now I have car, motorbike, bus, and lorry lol :smiley:

31

I could still do motorbike, but not really fancy it, and B+E which isn’t on my license already for some reason…
Most important is: You’ve passed, and no one can take it away from you apart from DVLA:)

32

aspro:
I could still do motorbike, but not really fancy it, and B+E which isn’t on my license already for some reason…
Most important is: You’ve passed, and no one can take it away from you apart from DVLA:)

Yeah well I have slowed down now since getting 3 points last week. On a run tomorrow to raise money for Sue Ryder cancer fund. We are all riding to Whitby for Fish and Chips :smiley:

33

Well done on the pass - and that’s the most important thing in this post.

I’ll stick to my guns though on leaving candidates alone to practice uncoupling/coupling. It’s a potentially dangerous situation and I would never entertain it.

But we all have different standards and I’ll work to mine and leave others to sort themselves out.

Well done again - and all the best with the job search.

Pete :laughing: :laughing:

34

Well Done on your pass. Great job.

35

Thanks everyone here is a pic of the truck I had for the week and as you can see the yard is a bit rough but how many yards like that will you see in the haulage industry? The trucks are decent and the instructors obviously do there job otherwise I would not have passed. My instructor dozed off now and then but this did not reduce my training as it only happened after the coverage of the routes and the lesson was over…

36

Instructor dozing, 10 year old truck, unmarked rough yard - - you really did do well!

I’ll carry on being awake in my 6 month old truck at my private test centre, thankyou.

If ever “cheapest isn’t always best” needed explaining, you’ve done it brilliantly.

Pete :laughing: :laughing:

37

congratulations buddy and good luck with the job hunt ,

:bulb: :bulb: nearly all the class 1 jobs I have done have been from going in as a class 2 driver impressing them with that then getting them to let me loose with an artic , dont turn down that class 2 work it may lead to somat else , use the agencies to your advantage to make yourself known , just a thought :wink:

38

Jennie:

congratulations buddy and good luck with the job hunt ,

:bulb: :bulb: nearly all the class 1 jobs I have done have been from going in as a class 2 driver impressing them with that then getting them to let me loose with an artic , dont turn down that class 2 work it may lead to somat else , use the agencies to your advantage to make yourself known , just a thought :wink:

Will do I am working for Viamaster all next week class 2 and I have put an application into Yusens as I go on well with them :smiley: I am sure I will get there.

39

Peter Smythe:
Instructor dozing, 10 year old truck, unmarked rough yard - - you really did do well!

I’ll carry on being awake in my 6 month old truck at my private test centre, thankyou.

If ever “cheapest isn’t always best” needed explaining, you’ve done it brilliantly.

Pete :laughing: :laughing:

Well I could of gone with L&T or Tockwith but Atkins was the nearest. Hang on a minute though, where did I get the recommendation to go with Atkins? Oh year HERE! Anyway it paid off for me as I passed first time so £690 + £115 test is a result.

40

Viamaster did not work out but it was a blessing in disguise as I am doing a trial tomorrow, HGV 1 and if I pass it, I will have a good night run trunking local. I have also been offered a job for a local firm covering for drivers on holiday and off sick until mid October again HGV 1 but then they are taking delivery of a new merc so the top driver will get that and they are taking on another driver. I would be in first position for the full time permanent job. So I have to decide what to do but opportunities are there.

Note at the moment there is a shortage of HGV 1 and 2 drivers as today I got two job offers and 3 agencies have called asking me to do HGV 2 tomorrow! 2 of them offering me jobs I have done last month on a regular basis. Fill your wellies while it lasts I say :smiley: :smiley: