I know its not easy and i don’t want to blame nobody but myself in the end but i’m asking myself how class 1 test must be so ridicously difficult. I’m not talking about hitch-unhitch but the driving. I mean, i afailed twice and a colleague who has been driving since 25 years did it 7 times .
Why there are not cameras and why the instructor cannot stay in the cab?
My understanding is that dvsa is simply out of mind and outside of its game its full of rubbish drivers,motorists,cyclist,pedestrians,traffic and rubbish roads with wrong/deleted/turned/dirty signs and they expect you to drive like you’re in the perfect world.
Another thing how they could mark a learner driver to be unduely hesitant? Ofcourse he is hesitant if is a newbie!!
Not giving up but this class 1 is costing me more than a new scania!!!
I don’t know how you want us to respond?
A there, there, keep at it you’ll get it eventually?
Or it’s not for everyone, what are your alternatives?
Perhaps you should get a second opinion?
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Adrian0909:
Hi all, wanted to post a little about my experience so far.
On the whole it’s been pretty terrible! I wont name the company I have been using so far, but up to now ive had multiple reverse test failures one I will happily take responsibility for and the first I wont due to poor facilities/circumstances.
After finally passing my 3a I felt pretty confident, driving forwards was the easy bit I thought. I proved myself wrong there!Several failures later and now in a position where my employer will no longer fund it I found myself questioning the trainer I was using, had I been getting enough actual tuition?
I felt a lack of feedback on what I was doing and wasn’t really being given the tools to understand why I was turning when I was for example. I even had one examiner explaining something to me after a fail that my instructor hadn’t mentioned in hours of training.
At the end of the day on my money I wanted a better opportunity at a pass, and someone else to take a look at how I drive and see where I was honestly at.After much time spent on Google I found this forum and then followed on to looking at Peter smythe transport, I went for an assessment drive yesterday and it was a totally different experience, the staff were friendly and quick to get back to you on the phone and very welcoming when I got there a few minutes late after a flat on the a50. I got a good amount of feedback at the end of the drive and given an estimate of how many hours to iron out any flaws and learn the area.
I have until June to complete before I would have to do reverse test again and luckily it looks as though they are going to be able to fit that in for me.
Being honest before yesterday I was starting to feel totally despondent about the whole thing.Sorry for the long first post but I hope it serves as a little bit of reinforcement to others out there to stick at it.
Many people here will tell you that far from being ridiculously difficult, it is actually far easier than previously:
You’ll be doing it in an automatic, so no gear changing to think about, which means…
No gear changing exercise, where you have to go all the way up the gear box and back down again,
Most trucks now have handbrakes that disengage automatically, so hill starts are essentially non-existent,
No “Emergency Stop” any more - not that the HGV test called it that, it had a slightly different name, but amounted to the same thing,
We can now do the reversing/manoeuvring separately, which spreads out the test-stress over two days,
And, some training vehicles even have a reversing camera, so there is no excuse for not getting the back end squarely in the box
I reckon Pete S could name a large number of other ways tests are simpler now.
Zac_A:
No “Emergency Stop” any more - not that the HGV test called it that, it had a slightly different name, but amounted to the same thing,.
I believe is was called a controlled stop back in the day when I did my class 2 with the ramp at the end just in case you didn’t stop [emoji1787]
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Sorry i don’t get it.
I did my class 2 long time ago in my country and it was manual, so no particular issue with that.
My concern is how schools think that 5/6 lessons with an artic are enough to put you through a test… what’s all about? Natural selection? If you’re not able to do it in 5 lessons just quit? Seriously…
I passed back in February at PSTT. Straight from car to class 1. Its definitely not an easy test but the fact it’s broken up into two parts definitely helps now in my opinion. Very glad I was able to get the reversing and coupling bit done separately. I think nerves and anxiety are the worst enemy on test day. Very easy to let this affect the way you drive.
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Marktrucker:
Sorry i don’t get it.
I did my class 2 long time ago in my country and it was manual, so no particular issue with that.
My concern is how schools think that 5/6 lessons with an artic are enough to put you through a test… what’s all about? Natural selection? If you’re not able to do it in 5 lessons just quit? Seriously…
5/6 lessons of 8 hrs each should be plenty to learn.
This is 2 candidates to 1 instructor.
It would be 4 HR lessons if it’s 1:1
Perhaps you should state how many hrs you got ?
stu675:
Marktrucker:
Sorry i don’t get it.
I did my class 2 long time ago in my country and it was manual, so no particular issue with that.
My concern is how schools think that 5/6 lessons with an artic are enough to put you through a test… what’s all about? Natural selection? If you’re not able to do it in 5 lessons just quit? Seriously…5/6 lessons of 8 hrs each should be plenty to learn.
This is 2 candidates to 1 instructor.
It would be 4 HR lessons if it’s 1:1
Perhaps you should state how many hrs you got ?
Had 5 lessons 1:1 last november in which i had rushed all the time by a really negative instructor which was just putting pressure on me so i went on the exam and i was on baloon and i failed the hitck/unhitch.
Long story short, changed school and i re-did it from the beginning, this time 2:1 4 lessons (much more far away) and at least i passed hitch/unhitch this time but i couldn’t pass driving for 2 times.
First time hit a curb and examiner didn’t like the way i stopped with non-perfect allignment unit/trailer , second time i pulled slightly on a bus stop with no bus and the unit rolled down when it was in gear (!!!can you believe■■?) (for who says automatic is better) and inside the deep traffic for examiner i was not watching blind spots (That’s why i would ask for test with footage or instructor present to at least interact if something seems too strict).
As i said anyway enough talking, probably i’m emotional and it’s only my fault and maybe better a fail on class 1 more than being on an artic straight away and finish in jail because being involved in an accident.
For who passed straight from car to class 1 i’m more than happy for you i cannot say other.
Comic thing? My profession is truck driver, i’ve been driving since last october and didn’t provoke any accident yet. Maybe pure luck, maybe not.
Marktrucker:
Sorry i don’t get it.
I did my class 2 long time ago in my country and it was manual, so no particular issue with that.
My concern is how schools think that 5/6 lessons with an artic are enough to put you through a test… what’s all about? Natural selection? If you’re not able to do it in 5 lessons just quit? Seriously…
Why do you think 5 days of training isn’t enough?
A driver has already passed a driving test prior to driving a truck for lessons. It’s is merely a case of getting used to a larger vehicle and out of any bag habits you have picked up, to get you to test standard again.
Even more so when you pass a car test, then did Class C, before going on to C+E, you had then already passed a car test then learnt and passed a rigid test and then worked on to a C+E licence.
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5 or 6 lessons should be more then adequate for most people who are already used to driving large vehicles (i.e. someone going from C to C+E). Probably not enough for someone coming straight from a car licence though.
Roymondo:
5 or 6 lessons should be more then adequate for most people who are already used to driving large vehicles (i.e. someone going from C to C+E). Probably not enough for someone coming straight from a car licence though.
Agreed. I did it at PSTT Monday-Thursday 5 hours/day with my test on the Friday, but that was Class C to C+E.
Don’t know what to say. It’s not being used to a large vehicle. As i said, it’s my job. Probably the traffic of London makes me a little bit unconfortable in an exam and gets everything more difficult.
This might not make for comfortable reading, so I’ll be careful what I say. I note that you’ve already indicated that you passed your Group C test in another country. Presumably you also took your car test (Group B) there? The fact that you are now struggling with the UK Group C+E test suggests that overall, maybe your driving simply isn’t up to the required standard to pass a test in this country.
Some people just don’t get on with larger vehicles. I don’t think it’s fair to blame road conditions etc for you failing your test. If you can drive a car then once you’re used to the size of the vehicle you can drive a wagon. The roads are the same you’re just in a bigger vehicle. I went from car to class 1 with only 16 hours of lessons and passed everything first time but i have a bus license so i have experience with large vehicles. But working for a bus company i have seen so many people come and go because they just can’t get on with the size of the vehicle.
Roymondo:
This might not make for comfortable reading, so I’ll be careful what I say. I note that you’ve already indicated that you passed your Group C test in another country. Presumably you also took your car test (Group B) there? The fact that you are now struggling with the UK Group C+E test suggests that overall, maybe your driving simply isn’t up to the required standard to pass a test in this country.
I Think that’s the problem. Standards are definitely much much much higher here. All my driving tests were in really quiet area in countryside in which going slow was enough. Duration was much much less and as i said i was with instructor and examiner. Do you think study from the beginning the highway code may help? I have explained this to all the driving school but they said just it was ok and that as i was driving during training i would have been more than capable…
Marktrucker:
Roymondo:
This might not make for comfortable reading, so I’ll be careful what I say. I note that you’ve already indicated that you passed your Group C test in another country. Presumably you also took your car test (Group B) there? The fact that you are now struggling with the UK Group C+E test suggests that overall, maybe your driving simply isn’t up to the required standard to pass a test in this country.I Think that’s the problem. Standards are definitely much much much higher here. All my driving tests were in really quiet area in countryside in which going slow was enough. Duration was much much less and as i said i was with instructor and examiner. Do you think study from the beginning the highway code may help? I have explained this to all the driving school but they said just it was ok and that as i was driving during training i would have been more than capable…
Your instructor should have been with you for the “debrief” at the end of the test (unless of course they’ve stopped doing that due to Covid) and so should have a full understanding of your weak areas. If they are not helping you here, go somewhere else.
I’d strongly suggest having a word with Peter Smythe Transport Training in Nottinghamshire. From what I read on here they get 100% positive feedback from students. They can even provide free accommodation if you’re from outside of their area.
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I’m just between greater london and the west so a little bit out of area for notts… My 4/4 shifts also are a bit tricky as not always i have the good days for exams as examiners only come on that day…
Driving in notts can be much more easy for the traffic than in London Though…
Anyway i always got my debrief and weak areas were not in the understanding or practicing driving standards. Lessons and Tests basically were 2 different worlds of difficulty. Maybe is just a problem of mine as the other student on first time who was with me just passed and me no but i won’t give up. Anyway all the driving assessment i had even at work said that i’m a safe driver…everyone says so a part from examiner. Gosh…
You can’t help some people.
Free accommodation. C to C E would be easy in 4 days.
stu675:
You can’t help some people.
Free accommodation. C to C E would be easy in 4 days.
With PSTT = deffo 
or 3 days as many do sat+sun with test on mon
This sounds like yet another of the endless stream of folk who have inadvertently booked with an unprofessional, unskilled “instructor”. I use inverted commas deliberately as these characters cannot reasonably claim to be instructors.
Maybe it’s time for me to point out, again, that there is NO legal requirement for someone giving tuition (I avoid the term instructor) to be qualified except holding the licence. This isn’t the case with cars and it’s madness that it’s how it is with trucks. There have been arguments that the trainee “can already drive”. This has limited value when transferring from a Fiesta to 44 tonne artic. Yes, some value, but there’s such a lot that’s totally different and has to be taught in a coherent, organised and structured manner.
There are two registers for LGV instructors. One is NRI and the other is National Vocational Driving Instructors Register. I would strongly recommend checking to see if your trainer is on one of these registers. Just ask your prospective trainer for evidence. If they cant produce, it’s possible they are not registered. To get there, there will have passed a number of exams, tests and assessments and performance is monitored.
I will point out, however, that some perfectly good trainers do not appear on either register. That is their choice for whatever reason.
Anyone using PSTT will be guaranteed a fully trained and registered instructor. Apart from the NVDIR audit system, the PSTT system (which I personally put in place) keeps a very close eye on performance levels.
Hope this helps, Pete S