Why the f**k do some training schools have short 28 foot 18 tonners and some have 35-40 foot monsters■■?
Simple. The “monsters” are often more readily available on the second hand market and can be dirt cheap. The “trainers” (I use that word guardedly) don’t give a monkey’s whether or not the candidate passes or how many attempts are involved. They don’t rely on reputation - simply on apparently low pricing. And they get a good return on their capital.
An old w+d can be purchased easily for under £10k. And we’ve just spent nearly £90k on a new one. Not everyone operates the same and it’s down to the candidate to do the footwork and research the options before parting with their cash.
Until HM government see fit to regulate the industry, this is how it’s likely to remain.
My first training truck which I bought six years ago is a Mercedes Atego and yes use to work in the haulage industry. This is quite a long truck at 10.5 meters, incidentally I still use this truck.
It’s not about the size of the truck it’s about the quality of instruction to train the trainee and how to negotiate the truck at tight junctions and places.
Just because a truck is a used one not a brand new doesn’t mean it’s knackered.
I don’t think its professional for trainers to question other providers integrity and trucks and would better served concentrating on their own.
I failed my first test in a 18 ton MAN that had seen better days. During the lessons I kept mounting curbs etc, on the actual test I knocked a pole over. On my second attempt I was in a brand new Ivecco 12-14 tonner and it was so much easier. I wasn’t hitting curbs, I was hitting all the correct positions on the road etc. Now I don’t believe this difference solely came about because the truck was new, I believe that this changed because the truck was smaller. I did an assessment with Boston HGV in one of their old MAN’s with a knock over. Again, old truck, no problems.
The overhang is much less and the handling is more car like which as a newbie is a good thing but it will still challenge you so don’t think you can get away with silly stuff.
Digit369:
If in doubt don’t pull out if you can’t see them don’t comit to pulling out if they turn up round the corner then stop and take it slow as if you have a bucket of water in the examiners hands.
Get the handbrake on and wait for asking as you need to even if it’s 10 mins at a round about
Good advice for the test… However, real world?? No-one waits ten minutes, do they? LOL Find a gap, and let the cars chew trailer. If you’re at full weight from standing start, then you will wait FOREVER to find a gap that doesn’t inconvenience some euro box car driver in the rush hour… You will have to go from stop in a low gear and work that box up… Everyone wants to clear the roundabout, but in real life it’s give and take… Thank f*ck the test isn’t at full weight!
Digit369:
If in doubt don’t pull out if you can’t see them don’t comit to pulling out if they turn up round the corner then stop and take it slow as if you have a bucket of water in the examiners hands.
Get the handbrake on and wait for asking as you need to even if it’s 10 mins at a round about
Good advice for the test… However, real world?? No-one waits ten minutes, do they? LOL Find a gap, and let the cars chew trailer. If you’re at full weight from standing start, then you will wait FOREVER to find a gap that doesn’t inconvenience some euro box car driver in the rush hour… You will have to go from stop in a low gear and work that box up… Everyone wants to clear the roundabout, but in real life it’s give and take… Thank f*ck the test isn’t at full weight!
Steeps
Works in the real world but that is sure fire way to fail your test and get a “dangerous” on your score sheet.
Digit369:
If in doubt don’t pull out if you can’t see them don’t comit to pulling out if they turn up round the corner then stop and take it slow as if you have a bucket of water in the examiners hands.
Get the handbrake on and wait for asking as you need to even if it’s 10 mins at a round about
Good advice for the test… However, real world?? No-one waits ten minutes, do they? LOL Find a gap, and let the cars chew trailer. If you’re at full weight from standing start, then you will wait FOREVER to find a gap that doesn’t inconvenience some euro box car driver in the rush hour… You will have to go from stop in a low gear and work that box up… Everyone wants to clear the roundabout, but in real life it’s give and take… Thank f*ck the test isn’t at full weight!
Steeps
Works in the real world but that is sure fire way to fail your test and get a “dangerous” on your score sheet.
That’s what I meant - wait as long as needed on test, it all comes off the time you have for the test (and you can’t really fail while stopped waiting on a gap) - real world when you’re running at max weight, different ball game
