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vryes
Original Poster
36 posts
33 months
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Yes it was Friday 13th and round our neck of the woods it was all torrential rain, but i managed to pass first attempt. 5 minors (1 for the shunt on reversing) and I'm now the proud owner of a C+E license, bit nervous about Monday (I can do the reversing excercise for the test everytime, but have never tried to back an artic onto a bay etc) but really looking forward to it. Work have told me i'll be getting a nice '60' plate Volvo FH460 Globetrotter XL and doing 2-3 nights out a week. Can't wait to hit the road. Just wanted to share my excitement before all the doom mongers tell me I've done the wrong thing 
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Humper
396 posts
31 months
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vryes said: Can't wait to hit the road. Just wanted to share my excitement before all the doom mongers tell me I've done the wrong thing You have, but you'll enjoy finding it out for a few years  Congrats
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R0G
3,235 posts
24 months
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spike50
62 posts
23 months
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well done , it must feel great ,
now go and learn how to drive properly in the real world .
i dont mean that to sound as bad as it reads i am really pleased for you, i just mean like your car test they teach you to jump through hoops for the examiner now you have to learn to drive and make progress like everybody else .
like i said well done
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lgw
305 posts
79 months
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Congratulations, I hope you have a sunny week next week
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rumple
2,498 posts
20 months
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vryes said: Yes it was Friday 13th and round our neck of the woods it was all torrential rain, but i managed to pass first attempt. 5 minors (1 for the shunt on reversing) and I'm now the proud owner of a C+E license, bit nervous about Monday (I can do the reversing excercise for the test everytime, but have never tried to back an artic onto a bay etc) but really looking forward to it. Work have told me i'll be getting a nice '60' plate Volvo FH460 Globetrotter XL and doing 2-3 nights out a week. Can't wait to hit the road. Just wanted to share my excitement before all the doom mongers tell me I've done the wrong thing Well done OP, nice truck as well
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chilistrucker
1,489 posts
20 months
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well done mate 
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vryes
Original Poster
36 posts
33 months
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Thanks all, first day out on my own today, will make a nice change from all the local class 2 multidrop i've been doing for the last 4 years.
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philmots
2,501 posts
129 months
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Well done mate. That 13L 460 Volvo engine is an absolute peach.. They're gradually replacing our 60 reg ones with new 10L 450's and they're nowhere near as nice to drive. The 13L seems to have endless torque. Some things to consider when you're getting onto bays... It's all in your initial positioning, mess that up and you'll never get it on. Don't rush/panic, rushing only ever leads to accidents. GOAL, get out and look... I still do this now if i'm not 100% sure 3 years on, I never ever guess. I also never feel a t  t doing it no matter who is watching. I know how I'd feel if I hit something, though.... That's kept me accident free in 3 years and we have some stupidly tight yards.
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vryes
Original Poster
36 posts
33 months
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philmots said: Well done mate. That 13L 460 Volvo engine is an absolute peach.. They're gradually replacing our 60 reg ones with new 10L 450's and they're nowhere near as nice to drive. The 13L seems to have endless torque. Some things to consider when you're getting onto bays... It's all in your initial positioning, mess that up and you'll never get it on. Don't rush/panic, rushing only ever leads to accidents. GOAL, get out and look... I still do this now if i'm not 100% sure 3 years on, I never ever guess. I also never feel a t t doing it no matter who is watching. I know how I'd feel if I hit something, though.... That's kept me accident free in 3 years and we have some stupidly tight yards. Thanks philmots sounds like pretty good advice to me. I've done a full load to leeds today and then loaded a couple of trailers from our warehouse when i got back. Took me 5 attempts to get on the bay, but got there in the end Don't think i'll actually be tramping until i've done some day work for a bit to prove I'm not a liabilty, I had two minor bumps just after I first got my class 2 four years ago, but nothing since, think they just want to make sure I have some idea of what i'm doing!!!
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zip929
555 posts
46 months
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Always remember that everyone started off as a novice. You are not born with the ability to reverse an artic, it is a skill that is learned from practice. As philmots said, get out and have a look if you need to. A lot less time than filling in an accident report! And as the old saying goes if you need to 'dont be a , take a shunt', and if having a shunt make it a good one. The first couple of years driving an artic are the most interesting, because you are learning the game. Don't worry about other drivers looking at you. They were once in your boat as well, but a lot of them struggle to remember that! We all start somewhere. Enjoy it.
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vryes
Original Poster
36 posts
33 months
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Well, I've completed my first week of tramping!! really enjoyed myself to be honest, although I think my transport manager gave me some of the easier jobs. Done just short of 2500km in the week and gained a great deal more confidence driving the thing. Had a nightmare on Monday trying to get on a bay in Thetford, but by the end of the week was getting on with only one or occasionally no shunts. Overall its been a pleasure compared with the multi-drop class 2 work i've been doing for the last 4 years. Didn't have any issues with overnight parking, was out 3 nights (A41 shropshire, swindon and sudbury) found no problems sleeping in the cab and other drivers encountered were always helpful when they found out I was a newbie. Did make my little house feel massive when i got home tho
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Cock Womble 7
29,908 posts
99 months
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vryes said: other drivers encountered were always helpful when they found out I was a newbie. I found this. Always thought they would look down on the new boy, but everywhere I went, other drivers would help out, offer advice etc. Welcome to the family!
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philmots
2,501 posts
129 months
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Glad it's gone smoothly for you mate.
I found other drivers very helpful too, specially with directions etc. Roads to avoid etc...
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ZR1cliff
17,768 posts
118 months
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Well done mate, took my class 1 in North London around 15 months ago and remember the elated feeling when I passed. I had a metropolitan police examiner who helped by putting me at ease. I took up a job driving with a local company not long after delivering soft drinks around London and the South East and also do container and fridge work out of Tilbury and Purfleet to all over the country. Absolutely love the job, of course it's nothing to do with blasting through the Dartford Tunnel most days, sometimes on regular occasions  Enjoy yourself
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