lgv test

mr_lordi

Hi got my class 1 test coming a week tomorrow, im getting butterflies now just thinking of it...Although i like to regard myself a good safe driver, Test situations im not very comfortable with... any tips or advice to calm me down is very welcome

Hammyman

Yep. Firstly, remember to drive it as if it were loaded, especially when approaching traffic lights and places likely requiring you to stop. Don't be over eager on the controlled stop. Its a controlled stop, not an emergency one. You can fail for pulling up too short because in real life if you were loaded you'd probably jacknife it.

Once on the road, treat it as a drive out - you'll have done the test routes loads of times. I had a chat with my examiner as I did mine - turned out he was from the town I was born in so we had a right old natter. They're looking for safety as much as technical correctness. If you !!!! up something, say so. I cocked up the downhill start, setting off as you normally would on a flat. When I said I cocked it up and set off normally, the examiner said "Don't worry, it wasn't much of a down hill."

I was the only person to pass that day.

Were you taught the "cheating" way to do the reverse test?

mr_lordi

Hammyman wrote: »

Yep. Firstly, remember to drive it as if it were loaded, especially when approaching traffic lights and places likely requiring you to stop. Don't be over eager on the controlled stop. Its a controlled stop, not an emergency one. You can fail for pulling up too short because in real life if you were loaded you'd probably jacknife it.

Once on the road, treat it as a drive out - you'll have done the test routes loads of times. I had a chat with my examiner as I did mine - turned out he was from the town I was born in so we had a right old natter. They're looking for safety as much as technical correctness. If you !!!! up something, say so. I cocked up the downhill start, setting off as you normally would on a flat. When I said I cocked it up and set off normally, the examiner said "Don't worry, it wasn't much of a down hill."

I was the only person to pass that day.

Were you taught the "cheating" way to do the reverse test?

Thanks for that, when you say the cheating way i take it you mean a marker on the back of the wagon lol.... when i first took my rigid about ten years ago the yellow box to reverse in was about six foot deep... well i had a ride up to darlington test centre to have a look and noticed the yellow box size has now been reduced to about two foot wide:eek:... Its not my driving that i dont think will let me down its the nerves... anyone selling any vallium......

Hammyman

mr_lordi wrote: »

Thanks for that, when you say the cheating way i take it you mean a marker on the back of the wagon lol....

No. I mean pulling up a foot away from the line to the left. As soon as you start reversing, put it in full right lock. As soon as the trailer starts to turn, take off the lock gradually as you approach the line to your right, making sure that you don't cross the line, and get in front of the trailer. Then as your unit passes the cone on the left, start aiming the trailer into the parking bay and then use the white mark on the mudflap.

REMEMBER that you can pull forwards to line up the trailer for the bay and, most importantly, there is no distance limit on how far you can pull forward ;) so use that to get the trailer straight.

Remember to use small movements on the steering wheel when adjusting it when reversing (no more than 6 inches or so at a time) and give the trailer time to respond before putting on more lock or taking it off. There's too many who pile on loads of lock and end up with the cab doing 5 miles from side to side whilst only going back 10ft with the trailer.

Quinny_2

Make a point of moving your head when checking mirrors and not just your eyes. I was told that lack of mirror observation is one of the biggest failures in an HGV test.

So do it thus:

Right mirror,look forward,left mirror,look forward...and so on.

Don't forget blind spots when moving off.
If it says 30,do 28. 40,do 38 etc.
Make sure windows/lights/mirrors are clean. (Your instructor should do this.)
As has been said, if you !!!! up, make a point of saying you have done so, so that he realises that you have made a mistake and know about it.
If it's a single axle trailer, remember that it will react very quickly when reversing. The more axles, the longer they take to react.
Relax.

Don't do what I did on my first test, (In 1996.) and that was as I approached a set of lights that had been on green for some time, and they changed as I got to them and went straight through on amber, an Audi was close behind me. At the test centre he failed me on it, and when I explained that if I had of stopped the Audi would have ran into me, he said that would have been his fault for being so close!!!!

Post back with the result, and good luck.

mr_lordi

Thanks for your replies......most helpfull..... hopefully it will be good news when i post back.......

mr_lordi

Passed at second attempt although on the first go i thought i was hard done by, i only got 3 minor s but received 1 serious error for blocking off a junction with the back end of my wagon... harsh really.... anyway i passed at the second attempt with 7 minors so very happy now...

gilbert_and_sullivan

Congrats young man, now comes the fun of getting that first job, good luck.

Hammyman

mr_lordi wrote: »

Passed at second attempt although on the first go i thought i was hard done by, i only got 3 minor s but received 1 serious error for blocking off a junction with the back end of my wagon... harsh really.... anyway i passed at the second attempt with 7 minors so very happy now...

Great news. Thanks for letting us know. Good luck with the job hunting - I've seen several jobs advertised in my area which is more than there's been for a long time so I guess things might be on the up. Wages back to where they were 10 years ago but they didn't go up that much anyway, lol.