So, how did my training on C+E go?
Story by Davidge
Day 1 - it seems sooooooooooo long ago. It started well as it was a half day to begin. As an instructor, I had my man who took me through the C course. So straight out on the road in a Volvo FM7. It had a 4 over 4 box and the size of the thing was not an issue, so I felt confident as I drove forward. We had an hours run around routes covered when I did the C course so I knew all the little pitfalls that could jump out at me and it was a real confidence booster. It felt so much better to drive than the rigid.
Back to the yard then for reversing practice. This is where it all went pear shaped. Could I do it? Never in a month of Sundays. When somebody is stood next to you walking you through the exercise, it is easy but once you are on your own then in my case, forget it. I had serious problems with my left and rights and where the wheels should be. Not only that I was sawing away at the wheel and not giving the trailer time to react to my inputs. I was all over the place and it was proving very very trying. I noticed there were yellow paint marks all over the headboard of the trailer and on the mudguard of the tractor. I asked Dave my instructor if they were an aid and he replied that they were but he felt they were no use. His method was to try and judge distance and it was not easy and as a result I was getting nowhere fast. Time went by very fast and I ended day 1 thinking this is never going to work.
Day 2 - So I arrive at the yard and the immediate problem is trying to get the reversing exercise sorted, once all the other learners have cleared off, I have the place to myself.
Dave, my instructor, goes through the motions of how to do it, again. He does a couple of walk throughs with me and naturally, I get it in the box every time. But the minute I am left to my own devices, I make a complete hash of it. It is just not sinking in and I am totally demoralised at this point, I am seriously on the verge of cutting my losses and going home at this point. After a couple of hours of me pointlessly shunting the truck up and down the yard, I said to Dave we should go out on the road for a bit. He agrees and we go for a run around prospective test routes. This restores my confidence somewhat as it is so easy to drive - going forward of course - but it hurts a little bit as all I am thinking is that it makes not one difference unless I can crack the reversing manoeuvre.
We have a break and then go back to the yard. I am dreading this now as I know I have an afternoon of pain ahead of me. Another instructor is there taking a guy on rigid training, both he and my instructor stand there watching me continue to make a hash of the exercise and it was at this point I lost my temper a little bit. I stopped the engine jumped out of the cab and went over to where they where observing me and I challenged them to come up with an answer to help me sort out my problem rather than just watching me pour my own money down the drain. This resulted in no comment whatsoever and much shuffling of feet and embarrassed shoe gazing.
Looking at them both I realised then neither of them had any answers.
So what could I do?
I jumped back in the cab and had more goes but was still getting nowhere. At some point it came to me that I could take two shunts to get me through the test, so I discussed this with my instructor. So adopting that strategy, I managed to start to get the thing in the box but never with any confidence, I would do one or two reasonable ones and then it would all fall apart again.
Time was wearing on now, I had more or less spent 7 hours of an 8 hour training day messing about trying to reverse the thing and I was again thinking I should just walk away. I can honestly say I have not felt so miserable for a long, long time. I had set my heart on doing something for me for the first time in many a year and it was falling apart before me and I felt powerless to do anything about it.
It was at this point when it was getting near to going home that some hope appeared. Another! Yes another instructor appeared and my man asked him to have a chat with me. The new man said had I been shown the reference marks on the trailer to help with the reversing exercise. Well actually I had noticed them but my own instructor said he did not believe in them. I felt a bit let down by him at this point as I had gone to great lengths to request he train me for C+E, him having got me through the C test at the first attempt. I felt a little bit annoyed now as he had a tool to help me when he could clearly see me struggling and had ignored it.
So, I had a few goes with the new instructor talking me through how the marks worked and more or less had instant results. I was not quite there yet because my confidence had been shot to pieces. It was packing up time anyway but at least I went home with renewed hope rather than to stick my head in the oven.
I had the prospect of my test the following day at 14:30, so I had to get relaxed as I knew the pressure was on to get the reversing right, otherwise I was wasting my time even going for the test......more
