Artic Day 2 and 3

I had a dreadful day yesterday (Wednesday) to the point that when I got home, I was going to phone them in the morning and jack it – I was that depressed.

Went into the depot early (7:00am) but just couldn’t get the reverse right at all and had to abandon it after six hopeless attempts first off in the yard. Then out on the roads crashed and missed gears all day and obstructed cars on two occasions and had my approach speed and positioning all wrong again.

Then on our home stretch through Middlewich got a full-blown “STOP” (emergency command) from my normally very-placid instructor as I nearly drove straight through a give-way into a line of oncoming cars. And it’s a local junction I know well!

I screwed up another two roundabouts between there and the yard and just felt so down. All I wanted to do was go home but we attempted the reverse again. Hopeless again and this time HIT a trailer in the yard with the blindside of mine!! Thankfully no serious damage.

So by last night, I wanted to give up and was about to. However good sense made me drag myself in for 7:00am again (they are extending my hours) and again at that time tomorrow.

By total contrast today has been excellent. Got three reverses in straight off, the first two without a shunt. Then a full (unprompted) uncouple and couple OK, then back to the M6 South all around Stone and Stafford and all those awful junctions we thought were too tight for the Rigid!!

After my second "pass" reverse G appears at my cab door (the instructor/examiner is not in the cab with you for this but on foot in the yard/pad), window open to the -2c morning ice conditions (for a rearward look at the back-end of the trailer) holds his hands heavenwards and proceeds to bang his head against the cab door saying "You've got it, you've go it"!! I hope I have!

After a break for a brew at yet another trailer cafe this time on an industrial estate in Stafford, we finally headed out for Sandon and the Dog and Doublet one more time and over the tight canal and railway bridges before the nasty left-hand junction onto the A51.

Onto the Stone Business Park to a quiet but wide section of straight road and using a lamppost about 200 feet ahead of us to simulate the cones at the Test Centre, practised the Braking Exercise. This is the same as the Rigid: gun it in 3, up to 5 to 20 mph the as we pass the lamppost, stop the rig in the shortest distance without loosing control. Both the DAF and the trailer have ABS so a doddle.

And that was it. Up the A34 to the A500 at Stoke, M6 J16 to J18 then Middlewich to the depot in Winsford for about a 3:00pm finish. And smiles all round from instructor and trainee. A good day; a much better day.

So if you had asked me last night I would have said absolutely no chance and that I just hadn't had enough time. If I can drive and reverse as I did today, I may be in with a chance. I feel about ready for it now.

I'm back to the depot for 7:00am again, show that my reverses today weren't a fluke (so no pressure there) then it all starts at Swynnerton at 8:45am and will be all over by 10:15am.

I'll let you know!

Neil