HGV test (or Cat C whichever you prefer) - any last minute tips?

[ArcticFox]

Good luck for your test, I'll keep my fingers crossed.

I have spent a few years driving a 7.5t lorry and when I took my 12t, I didn't really notice the size difference that much and I felt reasonably confident at driving the bigger truck. My biggest problem was the speed - I was so used to driving with lorries I keep being told off for 'not making progress'.

Anyway I did the 5 day course with driving most of the day - as I worked for a pharmaceutical company when I did it driving all day was normal for me so not too tiring. However it was definitely a good way to do the course - and if I hadn't passed first time I'm not sure how I would have managed the resit as it was a week later with only an hour practice before it.

When I sat the test I received minors on 'not making progress' but passed the rest although I thought I had caught the kerb on the first turning out of the test centre so was expecting to fail the whole way through my test!!

If you aren't successful I would see if a friend who owns a 7.5t lorry would allow you to take it out for a drive with them - once you have driven to a show and back a couple of times, you'll find the step up to 12t much easier

Anyways good luck and I hope you nail it first time anyway

 

[ROG]

I would see if a friend who owns a 7.5t lorry would allow you to take it out for a drive with them - once you have driven to a show and back a couple of times, you'll find the step up to 12t much easier

New LGV supervising laws were introduced in April 2010

Supervising using the pre 1997 C1 category is not allowed

For all the C & D categories the supervising driver MUST have passed a DSA test which covers that category being supervised

Supervising B+E is not included in that change

 

[madgeymoo]

i did mine the other month i had a 5day course thou having a 1 to 1 with the instructor i to got told not to drive like i had horses in the back lol you just have to remember to continuously be making progress as soon as speed limit changes foot down and of you go. I did mine in a 18T scania wagon thou (c1+E).

you have got 15 faults to play around with so just make sure that your reversing is spot on then you wont loose any

Mirrors check every 11 seconds seems alot i know but it really not and always check approaching and leaving junctions, roundabouts, and when doing the stop ... starts up and down and on flat.

i to was absoloutly pertrofied about taking it and failed it first time when emerging from a roundabout which i was already half acros a car never stopped ... according to the examiner i should have stopped in the middle of the roundabout :/ surely that more dangerous to me thou having a 18T wagon in the middle of a roundabout . re took test following day with no training and passed with flying colours i think the examiner was having a bad day first time . just be confident take some rescue remedy and drive continously making speed other will move for you
GOOD LUCK x

 

[ROG]

i did mine the other month i had a 5day course thou having a 1 to 1 with the instructor i to got told not to drive like i had horses in the back lol you just have to remember to continuously be making progress as soon as speed limit changes foot down and of you go. I did mine in a 18T scania wagon thou (c1+E).

you have got 15 faults to play around with so just make sure that your reversing is spot on then you wont loose any

Mirrors check every 11 seconds seems alot i know but it really not and always check approaching and leaving junctions, roundabouts, and when doing the stop ... starts up and down and on flat.

i to was absoloutly pertrofied about taking it and failed it first time when emerging from a roundabout which i was already half acros a car never stopped ... according to the examiner i should have stopped in the middle of the roundabout :/ surely that more dangerous to me thou having a 18T wagon in the middle of a roundabout . re took test following day with no training and passed with flying colours i think the examiner was having a bad day first time . just be confident take some rescue remedy and drive continously making speed other will move for you
GOOD LUCK x

Do you mean (C) ?
Do you mean the following week ?

An 18 tonne rigd LGV is class C
The test booking system does not allow a retest until 3 working days have passed

 

[lynds81]

I did mine after 4 half days driving... Day 1... Felt completely at sea but thought hopefully I'd pick it up. Day 2.. Getting there, I'd improved a bit, but long way to go... Day 3... BAD - I went home and cried! Day 4... Some bits were fine, then I'd make a mistake, get flustered and make a lot of mistakes... Test day... I didn't drive for too long before, drove areas I knew I was comfortable with so I didn't screw up and flap and it was fine. Good luck - for me the most important thing was not panicking when I made one mistake, because that led to others.

Edit.. On a phone so not sure why it has a red thumbs down?

 

[star]

Pleased to report things seem to have clicked into place today regarding thinking ahead and judging the width of the lorry. Didn't swipe any trees or curbs today. Did a mock test with instructor on a route I'd never done before which was really twisty and narrow and although picked up 5 minors for little things, only one serious which was for letting my speed creep up in a 30mph limit. Must watch that tomorrow. It only happened because we were nearly back at test centre and I let my concentration lapse. It's bloody hard work driving a lorry all day when you're not used to it! We started at 7.30am this morning and finished at 3.30pm this afternoon and all 1 on 1 with instructor - kind of wish I'd had this the first day then might not have been flapping so much yesterday. Still fluffed a couple of gear changes but nothing major so just need to try and keep calm tomorrow. When I get flustered I end up doing stuff in the wrong order and then get in a right flap! Fingers crossed for 9.45am tomorrow please!!!

 

[BTR]

Fingers will be firmly crossed!

Are you taking it in Guildford?

Becky

 

[ROG]

I have now changed my view...

From your latest post YOU ARE TEST READY

 

[star]

Fingers will be firmly crossed!

Are you taking it in Guildford?

Becky

Yep Guildford - hate driving round there in the car let alone truck!

Oh, and have got the examiner who failed me first time round for my B+E test - hope he doesn't remember me! Have an unusual surname so dreading him remembering what a hash I made of that test - really hope lightning doesn't strike twice.

 

[ROG]

Examiners dont care even if they do remember you

They are trained to take each test on its merits

 

[measles]

Best of luck!

 

[BTR]

He'll probably dread seeing me again in a few weeks!

And ditto, I don't ever drive in Guildford without getting lost. Lol

 

[madgeymoo]

Do you mean (C) ?
Do you mean the following week ?

An 18 tonne rigd LGV is class C
The test booking system does not allow a retest until 3 working days have passed

yes c (i get easily confused with all this lettering stuff) i can legally drive anything rigid and yea i took test on the friday and re took on tuesday sorry quick typing not reading what i wrote

 

[smac]

good luck for tomorrow.
Can i ask what company you are going with ? Im in Guildford area so have a rough idea (pm me )

I have been trying to book for 2months with 1 and then another company- 1 took part my money then disapeard the other was keen with all information, then went quiet when it came to me wanting to actually pay and book :-/
Very frustrating. think I am now getting somewhere with 3rd company but Im very reluctant to pay too much deposit after last time! also are you doing the C or C1? I cant decide which one to go for :-/

Best luck for tomorrow!

 

[Debz87]

I did my HGV test last year and I'm a fairly competent driver etc and thought I would breeze it but I was advised to do a 5 day course and test on the last day, I was very confident but unfortunately the examiner I had failed me for really stupid things on 2 occassions.

This really made me feel I could do no right and the costs were adding up!

The 3rd time I did my test I had a different examiner and he passed me, think I got 4 minors!

So was really chuffed in the end despite having paid out £800 more than I expected, best thing is to just think everything through.

Unfortunately the examiners don't like it if your aren't dead on the speed limit, most trucks have a big digital display so you can't get away with being over or under the speed limit.

You want to make steady progress on the test, it probably would help imagining you have horses in the back ( will make you drive more smoothly), examiners are also into the 'Green driving now' so steady acceleration etc.

The one thing that sticks with me now though is don't do anything that will cause someone else to have to change what they are doing, such as pulling out in front of someone!

Good luck!

 

[star]

good luck for tomorrow.
Can i ask what company you are going with ? Im in Guildford area so have a rough idea (pm me )

I have been trying to book for 2months with 1 and then another company- 1 took part my money then disapeard the other was keen with all information, then went quiet when it came to me wanting to actually pay and book :-/
Very frustrating. think I am now getting somewhere with 3rd company but Im very reluctant to pay too much deposit after last time! also are you doing the C or C1? I cant decide which one to go for :-/

Best luck for tomorrow!

I booked it through the LGV training company coz they had a stand at Hickstead! If I'd done a bit more research I might have worked out that they use the Surrey and Hants HGV training company in Hook and saved myself about £150 by cutting out the middleman. So I initially paid for course in June, organised medical then theory then had to wait about 6wks to book the practical course. I'm doing Cat C despite probably never wanting to drive HGV's as the box I'm learning in is not much bigger than the horsebox I'm buying so is all good training and learning much more than if I'd just done C1. Not just about passing the test but making sure I drive my horses around safely too.

 

[star]

I did my HGV test last year and I'm a fairly competent driver etc and thought I would breeze it but I was advised to do a 5 day course and test on the last day, I was very confident but unfortunately the examiner I had failed me for really stupid things on 2 occassions.

This really made me feel I could do no right and the costs were adding up!

The 3rd time I did my test I had a different examiner and he passed me, think I got 4 minors!

So was really chuffed in the end despite having paid out £800 more than I expected, best thing is to just think everything through.

Unfortunately the examiners don't like it if your aren't dead on the speed limit, most trucks have a big digital display so you can't get away with being over or under the speed limit.

You want to make steady progress on the test, it probably would help imagining you have horses in the back ( will make you drive more smoothly), examiners are also into the 'Green driving now' so steady acceleration etc.

The one thing that sticks with me now though is don't do anything that will cause someone else to have to change what they are doing, such as pulling out in front of someone!

Good luck!

What did you fail for out of interest? Just trying to avoid making the same mistakes!