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Roanna Avison gets on the road with the Scania Driver
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Page 44
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Experience and discovers just how challenging it can be to drive a truck.
Cat C Learning to drive a truck has never been an ambition of mine, but when Scania offered to put a CM journalist through its driver training, it seemed a good opportunity to understand the skills truck drivers need. And after completing the theory test, I was itching to get on the road.
The first step is an assessment. when I get to meet my instructor, Dave Scrivens.
We meet at Scania in Purfleet, Essex. Once Dave has talked me through the dimensions of the truck. it's time for me to have a go.
Dave gets me to try the brakes a few times before I pull out on to the road to tackle a dual carriageway and a roundabout. Overall, he is pleased with my approach.
A few weeks later. I'm back at the depot to begin my week of training. This time, I'm not quite so overwhelmed by the size of the truck; I'm beginning to remember to position myself further out at junctions. One thing I do struggle with, though, is judging how big a space I need to pull out into at roundabouts. On a couple of occasions. I pull out and force a car to brake.
Day two is the first chance I get to try reverse. Dave explains the exercise and shows me how it's done. I get it wrong the first few times. Gradually, though, I get the hang of it as Dave walks alongside the truck and talks me through the manoeuvre. I have no trouble with the controlled stop, so it's out on to the road and down the country lanes. My instinct is to pull in slightly when a car comes the other way, and, of course, this means I hit the verge and scrape the truck along the hedge. Dave tells me to be brave because the cars will get out of my way. Meeting another truck is a bit of a challenge as well, but stopping and inching past seems to be the best approach.
I also get to try the gear-change exercise and a hill start for the first time.
On day three we hil Grays town centre, which has a nasty one-way system with lots of tight corners. After that, it's out on to the lanes again, and through some of the more tricky turns.
Day four starts with the reverse — I'm getting quite confident with that. Today, Dave is determined to crack the hill start I have struggled with. I get it wrong again. but Dave has worked out that I'm trying to pull away too quickly after taking the parking brake off. I try again and get it right. Dave takes me to the test centre to show me the set-up for the reverse and the controlled stop.
On the day of the test, we run through the show-andtell questions and practise reversing, before heading out for some driving.
The reverse is up first in the test, and I get it in one go. The controlled stop goes without incident and then it's out on to the road. The gear-change exercise seems to go well. My examiner, Tony Mott, directs me to Grays town centre. Fortunately, the traffic isn't too bad and I make it round without incident. Tony is very chatty, and I know I make a few mistakes because I'm talking, not concentrating. Overall, though, I think my driving is good. 'Tony agrees and I pass with just six minors.
Cat C+E
Scania has organised for me to learn to drive an artic, again with instructor Dave Scrivens.
Once I'm back behind the wheel, it's as if I've never been away. I have a few moments when I run over the kerb after forgetting that I'm driving a much bigger vehicle. And there are a few tricky turns that Dave has to talk me through because the artic is so big. However, all in all, the driving goes well. It's then on to my first trailer-decoupling exercise. Fm not a pathetic female, bull do struggle a bit to release the fifth-wheel coupling.
The second day of training is all about going backwards. Having never reversed anything with a trailer. I spend all day reversing. After a few attempts. I manage to reverse in a straight line, but it's the reversing exercise that is most daunting. Turning the steering wheel left to go right and right to go left just seems altogether strange. However, Dave talks me through the process: he shows me that once the truck is moving backwards, just the smallest of movements with the wheel will correct the direction.
Day three starts with a trailer change, before going on to the reversing. After a few disastrous attempts. something clicks and I get the artic into the bay with one shunt every time. Then we hit the road. Generally, the driving is OK, although I clip a few kerbs as I fail to judge either the width of the tractor or the length of the trailer.
The afternoon of day four sees me doing a mock test. The route Dave takes me on includes some very narrow lanes and built-up areas, with some tight turns to negotiate.
On the day of the test, the first task is to practise reversing — my weak link — before heading off to the test centre in Put-fleet at 12.30pm.
I make a complete mess of it. going over the kerb on one side of the yard, but still manage to get into the bay in two shunts. Knowing I have already failed I got out on the road, which seems to go all right — I only get six minors.
A month later and I'm back at Scania in Purfleet for a day of training before taking my re-test. The reverse goes fine. But on the road. at the third roundabout, I have to sit and wait for a space to pull out. When I do pull out. I clip the kerb with the trailer. Despite getting only two minors, I fail with one serious for my trip up the kerb.
After several months without driving an artic, it's back to Scania in Purfleet to try to pass my C+E for the third time. At 12.30pm we head to the test centre. My examiner this time is Tony Mott, my examiner for the Cat C test.
I take two shunts to reverse the truck in the bay. The controlled stop goes without incident and it's out on to the road. The gear-change exercise is no longer part of the test, so that's one less thing to worry about. Everything seems to go well and other drivers are considerate, which helps me through some tight spots. Following the trailer change at the test centre Tony says that I've passed with 10 minors. II