Hgv Test

[NickF]

After a week long course, on Tuesday I passed my rigid HGV test first time. It reminded me of how stressful driving tests are, and brought back memories of my car tests when I was 17 and comparing how many minor points I had got with my friends! The whole experience taught me a few things though:

1) I suffer quite badly from nerves.

2) Driving examiners are not all miserable gits.

3) You can get SVA tests done in Nottingham

4) 5th is perhaps not the best choice of gear in which to perform a hill start.

On arrival at the test centre I was really nervous, but things got off to a good start with the reversing exercise and emergency stop going to plan. After this it was off onto the streets of Nottingham. Everything was going really well until it came to the hill start when I inadvertently selected 5th gear rather than 1st. I didn't stall or roll back, but I was sure that I had failed.

Thinking that I had failed calmed me down a bit, and I got chatting to the examiner, who was actually a really nice bloke despite his nickname of "The Grim Reaper" among driving instructors and the rest of the test went reasonably smoothly.

When we arrived back at the test centre I was fully expecting him to give me the bad news, but he told me that I had passed. He then asked me to call my instructor over to the truck and tell him that I had failed and that I was unhappy with the examiners decision. I did this, and my instructor looked really worried. On seeing this, the examiner burst out laughing and told him that I had passed. He then asked me if I would be taking my articulated HGV test and said that if I was, to phone him up to let him know when it was, and he would make sure that he was on holiday that day!

[chips229]

Good on you Nick!!!

Well done :winky:

Good luck with the driving.Have you a job lined up?

Cheers chips.

[ifraz]

Nice one Nick - Congratulations. :D

So when are you planning on taking your artic test?

[Matthew_McNally]

well done Nick :D

[NickF]

Good on you Nick!!!

Well done :winky:

Good luck with the driving.Have you a job lined up?

Cheers chips.

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I'm not planning to do it for a living (I'm actually a software developer by trade) it's just something that I've always wanted to do. I do a bit of driving for a mate who has a few trucks, but only for a bit of light relief. At least now I can drive his big one!

I am being made redundant at the end of next month though, so if I haven't found anything permanent by then, I should be able to get some agency work driving.

[NickF]

Nice one Nick - Congratulations. :D

So when are you planning on taking your artic test?

←

When I've saved up some more money...

[Scorpion]

Well done Nick.

You must remember to change to low range when hill starting,unless you drive a normal gear change lorry.

Remember those tacho rules :winky:

[Gord]

Well done mate :D

[Bazza]

congratulations nick

we all had faith in you :D

you can feel very proud of yourself now