Thursday 5 January 2012

Starting out as an LGV Driver

If the various freight transport industry publications are to be believed there is a shortage of around 20,000 drivers. Look on the Job centre website and there are hundreds of trasnport jobs being shown.


Truck Drivers on the Move
Look again and look carefully. Are these jobs or just vehicle driver agencies trying to get names onto their books? The jobs are mostly on-going contracts which means the agency has the contract to provide drivers as and when they are needed; there is no full time job. There may be the odd day or two day or a short term contract of about ten weeks. This should not put any one off who wants to get into the freight transport industry as agencies are a good means of gaining experience and contacts that may lead to a full time job. Be prepared to be messed about though.
A LGV C or the old class two first is needed before the C&E or the old class one.
The driver shortages refer to Class 1 drivers who are expected to work for £7 per hour, drive the maximum of hours, work a fifteen hour working day, be away from home all week and weekends and adjust sleeping to start at all times of the day. It is a long lonely working week that may suite some as they enjoy the freedom. There is a risk of going “cab crazy”. Start talking about anything and everything, topics with no depth or substance just for the sake of interacting with someone. Picking up and then passing on gossip heard through a third person. It is a result of simply being alone for too long.

Getting Trained as a Truck Driver.

A medical is needed, a theory test now with a CPC element and a hazard perception test.

Who is going to do the training?

There are hundreds of companies out there charging £750 to £12,000. It is a minefield.
Some would provide a fixed course of around twenty hours which includes a test, some may include an assessment. This is not a bad thing, it allows the opportunity to get a feel of the wagon, the clutch and gearbox but make sure it is going to be the one to be used. Some like clients to drive something tidy then change for the training with that has a clunky gearbox or a clutch that judders. Get some assurances. If not, walk away. The will be nothing lost by going to three companies at a charge of £20 for an hour you will the experience and some tuition. Check first how much they are charging.
Shop around. When you do start talking to these people have a check list, don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as you see fit. You may not get an answer or you may get a load of bull. You will know who to cross off your list. Here we go.

How many driving hours?  Not instruction but actual time spent driving a truck. There are some that will tell you that the course is twenty hours long, from that deduct talk time, assessment time, admin time, the midmorning break time, lunch break and getting back to the yard early time all under the umbrella of “ Instruction Time”. There will be time set aside for practising reversing and stopping you may do well and only need a small amount of time but it is a consideration
What is the pass rate? Some may give exaggerated figures, ask to see evidence.
What qualifications do the trainers have?  There is no legal requirement to be trained; there is a voluntary scheme where they can register with the DSA. Some may claim they were trained in the military, good ask to see some certificates.

What if you feel that twenty hours is not enough? You will be told that that is the standard length, you want to get through this course and as you are applying it is got to fit your needs. There are longer courses out there it will cost you more but do you want to get through it?
What if you fail? Are there facilities to do a short course to address you training needs and to retake the test? If you have to do another 20 hour course, walk away.
Payment. If credit is offered check the rates, a credit card may offer some protection if the company goes bust.
Get a Notebook. A lined and margined note book, record all your activities, i.e., time you started the day, instruction and driving times. Make a record of all breaks and finishing times. Make no secret to the instructor and the company that you are doing this. This will ensure that you will get the correct amount of driving you agreed.
In this notebook make notes of what you feel you need to know, make sure you have a morning briefing, he need to know what you are to do that day and what is expected from you. Each time you take a break seek feedback make a note of what he tells you agree a course of action on how to put any faults right. At the end of the day debrief on the whole day's performance, take this home with you and try and go through the whole day in your head, do not do it straightaway wait until you feel calm. It may help to discuss this issue with someone. Be open and honest accept feedback. USE THE INTRUCTOR'S SKILLS.

The Dreaded Four over Four gearbox.  Crack this and the rest will fall in place. Here is how it works…………..
It is a four speed box with a high and low ratio, to get the ratios you may have to flick a switch on the side of the gear stick or move the sick to the side when changing through neutral. Whatever the system expect to get the wrong gear or great them, take your time. Practise going through the whole range while the vehicle is stationary and engine switched off. Go up and down at every opportunity until you know where all the gears are.

It is no long a requirement to go from 1st to 8th gears but an understanding of eco driving has to be demonstrated, this means show the ability to skip gears. For that knowledge of how the vehicle copes in each gear, this can be achieved by initially going through all the gears. Avoid rushing.
1st and 2nd gears are not required for an unlaiden vehicle, you may find that it will pull away from standing on a level in 4th but a slight incline will need 5th. Left corners or small traffic island may be ok in 5th. You can miss 5th go into the higher range into 6th or 7th Look to missing the first two then every other gear. Try the odd gears, and then the even gears listen to the engine noting what the engines likes best at different speeds and different task like traffic island, big and small, higher gear for the larger traffic islands.

When travelling long distances downhill, demonstrate the use of an inhibitor. 
Keep the vehicle's revs low. This can be done by keeping the revs within the green are on the rev counter. When overtaking consider the gear, speed and the road. Consider the max speed of the vehicle, is it governed at 55mph or 60mph, the max speed limit or is the hill (up or down) to negotiate. It will take a lot longer to overtake that a car so plan ahead enough room ahead to make the maneouvre especially on dual carriageway or enough room for other vehicles coming up on the other lanes

Before you consider making any adjustments to speed gears or direction remember to use the mirrors. The offside when considering the manoeuvre closely followed by the nearside but in any event use the nearside when considering moving to the nearside. Mirrors are big for safety being used as much as when viewing front and sides. The instructor will constantly reminding the driver of this. In the meantime practice when driving other vehicles.