How To Pass Your HGV Test
How to pass your HGV test can be one of the most demanding drives you will undertake. Having made the decision to get your HGV licence and start your new career, passing your HGV test is the final hurdle. Here is a guide, giving you a better chance how to pass your HGV test first time.
The Highway Code
One of the most common mistakes new HGV drivers make on their test is not understanding the Highway Code. Reading or answering questions from books or Apps is pretty straight forward. Applying this when you are driving a HGV in a high stress environment is completely different. It takes some practice and good technique to remain calm and make the correct decisions.
Take some driving lessons with an experienced car driving instructor. Go over the Highway Code and see where you can make improvements. Good research is free don’t wait till your training starts. The internet and YouTube are full of useful advise. This website has plenty of resources to help your training.
Selecting The Correct Vehicle
Lots of training centre’s offer a choice of manual or automatic vehicles. If your employer is paying for the training and your using a manual vehicle, it can take up to 4 hours before you will feel comfortable using this type of gear box. Factor this into your training schedule, if you can do additional hours it will be cheaper in the long term. The automatic gear box is a good choice if you are personally funding the lessons. Less time is spent getting used to the gears.
The Test Day
Bring your driving licence. Yes is does happen, drivers do forget their licenses. Check the codes on the back, if you have a 01 under codes you must wear glasses or contact lenses. Recap over the show me tell me questions. Lots of drivers pass the HGV test with 10 or more minor mistakes. Answering the show me tell me questions correctly reduces the minor mistakes you can make. Check your vehicle for any defects before you leave the training centre, cracked mirrors, nails in tyres, lights not working.
After You Have Passed
Once you have passed the HGV test it is important to keep up-to-date with any changes in driver regulations and laws. As a professional driver it is your responsibility. Ignorance is not an excuse.