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Roanna Avison
Page 59
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Learning to drive a truck was never a lifetime ambition for me. Pm a petrolhead,but my passion has always been cars — preferably fast ones. However, afterjoining CM in March I was asked if I wanted to get my C licence because Scania was offering to train a member of the team. Never one to turn down a challenge, I signed up straight away.
I will be learning to drive a Scania 230hp P94 4x2 rigid with Scania Driver Experience at Purfleet.
But before I could get behind the wheel, the first step of the training was to take the theory test.When I passed my car test in 1993 such things didn't exist and I looked with apprehension at the enormous book of questions and the hazard perception DVD Scania sent me.
After only five months on CM and no background in the haulage industry some of the questions rather baffled me at first, but I soon picked up a bit of knowledge about speed limits, drivers' hours and safety.
Hazard perception was a different matter.As an experienced driver I found the whole thing rather strange and in my view it has very little to do with driving a vehicle and more to do with learning what the computer programme is wanting you to do.
After a bit of practice I soon got the hang of it and was consistently passing when doing mock tests at home.
Of course, the nerves set in on the day of my theory test, particularly as I struggled to find the test centre in Croydon. Once I was sitting at the screen in test centre I sailed through the questions —they allow 40 minutes and I finished them in about 10 — so I thought I'd better double check them (another five) and then worked my way through the hazard perception clips.
I passed with 59 out of 60 on the questions and 67 out of 75 on the hazard perception.
So now I'm ready to get in a truck and itching for the time when I can climb into the cab and begin my first lesson.