Thread: tips for getting HR truck licence

Originally Posted by philandmickey

Hi
Im guessing from what you say regarding the gearbox you are driving a fairly modern Isuzu 34 or 24?
They do have a weak gearbox but can be driven providing you keep everything slow when going from 1st to 2nd. They have an air assisted gear change and so when you put pressure on it to get into 2nd you are actually puting a large amount of pressure on the syncro, and it is this that is wearing out the gearboxes so quickly, particularly when cold.

Do you need an HR as you will be driving a BWC? 24's and 34's are MR!

The choice of truck may be decided by who your group uses as an instructor and if they teach in your fire truck or their own truck?

There has been heaps of good advice given on here.
As everyone has said observation and control are the key factors and are even more so when you get to drive priority one!

You might find it better to get into lessons sooner, rather than your fellow brigade drivers passing on their bad habits. That way you can get lots of practice with them but get proper driving skills from an instructor.

Cheers
Phil

our station has 3 trucks
14 which is about 18 months old
34 which is about 3-4 years old
24P which is about 12 years old.
(you can prob guess which station im at now)

i've only driven 14 and 34 so far. 14 is good, it's 34 with the crappy shifts.

can you explain the air assisted gear change a bit more? i know one of the trucks has it but not sure which.

the reason for HR is just in case they want us to drive the BWC and its the same cost or not much more than the MR licence.

the brigade is paying for the lessons out of brigade funds, not CFS funds, so I only get two lessons with a proper instructor. 1 lesson to tick off as much as possible, then i go back n practice what i dont know back at the brigade, and a second lesson to sign off the rest. if i need more lessons, it comes out of my pocket.

the two guys im driving with currently are great drivers but not great instructors.

a big thanks to everyone here, the response and advice has been fantastic.

One handy thing I've set up when I've been teaching people to reverse is having a small piece of black tape on the Galv side rail (assuming u r using one of your trucks). Stand a rake hoe about 500mm behind the RH rear corner of the truck you're going to be using. This signifies another truck/wall/car etc.. When sat in the drivers seat, look in the mirror and line the base of the rake hoe shaft up with a point on the side rail of the truck. Get another member to place a piece of black (or whatever colour is clear to see) tape on the side rail where you can see the base of the rake hoe. This then gives you a mark to look at when reversing. Whatever you can see on the ground that lines with that mark is a known 500mm behind the truck. If you reverse up to a kerb and stop with the tape at the edge of the kerb, the back of the truck is still 500mm away. Do the same on the left, and you will become very accurate with your reverse positioning. The tape can be left on, and no one will be any the wiser! Another useful 'tool in the box' is low range. Reversing in low range buys you time, and is also ideal when learning as you have plenty of time to correct if you're going wrong. Good luck with the test.

Originally Posted by Eevo

No choice but its at MB

OK - something to watch on the official test route:
- They will take you out of town, and make you turn right at the stoplights.
- This road starts off as 2 lanes and then goes down to 1 lane
- You MUST indicate and use mirrors when you go to the single lane, or they dock you points

It's one of those dotted lines or something where you can't just merge, but have to indicate. Some subtlety of the SA road rules that I never know about.

I guess it has all been said and the only thing I can add is to drive very defensively. The idiots on the road see a heavy vehicle in front of them and they then have a mission to get past that heavy as soon as possible as they see it as blocking them and holding them up.

Yep, and I repeat what has already been said, use your mirrors and watch your back end on corners.

I have a HC licence but I drive buses for a living (only an MR required) and I am in heavy city traffic all the time, and you do learn to treat every other driver as a complete moron.

Good luck in getting your HR, Eevo.

ps. I have to add, the thing that amazes me is that when a person gets their car licence they have no idea how to drive near heavy vehicles, I have been abused many times on roundabouts because my bus is not as agile as their car and I am "in their way" even though I was on the roundabout before them....................as I said treat the other driver as a moron.

2 gearboxes in 4 years and 8K?
sounds like your trainers need training.

Originally Posted by Sitec

...Another useful 'tool in the box' is low range. Reversing in low range buys you time, and is also ideal when learning as you have plenty of time to correct if you're going wrong...

I was going to mention this ...

Did mine at Mt Magnet and it still may be true that you have to show that you can change between high and low range. The truck I had was a real pain in this regard...but the best time was when you had to reverse from the road into a lane way and straighten up, a very useful move in real life so get the instructor to give you a copy of the test sheet so you can work out what you need to practice more often.

Also, you will need a uniform...

- 1 blue singlet and
- 1 pair of stubbies shorts,
- thongs are optional and illegal to drive in nowadays, so best stick with boots.

Good luck and most of all have FUN!

Originally Posted by Pedro_The_Swift

2 gearboxes in 4 years and 8K?
sounds like your trainers need training.

its not limited to our station.
most of the CFS fleet with that gearbox has had it replaced.
we expect a recall to be put out one day about it