Hermann behind the wheel of the truck: “Oh, I could do this all day” | Trial Lesson Episode 1

We go to the right, get out of the roundabout. The coach nodded to the work car that stopped on the other side of the road: “It gives you space. If the situation is right, you can take it. Driving the truck is playing with space. Don’t forget your blink.”

I’m behind the wheel of a bright red Scania S530 box truck from Holmersma Traffic School from Leek. The number represents horsepower. Just under 10 meters long, 2.5 meters wide and 3.5 meters high. The truck weighs nearly 10 tons empty, but because it’s an education vehicle, it’s 5 tons in the back. Requirement for the CBR exam, the central office for issuing driving skills.

up A7

The trial lesson lasts for two hours. I’m expecting a theoretical introduction of an hour or so and at most a few laps in the industrial area, but after two minutes of shaking hands with coach Rick Visser (42) I’m in the driver’s seat, after 10 minutes I can drive away and after 10 minutes he says again he tells me to go up the road A7. Weser: I don’t like long introductions.

Getting behind the wheel of this “big” Scania is a wish that has been lurking for more than fifty years. In the early years of my youth we lived in the industrial area behind the water tower in Stadskanaal. Opposite our house was the Free & Co. strawboard factory. Trucks came and went and I spent entire afternoons looking at the park.

Lifelong charm

A charm that lasted a lifetime. I copied it with Lego, on vacation to the Eiffel, Moselle or Harz, I paid attention to Autobahn Especially on trucks, and I wore more on US Army convoys, and when it turned out my eldest son was crazy too, I made Lego trucks again, and bought us the magazine Truck star And I’m still watching remote truck drivers a series about Australian truckers.

I grew up at the time when a summer truck driver could be recognized by his brown left arm constantly hanging out the window, but that’s not an option in Holmersma that afternoon. The cabins are fully equipped, including air conditioning. The seat can be fully adjusted at will and, to my happy surprise, the seat is mechanical. Transformation feels like an art in itself.

my plan b

We’ve been on the road for about 20 minutes when I say: oh, that’s nice. ” Visser looks at me with a smile and I say again how I feel: , yeah, that’s really cool. Oh, I can do that all day.”

I will repeat those two sentences many times that day and later, when people ask how it went. It’s my Plan B too, I admit. “If they kick me out of the newspaper, I’ll be a driver.”

Visser leads me to the motorway from Leek and through Enumatil, Hoogkerk and Friesestraatweg, heads towards Groningen. I get a little nervous when he says, “Let’s get out of the loop here.”

“Aren’t you in town?”

“No,” he looks next to me, “well, maybe.”

Zernek Campus

But we turned left for a round trip from Zernike Campus. Then again the Friesestraatweg, the western ring road as we cycle around and into Leek. A road with difficult bends, many roundabouts and narrow roads.

However, the ease of use is great. The truck is so light that the massive weight doesn’t seem to be there. But it is there and 15 tons means curb policy. Long before the crossroads: , get rid of the gas. The car will roll.”

I have to suppress the urge to give it more gas to get to the intersection faster. Getting from A to B by truck is first and foremost to get to B safely, in one piece, with load intact and without causing any trace of destruction or irritation to others.

dead spots

I also really need to watch the speed limit. Steering should also be careful, try to estimate situations well in advance and make use of all 8 mirrors. Because it is an educational vehicle, there are two more cars than usual. There is a lot of visibility then again not. The time before departure is mainly spent on the phenomenon of “blind spots”.

Visser shows a staged image with select groups of people around the car: “You can put a whole class up against the front of the car that you can’t see from behind the wheel.”

through the grass

Back in the industrial area, when we see men working on the road, I hear next to me: Look, this is a good test of how much room you have. Should you pass through the grass or not? ”

There’s a truck with a trailer and I think: no slack. Weser orders me to approach him. Just as I expect to hear a scraping sound, he points to the overhead mirror, horizontally above the co-driver’s door: “Look, you still have that much room.”

Sidewalk

Despite the countless mistakes I make, I am having the afternoon of my life. It’s really fun. Lesson ends sooner than would be desirable, though we’ll be docking for a while.

The term refers to the support of the trolley against the loading ramp. The responsibility from A to B is one thing, the goods must also be loaded and unloaded. Again a matter of discretion, seeing the space there is and seeing what the car can do. I spin the wheel too much, too fast, but it works. While around me there are other drivers really at work.

The letter L is capitalized

But Visser assures that they see me. A truck was seen. “Especially by drivers of passenger cars. You are tall, so you inspire awe.”

“The big L on the car also helps of course,” I’m kidding, and then everyone knows: Oh, there’s another klutz behind the wheel who can’t do it yet. ”

Weser smiles: “The teaching car is being watched closely.”