Trailer test 😱

[4rylou]

Has anybody done their trailer test, i decided i needed to do it as we have a trailer but my i need my partner to tow. Both my girls 9 and 12 want to join pony club so im pretty eager to get out and about independently, however yesterday i went for my assessment to determine how many lessons i might need. Well lets just say it didnt go well, i literally fell to pieces. I was expected to be driving a freelander but with it having a problem with the windowscreen i had to drive this great big truck, not only did that make me nervous but also the fact that i had to go out with some young lad watching me drive as we did the assessment. I completely messed thw whole think up and lost the ability to drive 😳😳. Now ive been driving for 19 yrs, ive towed before and can reverse but for some reason ive become a really nervous anxious person and i just cant function under pressure..at all. Im booked in for 9 hrs training in two sessions but part of me feels like giving up before ive even started.
Anybody had any experience with either the trailer test or controlling there nerves 😫.
There was me thinking my driving test days were over...

Yes I have done it recently- where I went had 'normal' tow vehicle and individual tuition, I'd have fallen to pieces in those circumstances too! Be worth checking what circumstances your training will be done under if there's another centre nearby?

The actual test is easier than the normal driving test I think because of the lack of manoeuvres. You will get the hang of the reversing exercise with plenty of practice as it will always be exactly the same. The show me tell me is just a case of drilling and rote learning and so is the uncoupling and recoupling process. Your instructor will give you loads of hints about accurate reversing up to the trailer so beyond that it's just about being confident driving round in 'test mode' like a learner again. Honestly it wasn't anywhere near as bad as I thought it would be and I'm a nervous type. Just constant repetition so things become automatic then when you're in stress mode for the test there's a bit of instinct to fall back on be wise you've done it all so many times

The better half did theirs a few years ago and found it very straightforward, we just slap L plates on when we want to split the driving though at some point I will do a suitable test (debating if it makes more sense to go C+E).

Apparently the test is reasonably manoeuvre free once on the road but judged to the hgv rather than car standard so is on paper more difficult.

Hi, I did my trailer test earlier this year and passed with no faults after doing a one day course so feel qualified to answer this - firstly do you have access to a school or hardstanding yard or something? What I did was lay out the reversing manoeuvre as it is in the test and practiced doing it for WEEKS beforehand, made sure I had it properly nailed. On the day of the actual training/test which was 1-1 tuition I turned up at 8am as agreed and we went to a car park to practice the reversing manoeuvre which I did perfect straight away. I think the instructor was expecting to take at least a couple of hours on this but as it was we spent less than an hour there, then we went out and literally drove round the town where I was going to be doing the test for about 4 hours, he showed me all the likely routes and gave me some tips along the way, we even had time to stop for lunch/coffee - after all that I felt pretty at ease and when the actual test came at 2pm it really wasn't that bad, smashed the reversing manoeuvre and went out on the road. I thing what did it for me was the learning to reverse, I did it all round the farm yard for hours.