Driving technique and handling of heavy combinations
The exam checks whether you can manage mass, momentum and geometry: braking on descents, cornering with a trailer, and staying stable on poor surfaces.
Braking and descents
Kinetic energy rises with mass, but brake and tyre capacity does not. Brake fade on long descents is the classic failure. Select a low gear before the gradient, let the engine brake or retarder hold speed, and use the service brake for trimming and the final stop. Never coast in neutral.
Corners, blind spots and reversing
- The tractor's rear and the trailer's tail swing outwards in a turn, while the trailer wheels cut inside; check mirrors through the whole turn and give cyclists room on the right.
- Reversing: get out and look, use a banksman, work on the mirrors, and remember the trailer moves opposite to the steering wheel.
- Overtaking needs a gap sized for the combination's length plus acceleration; a 25 m rig needs far more road than a car.
Grip and stability
Use differential locks only at low speed and only when needed; keep ASR/ESC active. Reduce speed before ice, crosswinds, bridge decks and standing water. On a slippery start, pull away in a higher gear with gentle throttle.
Worked example
On a 6 percent descent at 40 t, you shift down at the crest until the engine brake holds 60 km/h without the service brake. If you ride the brakes instead, drums overheat within a few kilometres, fade, and the pedal goes long; you then reach the bend at the bottom with no reserve.
Traps that cost marks
- Expecting ABS to shorten stopping distance; it preserves steering, not grip.
- Swinging the trailer wide and clipping a kerb, a post or a cyclist.
- Engaging the differential lock at road speed.