How to drive a van?
Discussion
Hello everyone,
I’m 18 and I have got an interview at Waitrose next week for my second job, as a part timer before I go to uni.
Part of the job will involve driving a new, automatic refrigerated Mercedes Sprinter box van/luton to customers’ doors and also to other stores to pick up produce. I live near the countryside and will be asked to deliver to country homes as well as large towns.
It’s probably not the wisest career choice for someone like me being 18, with only 9 months on my licence but Waitrose don’t seem to care , because I fit all their criteria. I am attracted to the job because of the pay, the fact I get to drive, and also because I also get to stay on the shop floor some days.
However I’m s
tting myself at this, so can I have some advice?
- how do you park a luton? This is my main question, as you can’t see out of the back, and mirrors can be deceiving right? How are you supposed to parallel park or reverse park it in to tight bays? Do they tend to come with assistance?
- how to deal with spatial awareness - I am only used to driving a Polo around. A Polo to a Sprinter van is going to be an unnatural step
- is there a vast difference in an automatic and a manual. Waitrose told me all their vehicles are automatic. My first thought was that I would snap my assessor’s neck in half
Kind regards
Pic of the van in question
I’m 18 and I have got an interview at Waitrose next week for my second job, as a part timer before I go to uni.
Part of the job will involve driving a new, automatic refrigerated Mercedes Sprinter box van/luton to customers’ doors and also to other stores to pick up produce. I live near the countryside and will be asked to deliver to country homes as well as large towns.
It’s probably not the wisest career choice for someone like me being 18, with only 9 months on my licence but Waitrose don’t seem to care , because I fit all their criteria. I am attracted to the job because of the pay, the fact I get to drive, and also because I also get to stay on the shop floor some days.
However I’m s
tting myself at this, so can I have some advice?- how do you park a luton? This is my main question, as you can’t see out of the back, and mirrors can be deceiving right? How are you supposed to parallel park or reverse park it in to tight bays? Do they tend to come with assistance?
- how to deal with spatial awareness - I am only used to driving a Polo around. A Polo to a Sprinter van is going to be an unnatural step
- is there a vast difference in an automatic and a manual. Waitrose told me all their vehicles are automatic. My first thought was that I would snap my assessor’s neck in half
Kind regards
Pic of the van in question
Edited by VS02 on Monday 14th June 13:36
What happens if say, you do scrape a car or damage the van? I only ask as I drove a large van for the first time last month and I can certainly see how it can feel overwhelming if you're not confident. Once you're moving it'll be fine but it's all the slow speed manoeuvring and parking you're going to find challenging.
Edited by SuperNads on Monday 14th June 13:43
I can only give you this advice.
Until you are used to it, when you find yourself in one of them position we all find ourselves now and again, where you have to manouvre through a particularly tight gap, when your head goes "I'll make that". Just remember this comment. You wont make it.
Until you are used to it, when you find yourself in one of them position we all find ourselves now and again, where you have to manouvre through a particularly tight gap, when your head goes "I'll make that". Just remember this comment. You wont make it.
Two bits of general advice.
1. The road is often a little chambered so a Luton will actually lean over to the left a bit, so watch the top left corner wrt overhanging branches, signs etc.
2. As with all vehicles with a long overhang, bear in mind that if you turn one way, the back end sticks out the other. So e.g. if you are parked by a wall on your left and want to pull away, don't steer too hard as your back left corner will hit the wall.
As for reversing, just be very careful until you are confident, and learn to drive on your wing mirrors.
Edit to add: when passing through a narrow gap, keep checking those mirrors!
Good luck!
1. The road is often a little chambered so a Luton will actually lean over to the left a bit, so watch the top left corner wrt overhanging branches, signs etc.
2. As with all vehicles with a long overhang, bear in mind that if you turn one way, the back end sticks out the other. So e.g. if you are parked by a wall on your left and want to pull away, don't steer too hard as your back left corner will hit the wall.
As for reversing, just be very careful until you are confident, and learn to drive on your wing mirrors.
Edit to add: when passing through a narrow gap, keep checking those mirrors!
Good luck!
Edited by Johnnytheboy on Monday 14th June 13:53
They aren't as bad as you might think.
Driving an auto is easier than manual - keep your left foot firmly planted on the footrest and only use your right foot. The van will "creep" when in drive, which makes slow speed maneuverers easier. Modulate your speed with the brake (gently!).
Width and height can be a bit tricky sometimes but having good situational awareness and observation skills really helps. You need to be looking way ahead and thinking about what is coming up, not focused on 6 feet in front of the bonnet.
Know where the width and height restrictions might be in your delivery area.
Practice, practice, practice if you can.
Blind spots can be tricky in a van, but the mirrors are usually good and if it doesn't have a reverse camera, and you aren't sure, stop and have a look FIRST before going for it!
Good luck.
Driving an auto is easier than manual - keep your left foot firmly planted on the footrest and only use your right foot. The van will "creep" when in drive, which makes slow speed maneuverers easier. Modulate your speed with the brake (gently!).
Width and height can be a bit tricky sometimes but having good situational awareness and observation skills really helps. You need to be looking way ahead and thinking about what is coming up, not focused on 6 feet in front of the bonnet.
Know where the width and height restrictions might be in your delivery area.
Practice, practice, practice if you can.
Blind spots can be tricky in a van, but the mirrors are usually good and if it doesn't have a reverse camera, and you aren't sure, stop and have a look FIRST before going for it!
Good luck.
DannyScene said:
The worst thing you can do is build it up to be a big issue, it isn't, its just a big car and will drive as such, gone are the days of big nasty trucks being st to drive
It'll have sensors and probably a reverse camera to assist you
Good luck with your interview
This.t to driveIt'll have sensors and probably a reverse camera to assist you
Good luck with your interview
With the added bonus that if you ding it it's not yours. So, you just give it back and they'll give you a brand new one to blast about in.
Enjoy!
Seriously Chap - Well done for 'fessing up you're not a 18 year old Driving God yet. 
You'll learn spacial awareness by practice. Walk round the van every time you drive it to remind yourself where the corners are and use your mirrors all the time and dont forget to look up as well as behind. Insist on being shown how everything works before you go so you can concentrate on your driving and tell your supervisor you've never driven anything that size before then s/he's got no justification for chewing your arse if you scrape it or break it.
And don't worry. Many of the home delivery vans round here look like they've just finished filming for a Top Gear driving challenge.
You'll learn spacial awareness by practice. Walk round the van every time you drive it to remind yourself where the corners are and use your mirrors all the time and dont forget to look up as well as behind. Insist on being shown how everything works before you go so you can concentrate on your driving and tell your supervisor you've never driven anything that size before then s/he's got no justification for chewing your arse if you scrape it or break it.
And don't worry. Many of the home delivery vans round here look like they've just finished filming for a Top Gear driving challenge.
I guess that's probably the biggest thing you can drive on a car licence. They really should be giving people a bit of introduction and skills improvement to these I feel, but modern vans like that are actually pretty easy to master if you take it steady.
I feel ya though, Still recall an engineer trying to force me to drive a lorry to somewhere 50 miles away, 1 week after passing my test and with about 30 hours experience of driving a minimetro! I said I'd try diving it round the yard, told them that it frightened me and I'd probably kill someone, he sneered and remarked that was no big deal as it was such an old heap it frightened our pro lorry drivers!
I feel ya though, Still recall an engineer trying to force me to drive a lorry to somewhere 50 miles away, 1 week after passing my test and with about 30 hours experience of driving a minimetro! I said I'd try diving it round the yard, told them that it frightened me and I'd probably kill someone, he sneered and remarked that was no big deal as it was such an old heap it frightened our pro lorry drivers!
It'll be a 3.5t van so yes you can drive it without C1.
The thing you will probably do the most at first is to keep catching the rear wheel on kerbs when turning out of junctions. Sometimes you will need to wait until both directions are clear so you can swing right out, which you don't need to in a car.
Parking shouldn't be too hard, you find that the large mirrors are hugely more useful than normal car mirrors.
The thing you will probably do the most at first is to keep catching the rear wheel on kerbs when turning out of junctions. Sometimes you will need to wait until both directions are clear so you can swing right out, which you don't need to in a car.
Parking shouldn't be too hard, you find that the large mirrors are hugely more useful than normal car mirrors.
On a serious note now. You will realise that with solid rear doors you cannot see what is directly behind you, and that people will tuck in behind out of site in an idiotic way. You need to allow for that and leave adequate space in front and indicate early. Watch for cyclists coming up the inside. You really need to use both door mirrors, constantly. You will have a longer wheelbase than normal, so in order not to drive on the kerb, then on left turns, you will need to keep a bit further and go further out before turning left. This means watching oncoming traffic to your left and again any cyclist coming up your inside.
Don’t forget the speed limit for that van will be 50mph on an unlimited (NSL) single carriageway, and 60mph on an unlimited (NSL) dual carriageway. 70mph on a motorway, if I recall.
Don’t forget the speed limit for that van will be 50mph on an unlimited (NSL) single carriageway, and 60mph on an unlimited (NSL) dual carriageway. 70mph on a motorway, if I recall.
king arthur said:
It'll be a 3.5t van so yes you can drive it without C1.
The thing you will probably do the most at first is to keep catching the rear wheel on kerbs when turning out of junctions. Sometimes you will need to wait until both directions are clear so you can swing right out, which you don't need to in a car.
Parking shouldn't be too hard, you find that the large mirrors are hugely more useful than normal car mirrors.
It may be 3.5t or it may be more, the only way is to check.The thing you will probably do the most at first is to keep catching the rear wheel on kerbs when turning out of junctions. Sometimes you will need to wait until both directions are clear so you can swing right out, which you don't need to in a car.
Parking shouldn't be too hard, you find that the large mirrors are hugely more useful than normal car mirrors.
I predict you will be surprised how easy it is and how quickly you adapt.
If I had one tip, it would be to be aware of the wheelbase above all- that is, how far apart the front and rear axles are. The rear axle trails the front axle. With a long wheelbase, you need to allow for this when steering around kerbs, bollards and other obstacles.
You honestly barely need to think about this in a Polo. Maybe if you’re trying to drive front ways into a parking bay you might have noticed that you need to overshoot the bay with the front axle a little to end up with the rear axle roughly in the middle.
In a vehicle as long as a sprinter, you need to remember this at every corner. If you’re cornering around a kerb or bollard, or manoeuvring around parked cars, or an impatient cyclist is alongside you in a turn, you need to allow for the trailing axle at all times by reducing your speed, turning later and with a higher steering angle.
If I had one tip, it would be to be aware of the wheelbase above all- that is, how far apart the front and rear axles are. The rear axle trails the front axle. With a long wheelbase, you need to allow for this when steering around kerbs, bollards and other obstacles.
You honestly barely need to think about this in a Polo. Maybe if you’re trying to drive front ways into a parking bay you might have noticed that you need to overshoot the bay with the front axle a little to end up with the rear axle roughly in the middle.
In a vehicle as long as a sprinter, you need to remember this at every corner. If you’re cornering around a kerb or bollard, or manoeuvring around parked cars, or an impatient cyclist is alongside you in a turn, you need to allow for the trailing axle at all times by reducing your speed, turning later and with a higher steering angle.
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