[Anonymouse]

Well the dole finally decided to give me a bit of help getting a job. They've started offering Reach FLT courses (though in order to get the funding, you also have to do an NVQ in Warehousing & Storage); I've just completed it.

And I PASSED!!!

Okay, now it's time for the brutal self-honesty my friends & family all know me for: I just passed. You're allowed a maximum of 40 penalty points on your test; penalties are things like: moving forwards or backwards with your load in the air (3 points); rubbing the pallet with the forks as you're going in or coming out (3 points); and the really stupid one I did - moving with the reach arms extended (5 points!). You're allowed 30 minutes - you can go over that, to a maximum of 45, but it's another point per minute.

I did it in 29 minutes with 36 points...the same points as I got on my Counterbalance test 2 years earlier. The ironic thing was that up to one particular pallet I had in fact being doing better than the other two lads who had driven Reach trucks before...and then something, damned if I know what, went wrong in my head and I started blowing it. Fortunately I didn't lose it (too much), and I recovered. Far from perfect performance, but it doesn't matter. The mistakes I made will be erased by time & experience once I get a job - which is now a lot more likely, with current C/B and Reach licences.

So I'm gonna hit a bit o' booze and Ben & Jerry's ice cream tonight!!!