The Labour leader was warned to move to the left while visiting a HGV driver training centre and taking a lesson.
But after reversing the vehicle, and striking a bollard on the course in Oldham, he was warned he would have failed a test.
The UK government has introduced temporary visas for 5,000 fuel tanker and food lorry drivers from abroad, after a Road Haulage Association (RHA) survey found there were was a shortage of more than 100,000 qualified drivers.