Well it's a start

[Devonboy]

Item on local TV news tonight regarding H.G.V's.. They are to be banned from overtaking on the M11

Followed one stuck in the centre lane for two miles last week.

[dezwez]

its not a bad idea see how it works

[simcor]

It's such a shame you were held up for a short while. How inconsiderate of the truck driver. These things don't work they are not enforced and will only be peak times anyway. Why are you so aggrieved by being held up by a truck for a short while. Elephant racing will always happen as a lot of drivers don't know when to back off and let a faster truck past sadly in all driving types there are muppets. So what happens when a truck is at the section which is under ban and Mr or Mrs myopic or Mr frugal trying to eek an extra 2mpg out of there car is now holding a truck up?
What about the car drivers that fly past trucks and then cut in and brake hard in front of a 44ton truck to get off the slip road. There is far too much hatred towards trucks in general but no one complains when they can buy the new car or iPhone or do the weekly shopping. Make trucks journeys take even longer than they already do and watch your favourite shops running out of stock more often. It boils my ***** in this country everything is a truck drivers fault here just because of the minority of Muppet's that granted licences.
Maybe we should also ban vehicles travelling at too slow speeds as well?
Or the car drivers that drive on a smart motorway in lanes that have a red x above them undertaking everyone else that is obeying the rules, after all a red x doesn't mean anything does it, and you can't be prosecuted for driving in a lane with a red x can you.

In fact I'm just going to go now before this turns into even more of a rant.

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[Jonro2009]

I'm sorry but the one thing that's worse than car drivers bashing truck drivers is truck drivers taking every opportunity to tell everyone how they are the heroes of the road, no the modern world. Yes our food, drink and other consumables are transported by road but that doesn't make them invincible.


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[simcor]

5 hours ago, Jonro2009 said:

I'm sorry but the one thing that's worse than car drivers bashing truck drivers is truck drivers taking every opportunity to tell everyone how they are the heroes of the road, no the modern world. Yes our food, drink and other consumables are transported by road but that doesn't make them invincible.


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Did I say anything about being heroes of the road? No. Trucks have been around as long as cars, they pay more fuel and road tax than other vehicles, the industry is constantly struggling because of fuel costs etc, causing cheaper labour to be required to do the job which results in more muppets getting jobs driving a 44 ton killing machine. Not to mention all the extra costs now involved in running trucks like the "protect idiot cyclists" costs to have trucks adapted to go into London cause some brain dead idiot thinks it is a good idea to cycle down the inside of a 44 ton truck and then wonder why they get squashed and need scraping up off the floor.

My point is the media portrays trucks as a massive inconvenience to all and encourages this trucks should not be allowed to do x y z and places all of the blame on trucks or truck drivers in 99% of cases, sometimes yes it is the truck design or driver error or stupidity that causes these things but not always.

If people who actually think along the lines of the article had any idea what it is like to drive such a vehicle they might have a tad more thought about the situation. If we slow trucks down even more every minute lost means less drops getting done, that means higher wages for longer runs to the driver, the truck earns less so the additional cost is passed on to the manufacturer who increases the cost to you. Stuff gets dearer and takes longer to get delivered and stock can run out quicker, It's simple supply and demand.

As I stated there are a lot of Richard Heads that drive everything from a push bike to airplanes and everything else in between. And yes there are some very bad truck drivers out there too.

It's a no win situation but everyone wants their say and opinion on these matters when often they have no clue how things will affect the people/businesses involved.

But it's OK, if a truck journey takes 5 minutes longer it's fine, after all they are not regulated and governed by strict rules on what they can and can't do, A few minutes here and there can be the difference between getting the job done and home or nighting out, again more cost when a truck nights out for no good reason. We are always against strict time regulations but car drivers are not they can have all the time in the world to get somewhere, we don't have that luxury so sometimes a few minutes does make the difference.

But it's OK we just keep on blaming it on the trucks or buses or taxi's or cyclists etc instead of dealing with the real problems, poor standard of driving, lane hogging, driving too slowly, being completely ignorant to others on the road etc etc Solve a lot of the issues with lane hoggers and people driving too slowly/badly and in most places the traffic would flow a lot better, but until people learn to use the capacity of the roads properly it will never happen.

The speed limit for trucks was upped to 50 on a single carriageway road from 40? Why? To stop idiots overtaking dangerously and at break neck speeds on blind bends etc, again this was done to protect car drivers from themselves as the risk of accidents with trucks at a higher speed versus the risk of cars overtaking dangerously and causing accidents is an acceptable risk and that decision would not have been taken lightly.

People are in too much of a rush all the time and that is what causes the aggression on the roads, the hold ups and bad standard of driving most of the time.

[Gizza11]

3 hours ago, simcor said:

But it's OK, if a truck journey takes 5 minutes longer it's fine, after all they are not regulated and governed by strict rules on what they can and can't do, A few minutes here and there can be the difference between getting the job done and home or nighting out, again more cost when a truck nights out for no good reason. We are always against strict time regulations but car drivers are not they can have all the time in the world to get somewhere, we don't have that luxury so sometimes a few minutes does make the difference.

Absolutely sometime when a drop is even a few minutes late and you miss your  time slot the company you deliver too will not unload you even though its their stuff in the back.The rules a Truck driver has to stick to is horrendous.Tacos in Cabs diesel prices time limits fuel price hikes how long you have actual driven with out a rest and many other rules that a car driver don't have .

My pet hate people who drive at 25mph no matter what in a 50 and seam to freak at anything more. Young people and elderly with very small cars that can't park in a normal  parking slot as for some reason they cant turn the wheel. Yes there are some bad drivers personally I think that every one no matter what should take a refresher driving/Health (eyesight) test every 5 years (including myself) if you cant pass then be sent on a set of new driving lessons till you do.What do you think?  ( lol bet that will get you going on some healthy debate)

[jmurray01]

I have no problem being stuck behind a bus or a truck, as although I have never driven one myself, I do fully appreciate why they need to travel at a slower speed and I wouldn't want them to speed up just to make my journey quicker, as if they did and caused an accident then it would be on my conscience. 

If/when it is safe to overtake I will do so, but until then I have no issues sitting at 50 in a 60 as I often have to.  More often than not I set the cruise control at 55 anyway even if there aren't any vehicles in front of me.  It's called being a safe driver!!

[btmaldon]

Cant blame the truckers. Many times when visiting my Mum in Addenbrookes I have spent 25 to 30 miles at 50 in the outside lane. You can see half a mile in front a lorry at the front of the queue. By the time that one gets over another one has pulled into the line and so on. Ive been stuck directly behind one for 7 or 8 miles while it drives along side another lorry. Its the fact that it is a busy haulage route with only two lanes that is the issue. Not the truckers.

[Jonro2009]

No, @simcor you didn't say heroes of the road, that wasn't aimed at you specifically and if it came across that way then I apologise. What does annoy me is when truck drivers do dickish things so they can get their drop done or ensure they get home before their driving hours run out.
I fully appreciate how a truck works on the road and that they take a lot longer to speed up and slow down, that really doesn't bother me in the slightest. That is down to the truck and weight etc, not the driver. I will happily sit behind a lorry, I do it most days on the roads round here, it's just one of those things. While everything you say is true about costs and drops and idiot drivers in cars etc it doesn't excuse SOME drivers behaviour.

For me, what it boils down to is some truck drivers using driving hours and drop times as an excuse to do whatever it takes to meet them. Then when challenged or called out for it they immediately start saying how we should all just be grateful that they meet the times otherwise no one would get anything.

For clarification I am not tarring all drivers with the same brush, what I have said is about some drivers.


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[Devonboy]

16 hours ago, simcor said:

It's such a shame you were held up for a short while. How inconsiderate of the truck driver. These things don't work they are not enforced and will only be peak times anyway. Why are you so aggrieved by being held up by a truck for a short while. Elephant racing will always happen as a lot of drivers don't know when to back off and let a faster truck past sadly in all driving types there are muppets. So what happens when a truck is at the section which is under ban and Mr or Mrs myopic or Mr frugal trying to eek an extra 2mpg out of there car is now holding a truck up?
What about the car drivers that fly past trucks and then cut in and brake hard in front of a 44ton truck to get off the slip road. There is far too much hatred towards trucks in general but no one complains when they can buy the new car or iPhone or do the weekly shopping. Make trucks journeys take even longer than they already do and watch your favourite shops running out of stock more often. It boils my ***** in this country everything is a truck drivers fault here just because of the minority of Muppet's that granted licences.
Maybe we should also ban vehicles travelling at too slow speeds as well?
Or the car drivers that drive on a smart motorway in lanes that have a red x above them undertaking everyone else that is obeying the rules, after all a red x doesn't mean anything does it, and you can't be prosecuted for driving in a lane with a red x can you.

In fact I'm just going to go now before this turns into even more of a rant.

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I am not a boy racer but I do have a Class HGV1 Licence, a P.S.V Licence and I.A.M. certificate

 I have probably done more miles on the highway than you will ever do.

[Jonro2009]

they pay more fuel and road tax than other vehicles, the industry is constantly struggling because of fuel costs etc,

Not to mention all the extra costs now involved in running trucks like the "protect idiot cyclists" costs to have trucks adapted to go into London cause some brain dead idiot thinks it is a good idea to cycle down the inside of a 44 ton truck and then wonder why they get squashed and need scraping up off the floor.

but car drivers are not they can have all the time in the world to get somewhere, we don't have that luxury so sometimes a few minutes does make the difference.

And I don't really see how fuel and VED (road tax doesn't exist anymore) costs come into the discussion. It makes no odds if you only use one tank a year or one tank a day, no one road user has more rights than another. The extra running costs are required because a truck driver has so many blind spots, the safest cycler (if there is such a thing) could easily be missed by a trucker who sees his left turn late and then a cyclist in his blind spot is clattered as the trucker manoeuvres. So the safety measures are there for people using the road correctly and for idiots. What about trucks on the motorway who fail to see, despite being as careful as they can possibly be, the car who has pulled in to lane 2 in the truckers blind spot and then 5 seconds later the trucker pulls out from lane 1 into lane 2 and clips the car? That will be another safety need to be addressed and add more costs, it's not the truck drivers or car drivers fault there are blind spots.

Of course car drivers have places to be, and a time to be there. I have to get to work on time, I have other commitments too. If my wife is working until say 3pm and I am looking after my daughter, she returns at 230 and I have to leave to get to work for 4, then I am on a time sensitive journey, as is my wife getting home. Is the truck drivers journey any more important than mine?

I'll stop there before this turns into any more of a rant [emoji6]



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[Incontro]

Vast majority of truck drivers are fine.

My biggest peeve on the roads by far are tailgating Audi's and BMW's - especially when you're driving in town, already going at the speed limit, and in a congested area with lots of traffic.

 

[Jonro2009]

I agree @Incontro the majority are and they don't go on about drop times and driving hours and how important their deliveries are. It is more so on Facebook and not in this thread that my comments relate to. Although I have put my opinions up here. I have been a second man in an HGV many many times so I appreciate a little of what goes on inside the cab and following these drives I have a new outlook and understanding on several aspects of the drive. My own driving and has changed, especially around HGVs. My best mate is a tramper and I've been out with him a few times, I used to dread going in a car with him he was always 1 life away from using his 9! Since driving a lorry I have no concerns driving with him, he is always looking around and knows exactly what is around him and anticipates almost everything. So a good trucker transfers to a good car driver.

Luckily my household does not own an Audi or BMW, majority of those drivers are quite special to say the least lol


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[jmurray01]

2 minutes ago, Jonro2009 said:

I agree @Incontro the majority are and they don't go on about drop times and driving hours and how important their deliveries are. It is more so on Facebook and not in this thread that my comments relate to. Although I have put my opinions up here. I have been a second man in an HGV many many times so I appreciate a little of what goes on inside the cab and following these drives I have a new outlook and understanding on several aspects of the drive. My own driving and has changed, especially around HGVs. My best mate is a tramper and I've been out with him a few times, I used to dread going in a car with him he was always 1 life away from using his 9! Since driving a lorry I have no concerns driving with him, he is always looking around and knows exactly what is around him and anticipates almost everything. So a good trucker transfers to a good car driver.

Luckily my household does not own an Audi or BMW, majority of those drivers are quite special to say the least lol


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You're not kidding!  "Mentally challenged" is what I call them...  Well, I also call them a few other things but will refrain from typing the words here for fear of getting banned!!

[Jonro2009]

Type away bud, the wizardry of censorship will just display a load of **. Although I do think admin can see the original text which may not be the best thing [emoji848]


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[Micro]

Have all the respect in the world for truck drivers, i know what it's like to be highly visible and yet still not seen, they really do have no chance with some drivers that drive on our roads.

I do, however, change tact when they decide that a 5 mile overtake on the m5 (truck in lane 1, 2, and 3) is a good idea at 3 in the morning, and also when they think that putting an indicator on means that can move over regardless - get irate with me - then move all the way into lane 4 of the m6 and have his passenger give me evils... Both times arctics. There are always a few bad apples, the vast majority I have to salute, our country wouldn't run without them.

[SeanW]

On 20/03/2017 at 8:55 PM, Devonboy said:

Item on local TV news tonight regarding H.G.V's.. They are to be banned from overtaking on the M11

Followed one stuck in the centre lane for two miles last week.

They trialled that a few years ago.

It did make things flow so much better!

When the trial ended it became ridiculous - there were so many wagons trying to overtake each other you were constantly slowing right down to avoid ploughing into the guy in front.  And then the wagins would just pull out into the newly formed gap - forcing you to slow down even more.

Before you knew it, the entire motorway was crawling along.

With the ban in place the M11 was generally quite free flowing.

Now - I'm not bashing truck drivers, I've grown up around them, and I know what they're up against...of course there are a few who really shouldn't be allowed to drive anything bigger than a Matchbox car...same with car drivers.

I was also a regular user of the M11 both during and after the overtaking ban.

Even my Dad (with about 40 years driving trucks under his belt) commented that the overtaking ban did make things better on the M11...albeit begrudgingly