Hmmmm - 8 pages of posts, in a number of which people open to discussion, but some are stating fairly blinkered points of view. To me, there seem to be a few fairly obvious facts to be stated here:
Fact 1 - trucks can go almost anywhere to deliver loads using existing roads
Fact 2 - trains are much more efficient at moving large loads
Fact 3 - trucks are not so efficient at moving large loads
Fact 4 - trains can generally only deliver to a suitable facility
Fact 5 - the country needs both to work efficiently!!!
I am (and have been) an LGV 1 driver for 20 years - working with all kinds of loads including Petroleum & Gases - and I have felt for a long time that many problems on the road are down to (a) a lack of understanding and (b) a lack of patience.
Also - let me say at the outset - the speed limit is what it is - and I don't exceed it. If I don't think its safe - I won't even reach it. If I'm in my truck doing 40 on a single carrageway and you're stuck behind me (in a car or truck) - tough. I will pull over and let you pass when I feel it is safe to do so - not before. I've spent a lot of years driving big trucks around narrow roads in the west and north of Scotland and I've seen - and unfortunately been the first on scene several times - the results of many such impatient attempts.
Most car drivers have not driven a truck - and do not appreciate the space required by a LGV for maneuvers(especially in towns), nor the limited rear and side visibility from the cab, or the braking capability if something happens at speed - you will usually see this on the road when a truck is overtaken on the approach to a junction because someone can't or won't wait, then the car nips in front of the truck, indicates, brakes, then turns off the road...
Most of you won't appreciate this, but there are few scarier things than getting caught up in a high speed incident like this on wet roads in an empty truck, which (due to some of the safety systems such as anti-lock brakes and load sensing valves) just can't stop...
Another point many people don't appreciate is that a fair number of truck drivers feel extremely pressured by their employer to speed and cut corners. (and believe me - there are plenty of employers out there who will sack you for not doing it) Many driving jobs are "job & finish" - i.e. you are paid a set number of hours for a job, regardless of how long it takes to do the work - petrol companies are a perfect example of this, where each load will be timed - in advance - to the minute, and a number of loads added together to make up a full 11 hour shift. The above means that if you finish early - you won't be penalised, but if you finish late - you won't be paid any overtime.
There is an industry wide problem here... and to be honest, LGV drivers are very often their own worst enemy.
An example - I have been on the road, in the middle of a 12 hour shift, when I have had a call from the driver due to pick up my vehicle for the next shift, asking why I am not back in, since he is waiting for me in the mess room. (This was 3 hours before I was due to finish!). He came in at this time every day, as this was when the normal driver was usually finished his 12 hour shift - and he was not pleased about sitting around for 3 hours waiting on me I can assure you!
I was (and still am) of the opinion - if the job can't be finished within the time stated in normal traffic conditions - the time is wrong (not the driver). Unfortunately many companies work on "real time" scheduling where they take the actual time taken for a job (maybe averaged over 4 or 5 trips) and use this as the benchmark time. Naturally this favours the "faster" driver - or nightshift, when roads are quieter - but dayshift can be a problem due to increased traffic.
Another LGV variation is Refrigerated vehicles, which are very often are booked into a "delivery slot" at their destination - if you miss the slot, you have to wait for a gap in the schedule, which can literally mean days at some major supermarket sites. Some companies don't pay you for waiting (esp true for self employed truckers) so you are under pressure to get there on time - at all costs. So what do you do if you are delayed loading or on the road due to an accident or weather - you can bet that the customer won't give you a later slot....?
Many LGV drivers are now monitored. My company has a tracker in each vehicle and can call you up and tell when you are speeding, loading or offloading, braking harshly, idling excessively, in the wrong gear... plus many other things. This is checked regularly and part of my annual salary depends on what the black box says about me. Unsurprisingly, my company now has a lot of "good" drivers, who take the full time given in the schedule to complete the job...
On the other hand, I also drive a company car fairly often and know of car driver colleagues who regularly boast of getting from Glasgow to Manchester in 2.5 hours (a whole hour faster than I can do it in the car). Again I take the view that the meeting can't start until I get there, which will be as soon as I can safely and legally do so... regardless of how late that might be.
It therfore seems obvious to me that there are very good and very bad drivers out there - of all kinds of vehicles (no doubt including trains...
) plus all points on the spectrum in between.
Just try and understand the other point of view - believe me - It makes life a lot easier for all!!
Cheers
H
Fact 1 - trucks can go almost anywhere to deliver loads using existing roads
Fact 2 - trains are much more efficient at moving large loads
Fact 3 - trucks are not so efficient at moving large loads
Fact 4 - trains can generally only deliver to a suitable facility
Fact 5 - the country needs both to work efficiently!!!
I am (and have been) an LGV 1 driver for 20 years - working with all kinds of loads including Petroleum & Gases - and I have felt for a long time that many problems on the road are down to (a) a lack of understanding and (b) a lack of patience.
Also - let me say at the outset - the speed limit is what it is - and I don't exceed it. If I don't think its safe - I won't even reach it. If I'm in my truck doing 40 on a single carrageway and you're stuck behind me (in a car or truck) - tough. I will pull over and let you pass when I feel it is safe to do so - not before. I've spent a lot of years driving big trucks around narrow roads in the west and north of Scotland and I've seen - and unfortunately been the first on scene several times - the results of many such impatient attempts.
Most car drivers have not driven a truck - and do not appreciate the space required by a LGV for maneuvers(especially in towns), nor the limited rear and side visibility from the cab, or the braking capability if something happens at speed - you will usually see this on the road when a truck is overtaken on the approach to a junction because someone can't or won't wait, then the car nips in front of the truck, indicates, brakes, then turns off the road...
Most of you won't appreciate this, but there are few scarier things than getting caught up in a high speed incident like this on wet roads in an empty truck, which (due to some of the safety systems such as anti-lock brakes and load sensing valves) just can't stop...
Another point many people don't appreciate is that a fair number of truck drivers feel extremely pressured by their employer to speed and cut corners. (and believe me - there are plenty of employers out there who will sack you for not doing it) Many driving jobs are "job & finish" - i.e. you are paid a set number of hours for a job, regardless of how long it takes to do the work - petrol companies are a perfect example of this, where each load will be timed - in advance - to the minute, and a number of loads added together to make up a full 11 hour shift. The above means that if you finish early - you won't be penalised, but if you finish late - you won't be paid any overtime.
There is an industry wide problem here... and to be honest, LGV drivers are very often their own worst enemy.
An example - I have been on the road, in the middle of a 12 hour shift, when I have had a call from the driver due to pick up my vehicle for the next shift, asking why I am not back in, since he is waiting for me in the mess room. (This was 3 hours before I was due to finish!). He came in at this time every day, as this was when the normal driver was usually finished his 12 hour shift - and he was not pleased about sitting around for 3 hours waiting on me I can assure you!
I was (and still am) of the opinion - if the job can't be finished within the time stated in normal traffic conditions - the time is wrong (not the driver). Unfortunately many companies work on "real time" scheduling where they take the actual time taken for a job (maybe averaged over 4 or 5 trips) and use this as the benchmark time. Naturally this favours the "faster" driver - or nightshift, when roads are quieter - but dayshift can be a problem due to increased traffic.
Another LGV variation is Refrigerated vehicles, which are very often are booked into a "delivery slot" at their destination - if you miss the slot, you have to wait for a gap in the schedule, which can literally mean days at some major supermarket sites. Some companies don't pay you for waiting (esp true for self employed truckers) so you are under pressure to get there on time - at all costs. So what do you do if you are delayed loading or on the road due to an accident or weather - you can bet that the customer won't give you a later slot....?
Many LGV drivers are now monitored. My company has a tracker in each vehicle and can call you up and tell when you are speeding, loading or offloading, braking harshly, idling excessively, in the wrong gear... plus many other things. This is checked regularly and part of my annual salary depends on what the black box says about me. Unsurprisingly, my company now has a lot of "good" drivers, who take the full time given in the schedule to complete the job...
On the other hand, I also drive a company car fairly often and know of car driver colleagues who regularly boast of getting from Glasgow to Manchester in 2.5 hours (a whole hour faster than I can do it in the car). Again I take the view that the meeting can't start until I get there, which will be as soon as I can safely and legally do so... regardless of how late that might be.
It therfore seems obvious to me that there are very good and very bad drivers out there - of all kinds of vehicles (no doubt including trains...
) plus all points on the spectrum in between.Just try and understand the other point of view - believe me - It makes life a lot easier for all!!
Cheers
H
