robroy:
.
I’ve seen just as many [zb] ups among drivers in Europe as I have over here.
Sure a lot of Dutch drivers are good, so are French, so are German, and I’m sure there will be a few adept Mongolian and Indo Chinese as well, but there is and will be some absolute twonks among them, same as there are amongst us Brits.
Individual nationality has [zb] all to do with ability, there is good and bad in every one.
So ffs stop slagging British drivers.
Saying foreign drivers are better at reversing trucks than Brits is equally as ridiculous and bad as the o/p tarring foreigners with the same brush in the negative way.
I honestly believe it’s more to do with the name on the door (by that I mean the companies wages verses expectation of work verses need to get anyone with a pulse in the hot seat) than the letters in the blue bit of the license plate.
Examples (but by no means limited to)
Swift (in the US)
Warberers
Stobarts
Nolans/JR
Now I know there are good and even outstanding drivers in both skill and attitude in all these companies but they seem to love (or not care) employing unsuitable and often incapable drivers, I feel sorry for the good’uns I genuinely do.
Edit:
I know it seems I’m singling out these particular companies but it was more about size of firms over a wide geographic area more than anything specific with these particular firms…
Yep that’s a good point.
I could add the name of my firm on there, they certainly have their share of absolute ■■■■■■ in all of their depots…yeh I know what you’re thinking.
What severely ■■■■■■ me off is that they treat everybody in the same contemptuous way rather than weedling these ■■■■■ out and looking after their ‘proper’ drivers.
robroy:
I was the world’s worst at reversing when learning, I even ballsed it on my test, and was rubbish for weeks after.
I can now put an artic anywhere, it does not make me cleverer or better than anyone else,… it just comes with practice and experience. :
It aint rocket science. ffs
Spot on. I was lucky enough within a few months of passing my test to end up shunting on nights in a small yard in a unit for 6 months on a BRS contract where you had to have trailers so close together you couldn’t get a ■■■ packet between them. Shame everyone couldn’t do similar, it’d save some of those I’ve come across who’ve been driving longer than me who can’t reverse for toffee.
robroy:
.
I’ve seen just as many [zb] ups among drivers in Europe as I have over here.
Sure a lot of Dutch drivers are good, so are French, so are German, and I’m sure there will be a few adept Mongolian and Indo Chinese as well, but there is and will be some absolute twonks among them, same as there are amongst us Brits.
Individual nationality has [zb] all to do with ability, there is good and bad in every one.
So ffs stop slagging British drivers.
Saying foreign drivers are better at reversing trucks than Brits is equally as ridiculous and bad as the o/p tarring foreigners with the same brush in the negative way.
I honestly believe it’s more to do with the name on the door (by that I mean the companies wages verses expectation of work verses need to get anyone with a pulse in the hot seat) than the letters in the blue bit of the license plate.
Examples (but by no means limited to)
Swift (in the US)
Warberers
Stobarts
Nolans/JR
Now I know there are good and even outstanding drivers in both skill and attitude in all these companies but they seem to love (or not care) employing unsuitable and often incapable drivers, I feel sorry for the good’uns I genuinely do.
Edit:
I know it seems I’m singling out these particular companies but it was more about size of firms over a wide geographic area more than anything specific with these particular firms…
Yep that’s a good point.
I could add the name of my firm on there, they certainly have their share of absolute ■■■■■■ in all of their depots…yeh I know what you’re thinking.
What severely ■■■■■■ me off is that they treat everybody in the same contemptuous way rather than weedling these [zb] out and looking after their ‘proper’ drivers.
Modern management answer, one size fits all based on the lowest common denominator…it’s just possible i might have mentioned this before
They’ve yet to work out that every time you lower the bar, and the requirements expected of the job (and remunerated accordingly), you open it up to the next worse cases, ad infinitum, yet us lorryists are the thickies
^^^^^^
I was asked to do a favour the other day, (which I reluctantly did ), resulting in the knock on effect of holding me back 2 hours and not getting my last drop off to late, Fri, and staying in Dartmouth Fri night, instead of half way home, ending in a 2000 hrs Sat night finish.
Got back to the yard to find the obligatory ■■■■ memo over something trivial (that they had scraped the barrel to think up…must be getting short of.ideas to agitate their drivers) left me thinking ‘‘Why tf did I even bother eh’’
robroy:
Got back to the yard to find the obligatory [zb] memo over something trivial (that they had scraped the barrel to think up…must be getting short of.ideas to agitate their drivers) left me thinking ‘‘Why tf did I even bother eh’’
The trouble is that a few clowns [zb] something basic and simple up and then the next thing is its “company policy” to do it with added palaver and bs which only serves to ■■■■ off those drivers who still manage to get oxygen flowing to the brain.
A prime small scale example is our firm wont let us change bulbs I’m talking standard marker or rear clusters here I’m not even on about headlight bulbs or leds, we’re not even allowed to top up the oil, if we notice any defect we have to change unit or trailer (if a fitter is not available to call out as i work nights remember so no fitters at base after 6pm, which is my start time)
And a large scale example…
Getting done by DVSA and have it plastered all over social media for not strapping down insulation boards which weigh less then my lunchbox (not me personally, I’m referring to a recent thread on here, twitter & fb)
Don’t be accusing me of ‘having a go’ again Jake just because I disagree with you (again) but that is just sweeping statement type, generalising ■■■■■■■■ tbh. I’ve seen just as many [zb] ups among drivers in Europe as I have over here. Sure a lot of Dutch drivers are good, so are French, so are German, and I’m sure there will be a few adept Mongolian and Indo Chinese as well, but there is and will be some absolute twonks among them, same as there are amongst us Brits. Individual nationality has [zb] all to do with ability, there is good and bad in every one. So ffs stop slagging British drivers. Saying foreign drivers are better at reversing trucks than Brits is equally as ridiculous and bad as the o/p tarring foreigners with the same brush in the negative way.
When I said you were “having a go” it was not because you had disagreed with me.You have a short memory at times.
I have an opinion about lorry drivers reversing and having spent the last few years mainly in Europe I have noticed the standards of reversing in general are far higher than ours.
That is my opinion and I am entitled to it. I am not however the only Brit that thinks that by the way. You slag younger drivers off all the time on here yet don’t like it when others mention the poor standards.Older drivers are not excluded from poor standards either.
Spot on. I was lucky enough within a few months of passing my test to end up shunting on nights in a small yard in a unit for 6 months on a BRS contract where you had to have trailers so close together you couldn’t get a ■■■ packet between them. Shame everyone couldn’t do similar, it’d save some of those I’ve come across who’ve been driving longer than me who can’t reverse for toffee.
Conor everyone does not need that. Most (well used to) learn very quickly to adapt with a little experience. Maybe something to do with you being trained at Leconfield that caused you to struggle?
jakethesnake: Don’t be accusing me of ‘having a go’ again Jake just because I disagree with you (again) but that is just sweeping statement type, generalising ■■■■■■■■ tbh. I’ve seen just as many [zb] ups among drivers in Europe as I have over here. Sure a lot of Dutch drivers are good, so are French, so are German, and I’m sure there will be a few adept Mongolian and Indo Chinese as well, but there is and will be some absolute twonks among them, same as there are amongst us Brits. Individual nationality has [zb] all to do with ability, there is good and bad in every one. So ffs stop slagging British drivers. Saying foreign drivers are better at reversing trucks than Brits is equally as ridiculous and bad as the o/p tarring foreigners with the same brush in the negative way.
When I said you were “having a go” it was not because you had disagreed with me.You have a short memory at times.
I have an opinion about lorry drivers reversing and having spent the last few years mainly in Europe I have noticed the standards of reversing in general are far higher than ours.
That is my opinion and I am entitled to it. I am not however the only Brit that thinks that by the way. You slag younger drivers off all the time on here yet don’t like it when others mention the poor standards.Older drivers are not excluded from poor standards either.
Oh that’s right, I attempted a harmless silly joke, and you weren’t suited and took a hissy.
Where and when do I ‘‘Slag younger drivers off all the time’’ Jake?
Another sweeping statement maybe?
Oh that’s right, I attempted a harmless silly joke, and you weren’t suited and took a hissy.
Where and when do I ‘‘Slag younger drivers off all the time’’ Jake?
Another sweeping statement maybe?
Are you stalking me? That was an awful quick reply! Yes it was harmless however you were backing up someone else making out I had not been to Iceland.
Why?
I get bored with the number of times you complain about trucks cutting in on you on the motorway. Mind you they may not all be youngsters. I could dig up more but I can’t be arsed as you would say.
PS Do you know why Conor never backs up what he says?
jakethesnake:
Are you stalking me? That was an awful quick reply! Yes it was harmless however you were backing up someone else making out I had not been to Iceland.
Why?
I get bored with the number of times you complain about trucks cutting in on you on the motorway. Mind you they may not all be youngsters. I could dig up more but I can’t be arsed as you would say.
PS Do you know why Conor never backs up what he says?
Stalking you? Seriously?
Nah it’s just that your posts attract me like a …ooh silly me I nearly forgot, you object to jokes aimed at you.
I never thought that YOU would complain of being bored with repetitive thread subject either btw , …the irony.
Yep cutting in overtakers are my pet hate, but I’ve never singled out younger drivers for that or anything else, …so dig away.
As for Conor…never been able to work him out, but he seems to have stopped chucking insults at me lately for some reason.
robroy:
.
I’ve seen just as many [zb] ups among drivers in Europe as I have over here.
Sure a lot of Dutch drivers are good, so are French, so are German, and I’m sure there will be a few adept Mongolian and Indo Chinese as well, but there is and will be some absolute twonks among them, same as there are amongst us Brits.
Individual nationality has [zb] all to do with ability, there is good and bad in every one.
So ffs stop slagging British drivers.
Saying foreign drivers are better at reversing trucks than Brits is equally as ridiculous and bad as the o/p tarring foreigners with the same brush in the negative way.
I honestly believe it’s more to do with the name on the door (by that I mean the companies wages verses expectation of work verses need to get anyone with a pulse in the hot seat) than the letters in the blue bit of the license plate.
Examples (but by no means limited to)
Swift (in the US)
Warberers
Stobarts
Nolans/JR
Now I know there are good and even outstanding drivers in both skill and attitude in all these companies but they seem to love (or not care) employing unsuitable and often incapable drivers, I feel sorry for the good’uns I genuinely do.
Edit:
I know it seems I’m singling out these particular companies but it was more about size of firms over a wide geographic area more than anything specific with these particular firms…
I felt compelled to help a Gold Star box bloke out the other day - his ability to do a blind side reverse was only matched by his ability to speak English - pretty poor on both counts unfortunately.
I’ve been driving artics for 3 weeks now, just reversed on to a bay, after having to start over twice then shunt about 10 times or more, so seeing this post really hits home.
It’s nice to see some of the seasoned drivers here being sympathetic and patient with us newbies. No, we don’t learn how to do this on the test. They teach us the exact movements needed to pass the reversing exercise, but don’t teach you how to reverse round a bend on to a bay with cars surrounding you and other drivers laughing at you.
Hopefully I will get better with time, but OP, maybe just think back to your first few weeks on the job, I’m sure you weren’t the reversing master that you are today
hazbazz:
I’ve been driving artics for 3 weeks now, just reversed on to a bay, after having to start over twice then shunt about 10 times or more, so seeing this post really hits home.
It’s nice to see some of the seasoned drivers here being sympathetic and patient with us newbies. No, we don’t learn how to do this on the test. They teach us the exact movements needed to pass the reversing exercise, but don’t teach you how to reverse round a bend on to a bay with cars surrounding you and other drivers laughing at you.
Hopefully I will get better with time, but OP, maybe just think back to your first few weeks on the job, I’m sure you weren’t the reversing master that you are today
Sent from my COR-L29 using Tapatalk
Stick at it mate it will come. I always give patience if someone is struggling or will help if I can. And there’s many like me around.
Twice I have messed up badly and got stuck in yards trying to manoeuvre.
Both times I was quickly helped out by other drivers without asking, both foreign, one being a Romanian in actual flip flops.
hazbazz:
I’ve been driving artics for 3 weeks now, just reversed on to a bay, after having to start over twice then shunt about 10 times or more, so seeing this post really hits home.
It’s nice to see some of the seasoned drivers here being sympathetic and patient with us newbies. No, we don’t learn how to do this on the test. They teach us the exact movements needed to pass the reversing exercise, but don’t teach you how to reverse round a bend on to a bay with cars surrounding you and other drivers laughing at you.
Hopefully I will get better with time, but OP, maybe just think back to your first few weeks on the job, I’m sure you weren’t the reversing master that you are today
Sent from my COR-L29 using Tapatalk
Stick at it mate it will come. I always give patience if someone is struggling or will help if I can. And there’s many like me around.
Unfortunately there’s also some knobs mind.
Yep…it’s what we ALL did once over, as a matter of course, jump out and watch somebody in…before the d/head contingent infested our job.
hazbazz:
I’ve been driving artics for 3 weeks now, just reversed on to a bay, after having to start over twice then shunt about 10 times or more, so seeing this post really hits home.
It’s nice to see some of the seasoned drivers here being sympathetic and patient with us newbies. No, we don’t learn how to do this on the test. They teach us the exact movements needed to pass the reversing exercise, but don’t teach you how to reverse round a bend on to a bay with cars surrounding you and other drivers laughing at you.
Hopefully I will get better with time, but OP, maybe just think back to your first few weeks on the job, I’m sure you weren’t the reversing master that you are today
Sent from my COR-L29 using Tapatalk
I sympathise with you but 10 shunts. I think you need plenty practice. I get what you say about the test. A lot depends on you and a lot depends on who your instructor is. There are some lazy no gooders doing the job these days and the training has changed as well.
Years ago they had time to teach you how to drive (and reverse) before you attempted your test. Now they teach you how to pass a test if they have the time. Again that depends on the ability of the student and if the instructor cares.
Maybe the training has a lot to answer for. All about saving money rather than supplying decent drivers.
hazbazz:
I’ve been driving artics for 3 weeks now, just reversed on to a bay, after having to start over twice then shunt about 10 times or more, so seeing this post really hits home.
It’s nice to see some of the seasoned drivers here being sympathetic and patient with us newbies. No, we don’t learn how to do this on the test. They teach us the exact movements needed to pass the reversing exercise, but don’t teach you how to reverse round a bend on to a bay with cars surrounding you and other drivers laughing at you.
Hopefully I will get better with time, but OP, maybe just think back to your first few weeks on the job, I’m sure you weren’t the reversing master that you are today
Sent from my COR-L29 using Tapatalk
We’ve all been there (although some people don’t like to admit it). I don’t judge people’s skills going backwards, those who struggle going forward on the other hand…
This is a petrol station I deliver to every few weeks near Stoke. Reverse off a main road into this gap. Not ashamed to say I’ve blocked the road off for a good 5 minutes before now shunting back and to just to move across by an inch, but I can normally get it in pretty quickly.
Stupid thing is, it would take me twice as long to back on to a bay in an RDC
Yes CM reminds of of certain garages I deliverd to all these years ago in London. Never minded the tight situations because I loved the job and the craic.
Early days spent up the west end in a six wheeler. real tight up there. cars abandoned everywhere.
A driver who moved here from Poland who is a great guy, told me that over there its common to just buy a driving licence on the black market and start driving to Europe straight away. No training, no tests, nothing.
