switchlogic:
But in case it did happen many of us still change wheels, BUT 1. I wouldn’t be stupid enough to do it alone beside a live lane 2. Id at least try and drag it off motorway at next junction or services. Being a draw bar it likely had twin wheels making this easier
Take a look at my pic and you will see how dangerous this was Luke. Put it this way, I felt the need to stop before VOSA stopped and coned the lane off. Also it was pickling it down with rain and the speed the vehicles were doing was soaking the poor man from the spray.
HGV:
I remember yesterday aproaching jnc 36 with all the matrix signs flashing away saying obstruction on slip road…
To see orange flashing lights, the usual highway patrol with all their cones out…a wagon with draw bar unit on the slip…
Did not see you parked up though
No because when VOSA arrived, they told me to move my wagon and coned the lane area off. I moved it and went back to help, just in case you saw, I was the only one in a bright orange high vis coat.
We used to do it all the time in the 80s, it was just part of the job.
Worst case scenario was having an inner wheel on the trailer (pre supersingle days) stuck to the hub, lying on your back and kicking it with both feet.
Unlike today most drivers weren’t complete wonkers , so a lot of the time somebody would give you a hand.
Would I do it today? …Would I ■■■■.
HGV:
I remember yesterday aproaching jnc 36 with all the matrix signs flashing away saying obstruction on slip road…
To see orange flashing lights, the usual highway patrol with all their cones out…a wagon with draw bar unit on the slip…
Did not see you parked up though
He had actvated his self designed cloaking device to protect his identity. You know how touchy these super heroes can be if their real identity is revealed.
robroy:
Worst case scenario was having an inner wheel on the trailer (pre supersingle days) stuck to the hub, lying on your back and kicking it with both feet.
Used to happen with super singles too, particularly on CTR trailers where CTR tyre fitters used to routinely change tyres without taking the wheel off of the hub. I’ve had to loosely replace two wheel nuts and then drive in a circle until the wheel broke the rust seal and attempted to fall off on more than one occasion.
AndrewG:
As pierrot 14 mentions, most EE’s dont have tyre contracts and if possible always change their own wheels. Some pay their drivers a small bonus so the incentive is there for doing it, in any case, waiting for a tyre fitter is time lost, far quicker to do it yourself…
Its more often the case the euro trucks run on odball tyre sizes which most uk tyre suppliers dont carry so they just get on with it . I used to have a low ride schmits trailer that ran something like 425s which where an absolute nite mare to get unless you where any where near purfleet felixstowe or hull so akways had to carry a spare
I will probably regret getting involved in this but here goes anyway.
No problem with you stopping to help a fellow driver, totally admirable and more should do it, where possible.
There is no doubt changing an offside tyre in a live lane is dangerous, he managed to get on the slip road, which is probably to some degree less dangerous but I had a friend and part time driver for me, killed doing that on a dual carriageway. (Not working for me at the time and he was actually only helping the tyre fitter who had been called out).
Why do you keep referring to VOSA ? Was it really VOSA (DVSA) or the Highways Agency Traffic Officers ? (As would be normal)
I have had a couple of experiences with Highways Agency Traffic Officers and in both cases I found them very helpful and practical, certainly not going down the road of trying to insist on immediate recovery. With their assistance, by parking further back and signalling the traffic to move over as well as the second guy being ready to tell me to bail out if necessary, I changed an offside front wheel on one of ours on the M25 in the middle of the day, admittedly on the hard shoulder with a smaller truck than your man. They took the sensible view that provided I could change it pretty quick we would all be out of there and off quicker than waiting for a recovery truck or tyre fitter. Maybe my experience was not normal, but that’s how it was.
Oh lord he’s done it again,said too much and now been caught out…
May a refer to this quote…
“just in case you saw, I was the only one in a bright orange high vis coat”
Now look at the picture that shows the 2 Wombles and oddly some guy in a Orange high viz coat,which “is you” but who took the picture from 20ft away if you as you say being the only person in a orange high viz coat is in the shot?!
Well done Tramp for actually stopping to help a fellow driver out…yes as many have said…we all carried spares for the trailer and unit and did indeed change them…I didnt understand your remark though about eastern europeans driving for uk companies…i suppose its ok for uk drivers working for the Dutch…Germans,…Austrians…Swiss…Hungarians…Irish…etc etc…get used to it…I work for a Bulgarian Company bank £2000 every month for a 5 day week, and all my meals paid for…I also carry spares…but dont have to change wheels…just phone the boss, and he will call someone to change it for me…ows about that then
It was probably the lazy HATO who stopped, and moaned abouyt him changing his own wheel…as they dont get to see it so often…plus they can put cones out…and park behind watching the driver sweating his arras off, whilst sitting in the warm and dry, listening to the radio.
have done lots of wheel changes over the years but always had the gear, i stopped just off junc 12 m40 a foreign truck had stopped to check paperwork and drive wheels stopped on a muddy hole, we only had the unit but got close as poss short strap susp down lifted susp said to driver 1 go if it moves we go right out onto road, my second man was crying all the time not enough time we will be late, when all done HE got the two packets of ■■■■ and a beer, i don’t drink or smoke got f nothing. ok i do drink i must of had 3 cans of cider during 2017.
, so a lot of the time somebody would give you a hand.
