This is just an example of a 5 mile trip being turned into a 20 mile plus trip due to only being allowed to follow a set route on weekends.
I’ve had worse ones than this but im curious if anyone else has some. I know if I had Fulham I would potentially have to go all the way round the M25 I think from purfleet if I was in a artic.
I keep asking for detailed LBTS maps - but keep getting knocked back.
I’m talking about the roads where some firms are allowed to use them, Eg. Shooter’s Hill Road across Blackheath - but the firm where you are working - is “not allowed to use that particular road”…
If there is this “agreement” between different hauliers and London authorities “who can and can’t at certain times of the day/night”
Then how about letting the actual DRIVER know what road is what at any time, rather than rely on
“The firm will tell you. Listen to no other information than that. Do as you’re told. If there’s a diversion, and you have to go off route, you must fill out one of those needless red tape “Leaving the LBTS form” - or you will get a big big fine that is all you’re fault for not understanding the system properly.”
If you have any questions DON’T ASK
Winseer:
I keep asking for detailed LBTS maps - but keep getting knocked back.I’m talking about the roads where some firms are allowed to use them, Eg. Shooter’s Hill Road across Blackheath - but the firm where you are working - is “not allowed to use that particular road”…
If there is this “agreement” between different hauliers and London authorities “who can and can’t at certain times of the day/night”
Then how about letting the actual DRIVER know what road is what at any time, rather than rely on“The firm will tell you. Listen to no other information than that. Do as you’re told. If there’s a diversion, and you have to go off route, you must fill out one of those needless red tape “Leaving the LBTS form” - or you will get a big big fine that is all you’re fault for not understanding the system properly.”
If you have any questions DON’T ASK
With Tesco it’s a but of a pain in the ■■■ because they have permission to go through certain bus gates and bus only roads and that’s the only way you are allowed to go. So no using a sat Nav as it will try to keep diverting you away from it. Not that your allowed to use sat navs at Tesco.
It’s a complete pain in the ■■■ driving in London
It all works alright if you are based in an RDC and returning there. The problem is when you are leaving from a different place you entered, such as going through New Covent Garden, then going on somewhere else.
The thing is like loads of 7.5 ton weight limits. who is actually monitoring if lorries are leaving and entering? I would wager you’d be very unlucky to be caught. There are loads of large vehicles like bin lorries and double deckers that professionally ignore all the weight restrictions, I have full respect for a safety based restriction because of a low or narrow bridge etc. However restrictions based on nimby noise or air pollution are rules there to be broken. If you are going through as quiet and efficient as possible ie not like a tipper driver than needs to take a ■■■■, it’s victimless crime IMHO. It’s traffic jams that cause air pollution, not the latest Euro 6 truck running past at low revs at 30mph at 3am.
I do follow the rules, but if there was a closed road I wouldn’t lose sleep over going a way I knew that was safe that was kind of going across London against the rules technically speaking. 
adam277:
Winseer:
I keep asking for detailed LBTS maps - but keep getting knocked back.I’m talking about the roads where some firms are allowed to use them, Eg. Shooter’s Hill Road across Blackheath - but the firm where you are working - is “not allowed to use that particular road”…
If there is this “agreement” between different hauliers and London authorities “who can and can’t at certain times of the day/night”
Then how about letting the actual DRIVER know what road is what at any time, rather than rely on“The firm will tell you. Listen to no other information than that. Do as you’re told. If there’s a diversion, and you have to go off route, you must fill out one of those needless red tape “Leaving the LBTS form” - or you will get a big big fine that is all you’re fault for not understanding the system properly.”
If you have any questions DON’T ASK
With Tesco it’s a but of a pain in the ■■■ because they have permission to go through certain bus gates and bus only roads and that’s the only way you are allowed to go. So no using a sat Nav as it will try to keep diverting you away from it. Not that your allowed to use sat navs at Tesco.
It’s a complete pain in the ■■■ driving in London
What sort of runs would you typically find a complete pain?
I recall places like Elephant & Castle being the worst I could remember from about 2012, and the Battersea tail lift delivery was a pain - as the delivery slot was at shift change time, meaning I had to do top and bottom on my own. I’m glad that place has since been sold on. I think it is a morrisons now… I think my fav run was Southend, but I think Dagenham does that one now, on the wrong side of the river from me…
Winseer:
adam277:
Winseer:
I keep asking for detailed LBTS maps - but keep getting knocked back.I’m talking about the roads where some firms are allowed to use them, Eg. Shooter’s Hill Road across Blackheath - but the firm where you are working - is “not allowed to use that particular road”…
If there is this “agreement” between different hauliers and London authorities “who can and can’t at certain times of the day/night”
Then how about letting the actual DRIVER know what road is what at any time, rather than rely on“The firm will tell you. Listen to no other information than that. Do as you’re told. If there’s a diversion, and you have to go off route, you must fill out one of those needless red tape “Leaving the LBTS form” - or you will get a big big fine that is all you’re fault for not understanding the system properly.”
If you have any questions DON’T ASK
With Tesco it’s a but of a pain in the ass because they have permission to go through certain bus gates and bus only roads and that’s the only way you are allowed to go. So no using a sat Nav as it will try to keep diverting you away from it. Not that your allowed to use sat navs at Tesco.
It’s a complete pain in the ass driving in LondonWhat sort of runs would you typically find a complete pain?
I recall places like Elephant & Castle being the worst I could remember from about 2012, and the Battersea tail lift delivery was a pain - as the delivery slot was at shift change time, meaning I had to do top and bottom on my own. I’m glad that place has since been sold on. I think it is a morrisons now… I think my fav run was Southend, but I think Dagenham does that one now, on the wrong side of the river from me…
Well not really a pain. You just needed to know the area. Like when I was at Co-op especially the Co-op - Strand WC2R 0RG. Its a bus only road. So you kinda need to know the area. I done Tesco on Trafalgar Square was not too bad as I can just park on double yellows.
Another issue recently is Extinction Rebellion. Your giving a set route to get to the store only for these muppets to block the road. I took a picture of them as I was stuck waiting for them to move lol. In the end I got the police to help me turn around and I found another way around. (There was like 500 of them and I was not waiting hours for them to move).
Tesco Express on Shoreditch High Street is another pain I included a pick of the bus gate you gotta go through from google maps. Once you know it though its fine. At first though your instinct is kinda like… “I dont want to risk the fine lol”
As for Tesco Extra Southend. It’s a fine store. Having to do a spinny around that small yard when your a full loaded double decker and it is raining is not easy though lol. Also the blindside reverse can be pain especially with the new mirrorless mercs.
As for Elephant and Castle I believe most of the shops have been knocked down around there and they are building something else. I did hear from other drivers though that it was all underground and a pain in the ass. I just did Canary Wharf Tesco express today, was underground and was pretty easy.
Some years ago now, when on for Tesco, had a Sat. night delivery, 2 drops, 1st one to Thornton Heath, the 2nd at Hammersmith Broadway, the one where you have to go in thru the bus station if anyone is familiar.
Asked the office before I left, what’s the night / weekend route from there to Hammersmith? They hadn’t a clue.
Set off, do 1st delivery, called in again after Thornton Heath drop seeing as the office night shift were now in after 10pm - surely they would know… Nope. ‘Umm, just come back down the A23, round the 25 and go in via the M4’.
Ok, right you are, if that’s what you want.
Get to Hammersmith. ‘Why you late?’
I’ve just applied to London Councils for exemptions to do drops in London in Sundays.
You have to tell them your start and finish points, and the route you will take, and they tell you if they agree or not.
They were pretty good to be honest, allowed all the drops and the only route they refused was Bounds Green Road and Green Lanes. Few mile detour up to the A10 at Tottenham but not too bad.
MM so much for saving the planet meanwhile some more stars have a jolly ride into space for 6 minutes …what a f…waste
How the hell can you be in trouble if a road is closed and you have no option??!! Stupid politicians. It’s not a fine - it’s a tax!
TruckerGuy:
How the hell can you be in trouble if a road is closed and you have no option??!! Stupid politicians. It’s not a fine - it’s a tax!
Oh you can be in trouble alright - says the guy who got let go for being off-route in London because of Road Closures, and in one case - an office block had been built right over a place where a small side road used to be between the City and lower Thames street, allowing one to turn off without having to enter the city on the north bank with it’s weight restrictions, rather than being ULEZ, where the truck was compliant with that, and in any case - was delivering to places like Barbican and Monument - both within the square mile and ULEZ…
I wanted contingency maps. SatNav/Microlise was no good, as it’ll send you down all kinds of streets actually illegal to go down.
I had similar bother with a different supermarket trying to get to Holloway store when the entire one way system road was closed, and the only exit was down a wide bus-route 7.5t residential street to get back to the A10 and out of town that way…
